The upgrade of SPF #1867 427W
 

This is long overdue so I decided to start a new thread. I originally saw the car in the spring of 2014 and ended up purchasing it in the spring of 2015. After some minor maintenance and a few thousand miles I decided it was time to put my own taste on the car.

After spending a few thousand miles behind the wheel the direction I intended to head was more of a street bruiser. After taking the car down and seeing what they are made of I decided low profile tires and increased handling was going to increase my confidence and I would eventually out pace my driving skills. I’m not saying that going with a more radical delivery of power was a safer direction but I really love the new setup. I get all the enjoyment I need out of running as fast up to around 100-110mph and just roll on acceleration. I pushed it harder in the past but to me the higher speeds just aren’t what these cars were designed for and not worth the risk. I recommend getting something more modern with airbags if you plan to run extended higher speeds.

This thread should be a testament to PMAN1961’s wrench turning skills. Perry is an old hotrodder but more importantly the most meticulous no cutting corner guy I know. If it wasn’t for Perry I would have sold the car and probably bought a corvette! We also owe a shout out to Brent Lykins for assistance with parts and answering a lot of initial questions. Brent specified the cam for the refresh and it sounds down right nasty for a pump gas street car. I promise to load images and a few videos in the near future.

For all those old post saying over 400hp and gears aren’t streetable in these cars they don’t know what in the heck they are talking about and I can’t tell you how happy I am that I didn’t listen to those opinions. I can do full throttle rolls in 2nd gear and dead hook in 55 degrees.... I’m talking roll it up to 5k and slam it to the floor. In 2nd gear it will throw my iPhone out of the cup holder and bounce it off the center back between the seats. So far from a roll through %4th it has pulled a twin turbo Porsche and was half a car length in front of a C7 z07... in my book that is moving for one of these on the street. By the way I can shift it at 7k and it sounds like a winston cup car... it’s a testosterone inducing machine...the ultimate ruckus car.

*427w originally by Keith Craft. Stripped it all the way down to bare block and took it back to Craft Performance for the machine work. Heads were freshened, all bearings, gaskets, seals replaced. Brent Lykins stuck a 244/248 at 108 LSA in it.

*custom 1 7/8th headers built

*out with the 5-speed and in with T-56 magnum 6-speed with a billet steel flywheel and new Ram clutch. Perry cut the cross member out and fabbed up the T-56 install... had a custom driveshaft built as well.

*pulled the rear diff out and stuck 4:30 gears in it. Added a housing cover brace and level 5 half shafts from the drive shaft shop. We were going to go with a 31 spline upgrade but with it being a such a light street car and the halfshats rated for 1000hp we should be just fine.

*went with Firefly’s stainless 3” side pipes. Pretty radical sounding.

*ditched the rough riding 17’s and went back with the vintage wheel 15’ halibrand setup. Had the rear wheels machined down and we are running a Nitto 325-50-15’s in the rear. In my opinion it’s a great look filling out the rear fenders and looks much more serious. The side pipes gave it the bark and the tires give it the bite.

The initial tear down. Think this began around August 2016
https://i1291.photobucket.com/albums...psbd4jlavo.jpg
Decided to keep the 427 Windsor on this go around. Originally built by Keith Craft in 2004
http://i1291.photobucket.com/albums/...psx2bzhowq.jpg
Amazing how dirty and oily things get over the years
http://i1291.photobucket.com/albums/...psjipis7tv.jpg
Great caption of what a hunk of junk the header fit was on the Brodix Track 1 heads
http://i1291.photobucket.com/albums/...psumcxcjdz.jpg
2" headers....nice set of headers but they had to be replaced as they did not fit the heads
http://i1291.photobucket.com/albums/...psdsyu1kwv.jpg
Originally had an aluminum flywheel in the car. I did not like the way the rpms' fell off between shifts. We went with a new billet steel flywheel and went ahead with a new clutch while we had it out
http://i1291.photobucket.com/albums/...psqlek1zok.jpg
Getting the motor back together. We had Craft performance provide the necessary machining and Perry put it back together....pretty impressive for a guy who doesn't build motors everyday. The thing literally fired up on the first key turn when we got it back together.
http://i1291.photobucket.com/albums/...psnu8lmr7l.jpg
http://i1291.photobucket.com/albums/...pswtdntiwh.jpg
http://i1291.photobucket.com/albums/...pshzwi6a6s.jpg
http://i1291.photobucket.com/albums/...ps8bzxhfdq.jpg
http://i1291.photobucket.com/albums/...psgumiqcgk.jpg
http://i1291.photobucket.com/albums/...psfa1kc43p.jpg
http://i1291.photobucket.com/albums/...psnvj9u3k9.jpg
I catch more Shi* than a porta potty at music fest for keeping my car clean all the time
http://i1291.photobucket.com/albums/...psdpzehulm.jpg
Time to make papa Perry proud. This was overall the most rewarding upgrade. The T-56 Magnum upgrade was well worth it and it shifts SO MUCH BETTER than the TKO-600 that was in the car. I love being able to run a 4.30 rear gear and then run 80mph down the interstate at 2500K. Very versatile upgrade. This required cutting out the cross member and some fabrication design to the shifter as well as a custom drive shaft. It all went back together perfect and the shift is in the same place!
https://i1291.photobucket.com/albums...psvtnlapbx.jpg
http://i1291.photobucket.com/albums/...pskymku4hx.jpg
Yes I am a cheater that is a 5 speed knob
http://i1291.photobucket.com/albums/...psr4vuzjgx.jpg
http://i1291.photobucket.com/albums/...pszjdlnlei.jpg
http://i1291.photobucket.com/albums/...psvlar1t3j.jpg
https://i1291.photobucket.com/albums...psrswzmxku.jpg
Time to get this thing back on the road!
http://i1291.photobucket.com/albums/...psb47qdknk.jpg
http://i1291.photobucket.com/albums/...psdkjkhdxm.jpg
http://i1291.photobucket.com/albums/...psvzz9vzyo.jpg
http://i1291.photobucket.com/albums/...ps843prhkk.jpg
http://i1291.photobucket.com/albums/...psx1inq0qe.jpg
https://i1291.photobucket.com/albums...psufoftpjj.jpg
https://i1291.photobucket.com/albums...psmfznqfvk.jpg
http://i1291.photobucket.com/albums/...psawtf6wqn.jpg
https://i1291.photobucket.com/albums...psrqxw9kvw.jpg
https://i1291.photobucket.com/albums...st0cgf93k.jpeg
Time to get rid of those red and blue fittings
https://i1291.photobucket.com/albums...psryib3oct.jpg

Will follow-up with videos once I can figure out how to post.

Ace23,

Sounds like great fun and not too far from where I was with SPF1855. Aluminum 427, similar cam and Firefly 1-7/8 headers and big hole 2-piece sidepipes. I ran a TKO-600 and Torsen w/ 3.27s w/ 17's.

Yup, you can cruise with this combo but when you turn it on it's all there.

Enjoy!

Jim

Compression ratio?
 

Looks great! Just curious of a few specifics. Compression ratio, lift, lifters used (lunati, comp?), rockers. Minimum octane? I personally don't care as much for the horsepower number, other than as a basis on which to reference other build schemes. But the performance you describe is right where I'm aiming for with my 408w build. I'll be getting my cam from Brent, but first I need to spec a compression ratio so I can get pistons ordered.

What kind of nitto tires?
And what size.
I do not find many 15” street tires on there web site.
Thanks

Just curious if you park on uneven ground do your doors open?

Off the top of my head it’s 10.5:1 and I run it on 93 octane from the local shell,BP etc. Cam is a hydraulic roller and lift is 580-590 and it has ford Motorsport modified lifters. I want more power but this will do for right now. I can’t tell you the amount of people that freak out over how it sounds. Its really loud and has some serious thump to it. In all reality it’s way more than you would ever need in a street car but then again what’s practical about a cobra. It will cruise at 2000rpm but it really needs to be at 2200-2400 to get up on the cam and smooth out. I highly recommend Brent he will not steer you wrong
Tires are Nitto NT555R 325-50-15. They are inexpensive and I’m really pleased with them. Mickey Thompson makes a 325-50-15 and im sure it’s a great tire as well.
Not an issue in my car. I actually even have a parking brake that works which is rare among SPF cars around here.

Ace, you should post the video of your car you sent to me earlier this evening.

Thanks. Now I can get my pistons ordered. I totally get what you're saying about rpm range and street manners. I built my shovelhead motor 20 years ago with a hot crane cam (266/266@.050" and 102 c/l) I still drive it often, and it's a handful to try to creep through traffic, but as long as their's some load, it's smooth. I'm gonna jump to my stroker windsor thread to expand on this a bit. Can't wait to see videos of this running!!!

Beautiful Job on your rebuild Ace23. My Father said when it came our car's " Cleanliness is next to Godliness" I too live by those rules ;) Clean cars go WAY faster then dirty one's. Your driveline is close to 'Cheetah length' :) Look forward to your Video's. Cheers Tom.

Where did you get that trim ring round the shifter boot?

I'd like to know if you or someone else that is following this thread can tell me where to source your three remote reservoirs and the accompanying braided lines? That's a much cleaner way to get to the brake reservoir on a Superformance. Thank you!

There are 4 Superformance Cobras in Memphis including mine that have the brake and clutch reservoir swap you seek info. I’ll have to go through my records but I know the reservoirs are made by Kirkham and the bracket with lines were through Olthoff. I’ll check records tomorrow as it is late and about to hit the bed but the whole kit may have been purchased through Olthoff.

I talked to the owner prior to ACE23 and he said the receipt for the shifter boot ring is in book of records he received when he purchased the car.

Contact Rick Muck at Timemachines.

No, we only have the original chrome steel type, that is an alloy billet ring available from street rod parts vendors.

We do offer a replacement shift boot that is a duplicate of the original Ford boot used on all Cobras (and most reproduction Cobras) that is made with supple rubber so it does not pull on the shift lever. Many TKO and T5 tranny's will pop out of gear with pressure. It has a steel retaining ring molded in as original.
See it here: https://www.timemachineauto.com/part...cessories.html