Shelby Aluminum

[Mr427]

Pop - pop!
It is may 1966 and the crowd is on its feet in the city of LeMans. Mr. Shelby looks at his watch and decides it is time to start for the pit area. as they come down the Mulsanne straight the welcoming commitee from Ferrari lets the Champagne bottles slide down. The whole crowd lets out a collective gasp.

Never seen before or since. Three cars come down the final stretch almost side by side and the tremendous roar of those cars becomes deafening. The all look identical. Only the color schemes separate them. To the Americans who await the end of the race, this is like the national anthem.

Three full-house aluminum headed, 540hp 427s let out the awe inspiring collective waaaaaaaaaaaaaa as they start to slow down.

I don´t have time to go on, but if there was a time in history, besides seeing General Patton in his tank, when I wish I was a little older, then that was to be old enought to have witnessed it all.

The FE 427 Ford of 1966 through its reign as the world-supercar engine of choice, was and still is the product of deliberate research and development by the world´s ablest engine builders. No expense was spared. The engines that went before it are the prelude to the part where the fat lady finally let it all out: The tremendous effort put into the 390 in 196-1962, then on to the 406 and we had cross-bolts, then on to a bigger bore and better oiling, and in June 1963, there it was.

Everything that came after is history and what a history it is. This engine has a pedigree like no racce horse ever had. It may be coming on in years, but we have a solemn obligation, every last one of us to stand by the work of the people who designed it, built it, tested it, raced it and WON, WON, WON.

Those who raced it in NASCAR in late 1968 say that even with the tunnel port heads, and modified to the hand granade configuration, it was spewing fire through the carburetors at "idle" which was a measly, 2800 rpms. They said they had develped it to the max for this type of racing. That means this engine was maxed out, naturally aspirated at 630hp. Official hp. figures for the High Riser were in the 550 range.

Come to today, it is not hard to belive that 35 years of R&D has brought us another 100 horses. Guys, that is an average of 3 hp per year. Now guys, just through sheer deduction, elimination or statistical inferencing, I for one think that can be done.

Keith, congratulations on your work. May the FE continue to cause sleepless nights for friends and foes alike.

One of my friends sat at the wheel of my Crower cammed GT-500 and said: What I like about the FE above the 385 is that is seems to have more of a teenager spirit built into it. That is why it is so popular.

To be continued.