429 question

[WBofTN]

I'm looking a cobra for sale with a 429 or 428 - the owner has
mentioned both # in my conversations with him. I ask for the block #, and he crawled under the car to look. He informed me that
the starter was partially covering the #, but the part he could
read was {DOVE......}.
Can anyone inform me on this subject? before I go and look at
the car.
Thanks
WB

[Tom Wells]

Yo WB,

D0VE (dee-zero-vee-eee) is a very common number on 385 series (429/460) blocks, and is located above/behind the starter.

Another way to identify a 385 is to look at the valve covers. There will be three bolts holding the valve covers on the intake manifold side of the head, and four bolts on the exhaust side of the head. Note that some 385 covers omit the center bolt on the intake side.


Sort of like

INTAKE side

x (x) x

x x x x

EXHAUST side

FEs are different...

Tom

[WBofTN]

10-4 Tom
Sounds like its a 429
WB

[Tim Brewer]

A 429 and a 428 are two totally different engines that are not even close. You dont need #'s to identify. A 429, 385 series, which is the same as a 460, is the largest sizewise. A 428, or FE, looks like part of its intake is a part of its head, like 390's and 427's.
Tim

[BB427]

On a 385 series motor the intake does not extend under the valvecover like a FE does. The 385 intake is smaller and the heads are larger than an FE. The intake and exhause ports are oval.

Brent