Shelby Aluminum

[steelcomp]

Sizzler,
You just drove a stake through your own heart with that article. (Did you really read the whole thing?) It absolutely verifies the quote you're trying to use against me. You obviously don't know a lot about the race world, or the politics involved. I worked as a senior cyl. head specialist, machinist, and engine technician for Alan Johnson (Johnson Racing, Alan Johnson Cyl Heads, NHRA Top Fuel World Champ 96, 97, 98, Top Alcohol World Champ 90,91,92,93) from 1992 'till 1996, right before Blaine was killed. He was a friend, and I miss him. We did the heads for Pat Austin, and mfdg'd heads for WAR (Walt Austin Racing) to sell to the TA crowd. I have worked with John Rodeck personally as we used his Harley when we developed a billet head for the Harley. I did all the r&d (that stands for research and development) for that project. I worked for Dart in Detroit along side Rich Maskin (Numerous NHRA Pro Stock championships and records, and cyl. head mfgr) as a cyl head technician, and machinist. I've done Pro Stock r&d when at that time we were doing engines for Mark Powuk. Like him or not, there's not a man out there that knows how to get power out of an engine like Maskin. I was in the trenches. I worked on the stuff. I fixed it when it blew up. I welded heads back together and re machined, them, re-ported them, and re assembled them. I worked in the pits. I did test and tune in Pro Stock. I was hired by John Raines in Santa Paula to build his 300 mph (290+) Firebird. I worked directly with Ken Duttweiler and developed a 1000+hp BuicV6 for that car as well as built the entire car. I have a walk in invitation, any time at any race with many of the top names in NHRA. I have seen it and been there and can tell you, from my experience, there, in the world of hard core racing, with the best, that there isn't a better factory design out there for a high HP, big cubic inch, unlimited type race engine. The 4.9 bore center, as I stated before, is something that other mfg'r WISH they had, and have spent a LOT of money duplicating it in classes where it is allowed. You don't just "stretch" a head to another bore center. You have to completely re design the casting and start from scratch. I'm not trying to brag,,, I'm trying to tell you something you have seemingly little knowledge of, from my experience, not magazine articles. I've built just about every configuration of american V8 and then some.

The Ford racer hasn't had the backing that the GM guys have had, and it's really sad to hear that NHRA has just screwed the Ford guys again. There's a tremendous GM bias there, and it's PURELY political. The truth is, if they allowed (which they used to...the Jordan Bros. Racing team out of Ventura, CA used to run a Ford Hemi in TAFC) there wouldn't be a GM product out there. They all have a 4.84" bore ctr and it's been their limiting factor. So NHRA just sucked GM's you know what...again. Knowing the Austins, that motor was going to be a killer, which has always been the potential of a 385 motor.

NHRA has a lot more classes than PRO anything. Like the article says, there is more anad more interest in the BBF than ever before. People are slow to change...even when they know what's better. Human nature resists change, and so much racing has been dominated by BBChev motors for so long, but that's changing. And the BBC hasn't dominated because it's better. The FE was the premier race motor before the 385, and, sorry, it just couldn't keep up. Thanks to guys like KC, it seems to be making a come back, but still in a very specialized arena. Look at IHRA and see who's winning. Look in the record books and see names like Ronnie Sox and Ricky Smith, who were allowed to take advantage of the Ford's potential. I'm gonna dig up so much 385 racing history you're going to choke on it.

Because the after market never got a chance to go with the 385 since Ford dropped their racing program in 1970, you won't ever hear much about it. Parts have been slow in the making, but they're available now. Ford never played the political game, either, so (obviously with the Austins) the breaks were never there. Look at how Ford is treated in NASCASR. Every year, without fail, Ford comes out with a killer combination, and the officials deny it, or change the rules, and the GM guys just keep on smiling.

You are entitled to your opinion, but I think if you knew more about the facts, you might change your opinion. If you STILL think the 385 is a worthless motor, that's your business, but it's PURELY emotional, and based on nothing but...what's the word?...oh yeah...prejudice.
But thanks for bringing the the article to my attention. I need to make some calls and find out what's going on.

BTW...put more than 5 lbs boost on a 4.6 (like what's in the Lightning), and you'll spit the rods out the pan. You're right JP.