I was having the same conversation re: the 385 series Ford engine on another site. This is what I wrote:
http://www.realjetboats.com/cgi/yabb...num=1088829734
If you care to look.
The 385 was probably the best designed factory performance engine ever built for many reasons. It started in '68, and was Ford's answer to the canted valve BBChevy. The Ford engineers took all the weaknesses found in the BBC and designed the 385 around that info. The reason the 385 never became more popular is the simple fact that in 1970 Ford dropped out of racing. Those were the beginning years of development for the 429, and it was definately showing it's teeth. Unfortunately, the after market industry never followed up after Ford dropped the ball, and the 429 basically stayed a passenger motor, with a few truck applications, untill not too long ago. Many were raced, but there were so few parts that were available, they (the racers) were forced to go with what was there, the BBC.
IF... Ford had continued developing the 385, the BBC would not be the main stay of most racing today.
IF...Ford had continued the Cobra, I doubt the 385 would have been chosen...too big, too heavy. (The 427 was already a miserable handling car...I'm sure I'll hear from you Cobra replica owners with 460s for that comment.)
There were some real nice versions of the 385, like the SCJ with four bolt mains, solid cam, forged pistons, high rise and holley, and good cast headers. The heads were a mistake in "bigger is better" but that would have been overcome. The Police Interceptor was probably the best 429 made.
Today there is no limit of state of the art hardware for the 385 engine, and it offers no apologies. In my opinion, there's not a better engine out there, weather you're on a budget, or want to go all out. You want to test the meat of an engine? Go boat racing. More and more, the 385 is gaining popularity among enthusiast and hard core alilke. Don't see many FE's though, although KC has me wondering.
Hmmm. There was never such thing as a 496" FE before.
Misfit...you got me there, pretty insecure, and afraid to speak my mind, too. Thanks for pointing that out.
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