COMET CENTRAL

http://bearblockmotors.com/[/quote]
These guys have been a round a few years (3-4, maybe) and are producing pretty decent 427 blocks and FE heads. Apparently they are selling or close to selling their new tunnel wedge intake. Which I think would be a great intake for a NSS car. This intake is one of the best flowing 2x4v intakes in original form, Dove or the new BBM intake. Jay Brown authored a book "The Great Intake Comparo" which covers dyno results for about ever FE intake ever made. I'm not a fan of the Edelbrock 2x4V on the market these days. They use Carter/Edelbrock carbs only. I'm a Holley guy. The Tunnel Wedge intakes are outrageously priced these days. I sold one recently, a new Dove intake for $825 as I thought it was fair. You'll see some asking prices of $1200-$2000, just ridiculous. You could talk to Barry Rabotnick of Survival Motorsports about FE builds. Jay Brown has a website http://www.fepower.net and as mentioned, the guys from Fordfe.com a 445 stroker kit in a 390 block with Tunnel Wedge intake will give you good FE power and plenty of wow factor when the hood is popped.[/quote]

Thanks for the info. What front end are you using in your 64 FE power? If i decide to build a car for NSS, the 66 would be my car of choice because of the bigger engine bay. However, I'd have to find and buy one. I could use my white project car for this but that 390 with stock suspension would be a tight engine bay. Anyone have a FE in a 64 or 65 with stock suspension?[/quote]

I have a Mustang II front end. It is not NSS legal. A lot of guys buy the Crite's kit that allows you to run a FE and stock suspension in a early Comet.[/quote]

I agree with the Crites kit. I have checked that out along with their headers. I'm curios about the Crites headers. I remember seeing McBlane's build on this site and when he put the headers in, they looked pretty low in the pictures. Which headers are you using?

I emailed the NSS group that I'm interested in about the front end and rear suspension mods but I haven't heard back yet. I'm pretty sure I know the answers but want to hear it from them.

loman wrote:

fryedaddy wrote:

vicegrip wrote:
From my experience,most FE guys are older and I fear the aftermarket will dry up when the demand isn't there.

i brought that subject up on a fe forum and my first reply was,ask the flathead guys that

Fryedaddy that is funny! I got a little laugh out of that. Where do the Y block boys fall in at?

i guess they meant that those engines didnt die out with the older gen,so why would the fe?

My dad found a 352 for free and we might pick it up and set it in the engine bay for mock up and see if that is something we want to pursue. The way i understand it is the 352 and 390 blocks have the same external dimensions. I haven't decided if Nostalgia Super Stock is something i want to do yet(money dictates everything) but it can't hurt to check out the options.

loman wrote:My dad found a 352 for free and we might pick it up and set it in the engine bay for mock up and see if that is something we want to pursue. The way i understand it is the 352 and 390 blocks have the same external dimensions. I haven't decided if Nostalgia Super Stock is something i want to do yet(money dictates everything) but it can't hurt to check out the options.

yes,a 352 is the same outside,the 63 390 in my 66f100 has the front timeing cover water pump and VC ,exhaust manifolds and oil pan from the 352 that came in the truck when new,,with a 428 factory alumn PI intake from a 66 428...you could bore the 352 and turn it into a 406,,,ford built those in 62 n 63,,in fact the heads on my 390 are 63 406 heads from a tri-pwr 406......good luck and thank you..you didn't ask for all that info ,but I threw it out for you anyway ...pop

loman wrote:My dad found a 352 for free and we might pick it up and set it in the engine bay for mock up and see if that is something we want to pursue. The way i understand it is the 352 and 390 blocks have the same external dimensions. I haven't decided if Nostalgia Super Stock is something i want to do yet(money dictates everything) but it can't hurt to check out the options.

Are you sure it,s a 352? Might be a surprise waiting for you there if it's only identified by the 352 cast on the front of the block. I'm not saying it is but it could be a 428 or other FE. Worth checking it out.

vicegrip wrote:

loman wrote:My dad found a 352 for free and we might pick it up and set it in the engine bay for mock up and see if that is something we want to pursue. The way i understand it is the 352 and 390 blocks have the same external dimensions. I haven't decided if Nostalgia Super Stock is something i want to do yet(money dictates everything) but it can't hurt to check out the options.

Are you sure it,s a 352? Might be a surprise waiting for you there if it's only identified by the 352 cast on the front of the block. I'm not saying it is but it could be a 428 or other FE. Worth checking it out.

my 428 has 352 stamped on the front,if it has a id tag it should be under the coil.and if you mock it up,remember the early fe has different engine mounts than the later.

Before you ever get too excited. Always measure the bore. There seem to be more 428 engine blocks out there that Ford produced. Racing NSS might make you run a 427 dual fours? Been a while since I looked at the rules. FYI - all FE's are basically the same on the exterior except 427 cross bolts, side oiler blocks. I have a '59 352 block in my Comet engine bay. It's there to mock up my 427. I just didn't want to expose my 427 block to weld spatter, grinding dust, etc...



You'll even find some blocks with "66-427" that are not 427's. Part numbers get you in the neighborhood but measurements will tell you what you have. Now a few 360/390 blocks have been bored to 4.13. Usually the block number doesn't match up to a 428 block number. Everything with FE's is clear as mud.

Doug,
The NSS group I would run with if I decide to do it allows 390-427. Like you said, they do require 2 4bbls or 3 2 bbls.

The 352 showed up and I got it unloaded. I'm pretty sure it came out of a 63 Galaxie. Since the she'd is nice and warm, I think I'll go work on the black car. I'm hoping to get her fired up this weekend.

I'm now the proud 2nd owner of a 68 f100. 390 ,c6 ,3.25 31 spline rear end. The guy poured just a little gas down carb and jumped the solenoid and she fired right up for 5 seconds. That was good enough for me. I guess project 390 has unofficially started.

loman wrote:I'm now the proud 2nd owner of a 68 f100. 390 ,c6 ,3.25 31 spline rear end. The guy poured just a little gas down carb and jumped the solenoid and she fired right up for 5 seconds. That was good enough for me. I guess project 390 has unofficially started.

PICS??????????

Here you go Johno, a real beauty. Not a panel on her that isn't rusted through including rusted off cab mounts. I was impressed by my Harbor Freight winch. I've only used the winch on the race cars and they roll. Well the drivers front is locked up on the truck and the winch pulled it right up. I stopped and started a couple of times because I could hear the strain on the winch and didn't want to burn up the motor. But the HF Badlands winch did the job. All in all a good day.

Cool!!! what's the plan?

I'm sure you know all about rebuilding motors but I'll give you one of my FE building experiences. I had a 390 and had it bored out,and installed a 428 crank to give it 428 cubes. I didn't have the block sonic tested during the machine work at Dynamic Engineering. I had the block decked,everything balanced,new pistons, crank and so on. To make a long story short,after about 15 runs,I managed to crack three cyclinders. Up to that point that 4000 pound 1962 Galaxie had unbelieveable torque and power. Andy

Now I remember the rest of the story. The standard bore of the 390 is 4.05 and I had the block bored out to 4.13 to give me 428 cubes with the 428 crank. I would have been better off just boring .030 over,but I had already bought 12 to 1 popup pistons for the 428. After the three cracked cylinders,I bought some stock 410 pistons to use with my 428 crank to give me 410 cubes. That motor never had the power of the 428 or the torque. I ended up selling the motor to a gentleman from Detroit. He came to my house with a big Mercury Monterey and somehow we loaded it into his trunk. I remember laughing as he left my house with his rear bumper about 1 inch from the pavement. Oh those were the days,at 71 years old I'm just glad I can still remember them LOL. Andy