Shelby Aluminum

[Keithc8]

The 67 Fairlane I spoke of is a NHRA legal Stock eliminator drag car. To fit the class of A/Stock it has to weight in at 3550 pounds. This car runs a Jerico 4 speed with a lightweight trick clutch set up and 9 inch Ford with 5.29 gears. We turn these engines 7600RPMs threw the lights and shift at 7200RPMs. The 427 sideoiler cam out as a race engine and then with the rules that they allow in Stock eliminator plus some extra tricks to the engine we have been able to get about 630HP out of these engines. You have to remember these are 16,000.00 special built race engines for this class. I was just using this as an example on how far we have come with the FE engines.
For another example Shawn LeBlance owns the Super Stock GT/A record with an 69 428 engine in a late model body. He runs this engine in a 89 Mustang that weighs 2950lbs. He is allowed to run lighter pistons, port the heads but retain the stock factory cc volumes which NHRA has set at 155cc intake and 123cc exhaust[not very big]. They can run a solid roller camshaft, after market intake and the stock 735 carburetor. The engine has to remain stock compression. Shawns engines makes a little over 700 HP and this is with the stock 428CJ heads and .060 over bore. His record is 9.06 at 146 mph and if you slide rule this it shows he has to make about 730 to 740 to go that fast. Remember these are all out drag race cars and 60ft very well and have evry trick to get them down the drag strip. You can pick up a National Dragster and look these records up in the back. This might interest some people because they have to compete against the Chevys and Mopars.
The technology on the FE has come a long way in just the last 5 years. We have better blocks for better ring seal, lighter pistons, better rings, lighter cranks with smaller rod bearing sizes for less drag. Better camshaft designs, much better cylinder heads with better flow and velocity. The intakes are much better as well. When you think about it when you have 482 to 496 cubic inches it should not be that hard to make between 600 to 700 HP with a 10.8 to 1 engine. You make up for tha lack of compression by having good air flow through out the lift range of the head and with the proper camshaft you fill the cylinder better than done before and create the compression dynamical rather than statically. I guess we have had to build these low compression engines when doing the Stock and Super Stock engines and have gotten good at it. These Cobra engines we build have way better parts than the other FEs we have had to build over the years. I guess this is why I do not see the big deal with the good HP numbers. The engine is an air pump and with good heads, intake, carburetor and camshaft you should be able to make these HP numbers with these large cubic inche engines. The engine does not know it a FE. The valve train is another area that has come a long way on these engines and helped control the valves better. When you have cylinder heads that will flow 340@.600 lift and 482 cubic inches it makes these HP levels very real and possible. Not trying to cause trouble just bring a better product to market. Hope this helps a little. Thanks Keith