Shelby Aluminum Block Engine

[davetherave]

Hey guys,

I'm new to the community- just ordered an ERA 427SC and I would like to put an aluminum block 427 engine it. Any recommendations on where to go ? I spoke with Gessford by phone- they seem really good but said it would be in November before I saw it.

Thanks,

Dave

[computerworks]

Mod Note... Moved to FE Talk forum

[bret a ewing]

When do you think you will see your car?

[ENTDOC]

Use Gessford,worth the wait and you will have no worries about the motor for many happy miles. George simply knows what he is doing and makes no compromises. chuck

[davetherave]

Thanks guys- I will call George and see what i can work out.

David

[Burnd]

Originally Posted by davetherave

Hey guys,

I'm new to the community- just ordered an ERA 427SC and I would like to put an aluminum block 427 engine it. Any recommendations on where to go ? I spoke with Gessford by phone- they seem really good but said it would be in November before I saw it.
Thanks,
Dave

Dave:
No disrespect to George; but you would be foolish not to make a comparison shop with Keith Craft Racing too. Frankly; I spoke with both of them and Keith was 1000's of dollars less than Mr. Gessford, which kind of gets your attention. Less $ does NOT mean you are giving up any quality. I'd be shocked if he couldn't deliver a lot quicker than 6 months from now, although it won't matter if your roller is not finished. When it came to service and we had some issues to address; Keith hopped on a plane and flew 7 hours from Arkansas to NJ. He got in at 5:00pm and worked till 3:30AM on my motor; took a test run with me the next morning with the "Edelbrock" issues (not KC issues) 100% resolved, and flew back that afternoon. This motor absolutely "screams". BTW: there was no charge for his time and service; just integrity backing up his work. Plug and play.

I've been out of the Cobra and forum loop with family issues for the last 2 months, so I just noticed your post. Getting back into the groove now.

Good luck with it; either way. They are both good motor heads.

Bernie

[blykins]

Thumbs up for KC also.

[Nantucket427]

I have a 427 in my superformance and when the problems were beyond my ablities, you need a local guy that you can talk to and look in the face. I like to do everything myself and like to understand what is going on. I got the recommendations from this forum for a good FE builder and came up with someone that was great, Phil Miller Machine in Haverhill Ma.

I am sure that you can find someone in your own back yard that will do an excellent job.

After saying all that I must add that I want a Shelby Aluminum someday and the people with the most experience (well publized experience) are Southern Automotive, Gressford and Keith Craft. Keith Craft is my favorite because of there head work.

[RedCSX1]

I had Craft put together a Pond short block for me. Stroked to 482. Very nice work. Reasonable price. But I also have to say if you have the bucks George does offer that certain kind of first class service most can't touch.

[blykins]

And what would that be......500% markup and oil caps with "Snake Oil" CNC cut into them?

George doesn't have a dyno....keep that in mind.

[Allan A]

We have purchased three motors from George, never had to have him fly out and fix anything.

Allan

[Excaliber]

I spent a LOT of time on the phone and many many e-mails with George and Neil at Gessford when I was rebuilding my own engine. I got my parts parts (and invaluable advice) from them.

I rebuilt my motor because I wanted to change the 'specs'. Milder cam, lower compression, street friendly, that sort of thing. The motor had been previously built by a well known FE builder in Texas, and it WAS fast! I was quite surprised to find a number of 'little things' that were done wrong in that first build, many other things were done 'right on the money', a mixed bag in the final review.

It's amazing how many little tricks and things to watch our for when your working on a FE, there not like any other motor. I was so impressed that George so graciously shared his knowledge. My motor runs strong, THANKS to George AND Neil.

"Gessford Machine", not looking to do a 'VOLUME BUSINESS', he's building one quality motor at a time and leaving no stone unturned in the search for absolute perfection. It costs more to do it that way and it's WORTH it! You don't get voted "Machine Shop" of the YEAR without doing it right, every time.

[GEORGE ANDERSON]

It's been an interesting seven years on Club Cobra....way back on April 10th 1999 I joined this forum.....many changes and many friends...not always positive posts about Gessford Machine but usually friendly ones. We were with the club at the beginning and helped get things rolling along with many other Cobra guys.

The shop has been serving people for fifty years and we're still ticking. We do things our experienced way and serve a really great group of customers. I don't take every job and don't ever claim to be the best at it because you will always find someone better, faster or smarter. We do dyno engines if a customer requires it. We work with many race shops in the midwest and do things they can't do because we have some unique machines and very experienced people. Most of my people have been with me 15 years(poor guys). I do enjoy finding a newer look or something fun to talk about but always have quality at the top of our priority list. I try to deliver on-time and not promise what I can't produce. Calls for motors this time of year requires me to add additional time to the project. The Tractor Puller, Electric Motor, Ethanol plant and Agriculture and trucking diesel engine repairs make life tough so we do what we can and never promise something we can't deliver just to get an order. The Cobra and Eleanor portion of Gessford isn't the volume portion of our business it's the fun part.

I support Shelby and will continue to do so. From 1966 until today I'm a Ford fan and likely always will be. I've spent enough racing seat time in my life and building a Road Course next to the shop seems like a great deal for Gessford and our community. Being a Shelby Automobiles dealer is important to me. Keeping my great Midstates Classic Cars Cobra is a must...I love it and it's built like a Rock and it's what got me interested in Club Cobra.....it's seen so many Run & Guns it could be in the hall of fame for never breaking and always finishing..maybe not the top spot but always there with the other Cobras. Now I enjoy watching others have a great time and my ideas for newer looks are keeping us busy on Cobras and Eleanor projects. Being part of Club Cobra will continue to be an important part of my life. The posts here seem to flow with the changing times and great new people have joined and I wish them all well.
George

[cobra]

Use Gessford,worth the wait and you will have no worries about the motor for many happy miles.
George simply knows what he is doing and makes no compromises.
A happy customer from Switzerland
Walter

[Keithc8]

I would hope that anyone that is building anything engine or other would do the best job possible if they are putting there name on it. We have been involved in the Ford Performance industry for over 25 years now. We keep a large stock of FE parts at all times to give a 2 month turn around in most cases. Our main business is Performance engines and mostly Ford engines. We did 80 FE engines last year alone so I guess i would say we know a little about them as well.
There are several places to get a engine built and the main thing is that you get what you pay for and come away happy. With Unique Performance/Shelby, Kirkham Motorsports and many Suoerformance dealers using our products I feel that we are doing something right. As with any business there will be some problems every now and then. This is can be due to several things from vendor problems to shop problems and even customer mistakes but you still have to resolve the problem and get it fixed so everyone is happy.
We sell about as many parts for engines as we sell engines and offer complete packages that the customer can assemble at home in their garage if they like. Right now we can turn around about any Ford engine you want in 8 weeks. Good luck with your search for an engine. Keith Craft

[Excaliber]

had to chuckle, we got BOTH the 'Big Dogs' posting on this thread, cool. Gessford and KC, both professionals and both doing a fine job. I wish the both of you well and admire your support for the Cobra community.

... now shakes hands and get ready for the "V8 Rumble in the Jungle".

[decooney]

If you are on the West Coast U.S. side, shop around no more. If VALUE and attention to detail is what you are looking for, contact Tom Lucas at FE Specialties in Sacramento, California to build your FE engine at 916-339-0427. When you select FE Specialties, TOM BUILDS AND BLUEPRINTS YOUR ENGINE 100%, START TO FINISH, end-to-end, not some other employee or group of employees with less experience in the back of the shop. When you pay for a name, make sure you know who is building your engine for you. Good Luck.

[xlr8or]

Duane thats an ugly accusation. Is Tom the only one working in his shop? Does he clean the blocks, paint them, do all the machining, magnaflux them himself? Be realistic it's not a one man job. Tom's got a very good reputation but your implying someone will recieve less than optimal quality going with the other builders mentioned on this thread. Your statement is out of line.

[decooney]

Originally Posted by xlr8or

Duane thats an ugly accusation. Is Tom the only one working in his shop? Does he clean the blocks, paint them, do all the machining, magnaflux them himself? Be realistic it's not a one man job. Tom's got a very good reputation but your implying someone will recieve less than optimal quality going with the other builders mentioned on this thread. Your statement is out of line.

xlr8or,
We disagree, and take it however you like. I still don't believe its out of line. Everyone is entitled to an opinion and this is mine from first hand experience(s) watching others pay 2x and getting less quality and inferior parts and service and warranty repair. I've observed several people pay big $$$ to big name shops with LOTS of employees thinking they were getting what they were paying for and they most certainly did not. Frankly, it hits a nerve and it needs to be said - BEWARE, CHECK IT OUT. If you've not experienced this first hand, I completely understand your own opinions.

My point is this: "Make sure you know exactly who is machining, checking, and building your motor" at ANY shop. What I can guarantee you about FE Specialties is Tom "Builds" your motor, nobody else; and he paints it too. The other point is, don't let great marketing and advertisement fool you. Take it as you may and ignore my first hand observations. Pay no attention to the man in the corner over behind the curtain! Good Luck

[jdog]

I can 'second' the endorsment for FE Specialties. Tom is the man that built my engine. Check my photo gallery for some pictures of his handywork!

And Tom's a great guy also!

He ain't cheep, but he builds what he promises. On time!

jdog