intermediate cars, the Fairlane, Torino, and Mercury variants from 1966 through 1969, also had the FE as a regular production option. Most by far were 390-powered. A very few 1966 and 1967 models had a 427, and the 428 CJ was available beginning in late 1968.
Mustangs and Cougars were often FE-equipped from 1967 through 1970. The 1967 and 1968 big-block models were all 390-equipped. In 1969, there were a few 390s, but the 428 CJ was the engine of choice. The hydraulic lifter version of 427 was installed in a few Cougar GTEs in 1968 (replaced by the 428 CJ midyear), but no 427 Mustang has ever been documented despite 40 years of rumors.
Ford pickup trucks carried the FE as an available option through 1976. There are probably more FE engines in pickups than in any of the cars. The FE can be installed into any of the cars or trucks where it was an option. Any deserving small-block or 6-cylinder-powered candidate can be upgraded to FE power using factory replacement components.
When new, a 390-powered Galaxie of 1964 or earlier was a competitive car on the streets and local tracks. But by the 1970s, it was common knowledge that the average 396-powered Chevelle could pretty much hammer any 390 car at will. A 428 Mustang could hold its own, but most FE owners simply lost enthusiasm. They got tired of getting their butts kicked every Friday night. They moved on to other cars or other hobbies, and the cars were left to sit or used as basic transportation. Interest from the aftermarket never really took off, so the supply of new parts was not there, and the old factory parts were getting used up and worn out.
By the 1980s, the FE engine was considered obsolete by all but a few die-hard enthusiasts and racers. No mainstream magazine coverage, no new aftermarket parts, and no real development outside the private efforts of the dedicated NHRA Super Stock and Stock Eliminator racers. The engine design that had won Daytona, Le Mans, and the Winternationals was considered obsolete and in the same league as the Buick Nailhead, the Chevy 409, the Olds Rocket, and Ford’s MEL and Y block.
The Dinosaur Reawakens
But there was a difference: the cars. The Cobra was still worshiped, the Thunderbolt was still an icon, and the legacy from those early NASCAR, Le Mans, and drag racing wins still hung on. Stock and Super Stock racers running FE power continued to win with no factory support. As people started to repair, reproduce, and emulate those cars, the demand for FE parts began to build.
Specialty suppliers, including Dove, carried the FE flame through the slow years, catering to the dedicated racers and restorers. But when Edelbrock released a replacement FE aluminum cylinder head in the mid-1990s, demand finally began to build. A lot of candidate engines came from the huge truck population. And there were a lot of candidate cars to choose from.
While the 427-ci FE engine was all about dancing around redline on the tachometer, Ford knew that just wasn’t very appropriate for some of the chassis needing upgraded big-block power. For the 1966 models, Ford introduced the 428-ci engine, which was a long stroke version of the FE engine design, specializing in comfortable torque rather than high-revving horsepower. Ford used the new 428 in full-sized Fords, Mercurys, and Thunderbirds as an upgrade to the 390.
In 2004, Scat released a cast stroker crank for the FE, and Genesis concurrently released the first cast-iron reproduction 427 blocks. I built one of the first big-inch FE engines that used both parts, topping the 505-ci package with an EFI system. The engine was covered in Hot Rod magazine’s July 2004 issue as the “676-Horsepower Dinosaur.”
I entered a similar 505-ci FE in the Jegs Engine Masters Challenge the following year, using the new Blue Thunder cylinder heads. Most of the competitors thought it was pretty cool to see one of them ol’ FE motors in the contest, and at first viewed it as a curiosity. Only after it made 752 hp on pump gas was it apparent that this was not a nostalgia piece; it was a modern engine with FE architecture. We finished 8th overall out of 50 entrants and got another magazine article as a result.
Jay Brown out of Minnesota entered his FE-powered 1969 Mach 1 into Hot Rod’s Drag Week competition in 2005. This is a grueling event covering more than 1,000 miles and five drag strips over a five-day period. The best overall average ET wins, and the Mach 1 took home the class win. Brown recently repeated the feat in a SOHC-powered 1964 Galaxie.
Subsequent FE race wins, engine builds, and project cars have gotten an increasing amount of media coverage from writers looking for something different. With a full array of parts now available, it is possible to build a complete 427 FE from scratch using all aftermarket pieces. You can build a 445-ci 390-based FE stroker that’ll get you 500 honest horsepower without breaking the budget. In a few short years, the FE engine has gone from near extinction to mainstream again. This is without question the best time in the 50-year history of the FE to build one for the street.
One of the first things to define is your anticipated budget for any engine building project. It is very, very easy to get overly excited about things when you start out, and go far beyond expected costs. The volume of unfinished project cars offered for sale should give you a clear idea of what happens if things get out of control.
A well-thought-out budget process involves several aspects. Some of these are rational, some are emotional, and all are important to consider before you grab that first wrench.
The cost and value of the vehicle and engine should be one consideration. If you are restoring a 1969 Shelby GT500, you can obviously justify investing a lot more into an engine than if you are building a scruffy 1976 F250 as a retro shop hauler. If that Shelby engine has a partial VIN stamping on it, you will want to salvage that block no matter how bad it may be. The worn-out 360 in the pickup has essentially zero market value and can be readily replaced if it needs significant repair. If you’re assembling a hot rod from scratch, you can set your budget in dollars and work backward from there.
The “risk versus reward” discussion is going to enter into the budget talk as well. When building a 300- to 400-hp engine, we do not need to consider the more exotic and expensive parts. The cheapest parts you can find are rarely (if ever) the right answer, but many common upgrades are fairly inexpensive in the context of a build’s eventual cost. Just remember that each decision usually spirals into the next one, and that you will likely be spending more than you anticipated in almost every case as things come together. Allow yourself some cushion on the financial side of things.
When deciding to rebuild an FE engine, many factors figure into the approach. Is it a garden-variety 360 truck engine? No need to go to any great length to save original components. If it is an original restoration candidate like this one, more thought must go into originality and value.
As you go through the budgeting process, you should also consider future plans and the ease of subsequent upgrades. If your project is bouncing up against the limits of your checkbook (as mine always do) think about the future. It’s far easier to swap out for nicer valve
