FIA Homologation Papers

[What'saCobra?]

i don't believe that the FIA papers were ever completed for the 427, old boy.

Ford, by that time in 1965/6, was bored with Shelby's fussing around with that no longer useful 427 engine, since NASCAR had ruled it illegal. They told him to fugetaboutit and concentrate on the le Mans GT 40 team he was allowed to manage. They went out of production and as you know, old Shel' started sliding the cheaper and klunkier Police Interceptor 428's into the 427 chassis, with no notice to customers of these street cars. Truth in advertising? Scam? Screwing? You pays your money and takes your choice.

So, the 427 racecars were not and are not legal in most of EU events even today, since most of races are FIA homologated (certified), if that is the best word for it. There are almost no 427 racecars in Europe, for this reason. A few non-FIA club events will let them run in a few funny classes (several dragsters exist), but any regular historic event will not allow them, because they are not FIA homologated.

In the day, a few were raced in events as a courtesy and because of the intended paperwork applications, but it never happened, ImHO.

But, the FIA does police a fairly level playing field, which is the useful point to compeditors. For instance, Steve Hitchens, one of the better 289 racers from England, had an inportant race win taken away from him when they discovered he was using a newer 302 block for his car, although it was destroked to 289 and only used 2 bolt main caps. His protests that 289's blocks are "not available" was ignored, as it would be here, because it is not true, in fact. Maybe not easy to get a nice block, unmolested, but the FIA will not protest a resleaved block, for instance, so if i recall exactly or not, he lost the Championship that year because of this FIA catch-out, which is only right.

Keep up the great work...

Are you fellows thinking about Trevor's 289 Sports?