Lykins Motorsports 445 FE
 

I know Brent already has many clients here who have sung his praises, but I just wanted to add my name to the long list of impressed customers of his. I had contacted him a while ago about a street/strip FE build for my son’s 1967 Mustang fastback S-code, and while initially it didn’t seem that the timing would work out for him to do the build within my necessary timeframe due to him being in large demand, as well as the common delays on parts these days, he agreed to do his best to get me our engine by May and indeed he finished it up yesterday. Both Brent and I are quite pleased with the results (see Youtube video link below).

Between my son’s goals for the car (he is 17) and my own, we gave Brent a near-impossible list of goals for the engine. We told him we were looking for a 445FE-style stroker, with power somewhere in the 560-570 hp range (initially told him less, but he said we really needed to aim higher, lol) that would run on pump gas, would produce enough engine vacuum to run power brakes, and make peak power in the 6000-6200 range. Brent designed and built a masterpiece of an engine that did all of that and more, making 617 hp between 6000-6100 rpm on 93 octane gas, and generates 13” of vacuum. This should easily allow the potential for my son to hit his goal of mid to low 11’s in his car, even at our “slow” track with our usual horrible DA there. We will be running this engine in front of a new Tremec TKX 5-speed.

Working with Brent has been a real pleasure. He’s very down to earth and approachable, and has always been very realistic and straightforward with the inevitable challenges that come up along the way (parts delays, manufacturer defects that needed correcting, etc). He is always quick to respond to questions, and just seems to be an all-around good egg. 10/10 highly recommend, as the kids say. If you haven’t seen his YouTube channel, you really should check it out and subscribe- it’s quite enjoyable to see a master in his field go through the process, and he is so good at explaining everything so even a novice can follow along and understand.

Now, the video:


https://youtu.be/6MB0Q2_yAzw



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Brent is the BEST !!

Byron W.

Dealing with Brent is as good as it gets. No fluff, just honesty and realistic expectations. A quality engine builder & designer and an even better person.

No question, Brent is good.
The numbers would worry me though.... in particular, 617hp and a 17 year old driver.

Glen

I completely understand your concern and agree in principle, and Ryan and I are keenly aware of the need to exercise good judgement and proper, safe use. In our case, this isn't even approaching the top of our performance machines, as we have multiple 8, 9, and 10-second machines at home, and this will probably be in the 11-flat range in his Mustang. Ryan has grown up driving all of my cars, at both the dragstrip and on the street, and his driving ability (much like his drumming ability) is quickly surpassing my own. He has made multiple low 10-second passes at the dragstrip in some of my other cars. Still, I agree that at 17, you can still only have *so* much experience, so we will continue to take precautions and have all of the necessary safety gear etc in place. I too have seen the disastrous results that happen when "junior" is given the keys to daddy's toy, and has no business being behind the wheel. That isn't the case here.

Motor specs sound fantastic and out of a 390. That should keep the costs down a bit vs. a 428 block. I love everything about this build except for the idle was to smooth for me, at least it appeared so in the video. I have to have a lumpy idle! If you dont mind me asking, what was the total cost?

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