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Top 3 Engine Builders/Suppliers
Greetings ClubCobra Gang,
I am seeking your counsel on engine builders for our Backdraft Cobras. I want to compliment these great replicas with brand name motors to enhance the cache. So I am looking for your input on the top 3 builders. Looking for name recognition, performance, reliability and best support. Most cars are being spec'd with 351/427. Please pile-on. If you have a contact at the firm(s) you recommend please reference. Thank you. Jeff - Nostalgic Motoring | jeff@nostalgicmotoring.com | nostalgimotoring.com |
Jeff,
I believe you will find that businesses that have been in business for multiple years, by and large have good product and service records — after all that's how they stay in business. The three best engine builders in the country are probably out of the price range of all but the most well heeled enthusiasts. If you still want someone out of that "Top" category try Roush Yates Engines down in Mooresville, NC. If you like to stay closer to Detroit try Roush Performance or your third pick might be Roush Competition Engines also in Michigan. If you want to have an excellent engine and someone to chat with about your custom build then you want to talk to Brent Lykins at Lykins Motorsport who is a member on the site here or the folks at Craft Performance Engines also a member on the site here. Your build from Roush or Roush Yates will not be a custom build. It will be a good motor but it will be one of their "production" performance builds. If you use Roush Competition Engines they will build you a custom engine any way you want. I suspect you might be surprised at the price tag. Smart money (and owners) use Lykins Motorsport or Craft Performance Engines. Ed |
Dennis Woody, Woody's Automotive, Thorntown, Indiana. He's been doing it for 50 years, everything done in house, machine work, dyno, etc., not just an assembler. Best of the best, and a nice guy to boot, and stands behind his work and he just happens to loves Fords.
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This is a thread that is probably going to go in several directions. Small block, big block & stroker. I would offer all three. The stroker will probably be the most popular so you should offer several different versions. Some are going to want big block originality. All the names mentioned above are outstanding. I have a Roush 427r in mine. The Roush engines will be pricier. Also, an engine like the 427r has characteristics that make it finicky for everyday driving as does any engine with a somewhat radical cam. It seems that all Backdraft dealers offer engine varieties that vary from docile to full race. I like the Lykins, Craft and Roush engines. Go with something proven that will back up their work.
Fred |
Shelby engine Co. Hands down the best builder I can recommend. I know a few guys that are small time that are very good but for more of a commercial relationship. Bill Denbeste is a great guy to work with. He has one of the best builders I have ever met in Joe Felciano. He has a state of the art maching shop and does everything in house. He does all of his own castings locally. If you want the best go with the Shelby engine co. cheap? no... but the best ? yes.
He bought the shelby engine co from Gardena and moved everything up to windsor CA very impressive. |
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Name recognition may hurt Blykins, as I do not know how widely he is known across the country. Although I wouldn't hesitate to use him or recommend him to anyone, you set the criteria of name recognition, not me. That leaves Craft Motorsports for a SB 427 build, based on your criteria. I am confused as to why you care about name recognition of the engine builder, unless it is some twist of perceived value at resale time. If that is the case, drop a 427 FE engine in it. Use Survival Motorsports -- Barry Rabotnick. Although Blykins and Craft can both supply you with a great FE, Barry has the resume you are looking for. Also if you are concerned about resale value, there were other manufactures that you might should have considered, in my opinion. Not that there is anything wrong with your choice, it's a good car. Just not going to fetch top dollar years down the road. |
Blykins is here all the time with helpful comments and an outstanding reputation based on other members’ comments, for what that is worth. (I don’t know him or ever purchased anything from him). You can get him on the phone, contact here on Club Cobra, and I bet he would make things right if there were ever a problem.
I have heard that bigger, more well known shops with “cachet” typically have more junior people building an engine unless your famous/high profile. If you think resale value is helped by a well-known builder, you may be right. But you may create a problem in the meantime while you are having it built, installed and driving it for the period that you own it. |
Iconic name builders like the original Keith Craft, Shelby and Barry Rabotnick, etc. built solid and enviable reputations as Ford FE engine experts. I doubt that many Backdraft buyers will be looking at installing high-end FE series power plants. These cars are distinctly non-original in appearance and appeal more to buyers who want a vaguely Cobra-like hotrod and will be far more likely to go the modular/Coyote or small block stroker route. Costly authentic details like 427 Side Oilers and BDR's simply do not go hand in hand because that particular buyer - compared to, say, an ERA buyer - is not so interested in "originality".
To that end, Roush is an established choice as they carry name-brand recognition and perceived cachet, and are already a popular brand of choice for Backdraft buyers. The current Craft Engines and Lykins Motorsports both have a solid legacy of building FE's, but they are also known for their Windsor stroker engines. In terms of choosing an engine builder to bring positive name recognition and cachet by association, these two definitely belong among the top three. |
Another point, I should add. Blykins passion is the 351 Cleveland. I'm not sure if it can be stroked to 400 cid, but I think so. Maybe not with the shorter deck. I expect you can get an aftermarket 4.125 bore. The 351C is one of Fords better designs, back in the day. It also looks like a little FE DNA was spilled onto it. This might be an interesting build. Or you could go for a Cleavor.
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Another vote for Blykins. Easy to work with and he did all the machine work and sent me the parts to assemble (363 stroker). Sounds like your looking for a turn-key engine and he has built plenty for the cobra community here.
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Much will depend upon which engine family you're looking for - Windsor, FE, 335, 385, Coyote, SBC, BBC, LSx, etc. The first two are without doubt more prevalent in Cobras than any other engine family, at least in North America. Europe and Australia are different, installing more LSx engines these days, for perhaps no other reason than the abilty to install an emissions-compliant engine.
Regardless, while there are 'big name' shops out there, some of them have reputations among their customers that are less than stellar. Do you want an engine for a car you're going to keep and drive for a long time, or are you looking for one for resale purposes that will 'wow' a buyer? Begin with the end in mind. Uninformed buyers may be wowed by a 'big name' engine, and that may help with resale. If the engine is doing into a 'keeper', then topping my criteria would be a solid, reliable engine builder with many long-term satisified customers. In that regard it would be hard to go wrong with Barry Lykins - active on CC as username blykins. https://lykinsmotorsports.com/ |
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What Buzz said.
John |
In case you haven't seen it there are two paths. You can go with the established commercial volume builders like Roush or Shelby, or with the established small volume builders like Lykins. Roush and Shelby have a catalog. Roush won't deviate, although I suspect Shelby would. But Lykins will build what you want to your spec. There are other builders too. I've heard good things about Gessford Machine (in Hastings, NE).
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Gessford
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Lance Smith at Craft Performance.
He has all the equipment and six guys who have been with him for a long time. In house CNC machines. He can handle the volume. Small block or big block. Street or race engine. He has a dyno and warranty. Great custom service and reputation. And a fair price. We had a couple of problems but they fixed them quick with no fuss. (bad parts) https://craftperformanceengines.com/ |
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