Yes - definitely some renewed excitement for FE consumers when new short block packages are just starting to pop up on websites at $6,995 now, and Ford has FE block part numbers coming out. I never thought I'd live to see this. Just two years ago people were saying FEs were dead. Now this quirky motor is actually coming back to the mainstream by popular demand.

Seems this FE revival with new blocks is just getting started and and prices are coming ddddddooooownnnnnn. Yeahhhh! No more FE ransom for blocks or other FE parts for that matter. Seems that FEs are not dead and there is renewed competition and interest to begin to supply and sell these new packages at reduced cost. The future is not here yet. Can't wait to actually see this in the Ford catalog and what happens over the next 2-3 years. Amazing. :)

Well said Keith, keep up the good work..

The Pond Motorsports blocks will be available in aluminum and cast iron. The block looks very similiar to the original with added cylinder wall, main and deck thickness. The water jackets have been improved to cool better with the thicker cylinders. Has single 7/16 cross bolts in steel machined caps. The block uses the proven side oiler style oiling system.
I do not know that any of these blocks is any better than the other, just that they are all much better than the original Ford blocks. I will use what ever a customer wants me to use and check the block top to bottem before we use it. I like to sell a block to a customer I like to sell it completely machined because then I know it is right and if we run into a problem it is fixed before they get it or we use another block.
The Pond Motorsport block I believe to have a retail price of 2995.00 for cast iron and 3995.00 for aluminum. The blocks will need to have the finish machine work done like, line hone, square deck, bore and honed and cleaning with all cam bearings and oil galley plugs then installed.
I feel we have had a good working relationship with all of these companys and plan to in the future. We will always offer crate shortblocks as well as crate engines, kits, CNC heads and any other FE part needed.
There is no one in the country with the CNC capacity for FE blocks and heads that we have. We have taken raw head castings out of the mold when Shelby made some cast iron heads but did not machine them. We installed every threaded hole, spark plug hole, guide holes and CNC the chambers to the original specs. We should have Blue Thunder programs up and running soon since we now have some of these heads to port as well. Things are looking pretty good for the FE right now, who would have thought. Thanks, Keith

There are several of us that have Genesis blocks in our cars today. I bought mine through Keith, I would by another today as long as it went through Keith Craft Racing. I'm very impressed with my motor. I've got 900 miles on it, just gets better. If you have questions, ask us that have them.

slithering

Keithc8:
I was not aware of the Pond block. I like your style... stocking components versus the JIT (Just in Time) method. Says alot for your commitment to the cause. I would be very interested in your assessment of these blocks. I assume each block has some different amount of labor and processes needed to prep it for a build... that would translate eventually to cost.

Slithering:
I am please to hear you have a Genesis block! I knew of no one who actually has an engine built out of one. I would be very interested in your assessment of the engine. I assume yours is the cast iron block?

Can you provide us some of the details on its components? Do you have the solid lifters or hydraulic? Cam? Intake maifold? Heads? Crank, rods, cylinders, carb, distributor, iginition, etc.?

I take it that Keith Craft Racing did the build on this motor. They make some nice motors and have a very good reputation. I see quite a few of them coming into ERA for customers.

Thanks for the feedback.

We like to order our blocks where we can finish the main size in house by line honing ourselves. We want the blocks to come in with under size cylinders so we can bore and hone with torque plates to get a straight round cylinder with the proper finish for the rings to be used. We also will deck the block in our RMC CNC block center so that the decks are the same height as well as 45 degrees to the center of the camshaft and crankshaft. This puts the decks 90 degrees to each other as well. We will normally do a little oil galley work to each blocks as well.
When you are dealing with any block you need to pressure check and check all machining processes. We are used to doing this but a lot of people expect to get a block ready to assemble and none of the blocks are sent this way from the block manufacturers. This is the case with these blocks as well as the blocks from Ford Racing or Dart.
This is on e reason we like to sell the blocks fully machined and ready to assemble so the customer does not have to hassle with these things. Not every shop is equiped to do what we do to the blocks before they are used. Thanks and good luck to all, Keith Craft

427
 

Keith C

Hello from downunder, you have got my attention, I had planned on a sbf, but was unable to make a decision on sizing 331-408 and of course the different blocks involved!

I ran FE390 bored in my first Cobra, nice road car, cast iron Toploader and heavy Jag diff (1250KGS WET) - but to heavy for really fast circuit use.
To build a good smallblock I guess it would consume approx USD$20000 or $30k of our dosh, I reckon a reasonable 10.1 comp 427 with a Shelby or other alloy block would be the ticket, or not cost a helluva lot more, this solves the problem of deciding on a stroker small block, and would make this car quite light still, with all alloy running gear etc. Has anyone weighed a complete alloy 427, it would have to be under 500Lbs?

Very interested!

Alloy engine weight
 

I read somewhere that an all alloy meaning Shelby engine is approx 460Ibs!

Gentlemen,

I have a KC cast iron Genesis 427 / 482 cubic inch engine in my new cobra. I couldn't be more pleased. The engine produced 637 hp and 637 lbs of torque on the dyno that I witnessed. It has the stage 2 Edelbrock aluminum head with the hydraulic roller. It also has the Scat H beam rods and Scat crack assembly. The motor has tremendous power and sounds terrific through the sidepipes. I wasted a lot of time and money with a couple of junk original blocks, before I learned about the Genesis blocks being produced. Right then, I made the decision to go with the Genesis and KC for my engine. Couldn't be more pleased and saved a lot of money as well.

PM me, if you would like to more about my Genesis.

Thanks,

Allen Findley

I was one of those original lenders that shelled out $2000.00 back in 2001 for a deposit on an aluminum block. I never once was ever called by Tim McLoughlin. I tried numerous times to contact him to no avail. I called the new number but still can never reach him. Just last week I filed a claim with the BBB of Indiana. I am still waiting for an answer from Genesis to see if they will honor my deposit. I see that some of you have spoken with Tim. Maybe you can pass my name on to him as a reminder. My cell phone number is 267-236-3734. Ask him to call me. I even have a letter signed by Tim with my supposed serial number of GEN-A0002. I will post the outcome of this situation.

Is the issue with Genesis (ie lack of availability) just with the alloy 427 block? I have read about folks with iron blocks. Not sure how long those folks with iron blocks had to wait.

I have posted on this subject before as I am considering a Genesis 427 block. Will probably go with the iron block.

Is it accurate that issues with Genesis were more from the past, say two years ago?

Is it accurate that now that company has been acquired and hear things that Ford Motor sports is supporting this project things are improving from an availability/quality standpoint?

Besides some need for add'l machining, has overall quality been that awful? Would think price may also improve with additional availability/competition.

I am still in search for a block for my ERA. In the original market, all I am finding is 427s's requiring either sleeves, with thin cylinder walls or bored .030 over. Not doing much better on 428's. Not finding any real bargains either!

Once and for all, why aren't the Genesis offerings a much needed boost for the Cobra hobby?What other alternative would you consider if you are in need of an FE block for your Cobra?

Sorry if anybody feels I am beating a dead horse.

Doesn't anyone care to offer their input?

I changed my Hurricane Motorsports order from a SBF to a BBF today. :D

http://www.genesis427.com/brochures/..._full_line.pdf

Input can be found by doing a search on Genesis.

In a nutshell: Genesis (the first) went bankrupt, taking some people's deposits with it. Genesis (the second) rose up from the ashes with one of the original partners, and is the one currently producing blocks. To the best of my knowledge, the Genesis blocks are excellent products. The iron blocks were their first focus, and dealing with customers of the first Genesis has been spotty it seems and taken up an inordinate amount of time for what is in reality a very very small company. Inordinate if you want your new iron block now, not so much if you're one of the ones who basically funded the first Genesis' R&D efforts.

Genesis blocks
 

I have the 505 inch Genesis iron block engine that was covered in the July issue of Hot Rod magazine. We bored it to 4.350 just to prove the integrity of the block. After a dozen dyno pulls it made about 680HP @ 6200RPM.

It went into a 3600+ pound Torino for the Pump Gas Drags where it drove 33 miles in Memphis rush hour traffic, and ran 10.40s on 93 octane fuel. Since then it has been driven on the streets around Detroit and raced several times - always running mid/low 10s without any problems whatsoever.

Everything about the block seems pretty decent. We tweaked the machine work (similar to what Keith does). The casting looks nice. It holds water. All the accessories and components bolted on where they belonged. Its a nice a block as any aftermarket piece I've seen - - regardless of manufacturer.