So Big50, Just wondering what kind of GM factory 427 equipped car you are willing to sell for 60 K? Would have asked by PM but I guess you have them blocked. 2900 miles... let me know.
Something tells me it’s not a ‘69 ZL1!
2009 Corvette Z06.
I hope my PM is not blocked.
@Profreedomokie - yes, those were criticism with the EARLY cammer, but not with the 427 FE.
Actually a valid criticism of the 427 SOHC, with the first season of use. This was not applicable to the 427 FE. 90 days to a Hemi beater? Wow! The Hemi had been around since the 50's and had almost a two decade jump on Ford. Later iterations of the 427 SOHC resolved chain stretch and oiling issues and were particular to Drag Racing, not long distance and high speed. One should also remember another small block, the 4.2 Liter Indy engine, a DOHC version of Ford's 221-260-289-302 series of engines from which the 427 SOHC was derived, it was an engine designed for the Indy 500. The 4.2 DOHC actually did okay at Indy, but not memorable. Ford did have issues with the 429 Boss as well, it was an awesome engine for NASCAR, but not so much in its 1st year on the strip. The result of Ford's experience with the 427 SOHC? The modern 4.6 SOHC whose zenith was the 4.6 Cobra Terminator, the 5.0 Coyote, the 5.2 Voodoo, the 5.2 Predator and the 5.4 SOHC Supercharged (it is debatable on this engine, the GT 40 version is far superior to the street F150 versions, including the F150 lightning and Harley Davidson F150.)
Surprised that you didn't mention that the 426 Hemi production far exceeded that of the 427 SOHC, which is also a valid criticism of it as well. The Irony of Ford is this, Ford made the passenger car viable, common and affordable without a doubt but when it comes to its greatest technological achievements unaffordable and uncommon.
Actually a valid criticism of the 427 SOHC, with the first season of use. This was not applicable to the 427 FE. 90 days to a Hemi beater? Wow! The Hemi had been around since the 50's and had almost a two decade jump on Ford. Later iterations of the 427 SOHC resolved chain stretch and oiling issues and were particular to Drag Racing, not long distance and high speed. One should also remember another small block, the 4.2 Liter Indy engine, a DOHC version of Ford's 221-260-289-302 series of engines from which the 427 SOHC was derived, it was an engine designed for the Indy 500. The 4.2 DOHC actually did okay at Indy, but not memorable. Ford did have issues with the 429 Boss as well, it was an awesome engine for NASCAR, but not so much in its 1st year on the strip. The result of Ford's experience with the 427 SOHC? The modern 4.6 SOHC whose zenith was the 4.6 Cobra Terminator, the 5.0 Coyote, the 5.2 Voodoo, the 5.2 Predator and the 5.4 SOHC Supercharged (it is debatable on this engine, the GT 40 version is far superior to the street F150 versions, including the F150 lightning and Harley Davidson F150.)
Surprised that you didn't mention that the 426 Hemi production far exceeded that of the 427 SOHC, which is also a valid criticism of it as well. The Irony of Ford is this, Ford made the passenger car viable, common and affordable without a doubt but when it comes to its greatest technological achievements unaffordable and uncommon.
The 5.2 predator is one mean machine boosted
760 hp. I have one in a GT 500 Track Pack.
760 hp. I have one in a GT 500 Track Pack.
I'm a die-hard Ford guy, and that's one of my biggest criticisms of Ford - they never put their best on the street. Now I know the SOHC never made it into production vehicles (due to issues of trying to warranty that timing set up for one), but they had the tech to run with and away from the competition, but always went limp. Hell, even the vaunted 482CJ had to be forced on them by the public, due to Hot Rod magazine building a similar engine, running a poll, and then showing Ford what their buying public wanted. Chrysler and GM had no problem dumping Hemis and 427s in passenger cars, and not just full sized units. The fact that Ford surprisingly slipped a few 427 side oilers into 66-67 Fairlanes and Comets is a shocker, and I'm sure it wasn't easy to order one.
Love my old Fords, but they were the Ruger of car companies: "you don't need anything more than a 10 round mag".
That's because the GT's mill was a 5.4 DOHC that was hand-built at the (IIRC) Romeo engine plant, and it was an entirely different animal than the SOHC found in the trucks. The only regular production vehicles that used it were in Australia.
I was like most Americans in thinking that the hemi motor was the pentacle of motor design. I didn't mention the long run of the Mopar hemi because most gearheads know it was out in the '50s and mutated into a drag racing motor legend. The thing is hemi motors were out in cars long before Mopar made them famous. One of the best motors I found in a list ( I don't remember the source) of top 10 motors was the Jaguar straight 6 aluminum head overhead cam hemi. It was out in production in 1948 and was used for about 45 years in various forms. The 3.8 liter (231 cu. in.) had 220 hp. In those days 1 hp per cu. in. was a pretty hot ride. The 4.0 liter used in the XKE was 242 hp first and then 262 hp later. If newer management of Jaguar hadn't had stopped the XJ13 project the movie Ford vs Ferrari may have been Ford vs Jaguar with a different victor. A low wide lightweight midengined V-12 car with over 500 hp would be a contender. Throughout automotive history there could have been more legendary motors put into production if it wasn't for the bean counters.
