Engine Choice

[Archrms]

Mark,
I also spoke with Eric when looking for an engine. He sound like he knows what he is doing, but you need to let him know what you want. It does not matter what size engine you get, talk to Eric and let him know how you will use the car and what you expect from it. He can tune the engine to perform how you want.

[Bill Wells]

go with as much $ as you can afford .

never enough hp . if you can - go bb and be done with it . sure, some sb's put out bb power/trq - but the extra ya spend on a bb now is more resale value and more desireable at time of resale . also, you think 450 hp is alot til ya get used to it and want more . then it is more costly to add the extra punch .

buy a crate and get the ford warranty - or other crate builders that offer a warranty . custom builds usually cost more and ya dont always get what ya think- you are at the mercy of the reputation/ integrity of the builder-even if he warrants it . see next point whether you go custom or crate .

find someone CLOSE TO YOUR HOME to do your install ( or build ) , if not doing it yourself . easier to go back to when there are problems, or debugging needs some assistance . there are many installers available, SPF dealers also provide a list of those approved / qualified to select from .

bill

[FUNFER2]

Mark- Your getting it !
It sound like a mild built engine is for you. Check out the crate engines from Ford. The 460 is a good motor for the price. I like the idea of the 514 cu.in. over 600 HP with a warranty and under 9 K, that's a great engine package. A basically stock FE is also a good choice. You could have one with a mild cam, less than 10:3:1 compression steel head, single carb or throttle body injection, MSD ignition, Edelbrock RPM intake, ect...., 450 HP for around 5K.
Buying aluminum heads is a up grade. You can spend a lot......of money on heads but, it's a great way of gaining HP. Make sure you buy good roller rockers, rocker shafts with end stands and good springs. With a cam, stay under 600 lift, the higher you go you'll need dual valve springs, stronger push rods ect... If you like a engine to rumble, go with a higher over lap and duration, lower lift. With these type's of engines, you'll be very happy with the performance & longevity.

Thanks,