Mustang Stocker Question

[Damn Yankee]

I have access to my brothers 68 fastback 4-speed roller I have been looking at for some time as a Stocker. It would definately be a FE set-up with a 4-speed. Looking for the FE Guru's out there to tell me what specific class and engine specific's I should lean to ie: 428 Cobra-Jet, 67 Shelby 500, ect.
Thanks for any input

[John Leichtamer Jr]

Hope you have another brother with a Chevy.. Alot cheaper to build than a Ford.

Hammer

[Jeff Lee]

Just watched the machine shop place 8 sleeves in a 427 SO block to be run as a 428 CJ in a '68 FB Mustang Stocker. Geez, those 428's sure make power (this is a top-qualifier car), but boy, what a crappy block! Cylinder walls are WAY thin. I would say that if I were to run one (and I would), it would be money WAY ahead to buy the NHRA legal Dove Engineering block. Hopefully your brother gave you the car as those aren't cheap bodies.
The weight break as a 428/335/345 4-speed is 9.47 and these cars run SS/G, SS/H & SS/I.
That's or 9.00 or 9.50 or 10.0 x 345 HP + 170 for driver.
Edelbrock heads carry more HP.
Optional 428 engines are as follows:

345 HP = SS w/dished pistons & heavy valves
360 HP = SS w/flat top pistons, lightweight valves & CJ heads & lightwt comp.
375 HP = SS w/flat top pistons, lightweight valves & Cad heads & lightwt comp
I have a question...whats a "lightwt comp"?

You might also consider a 390 combo. They run very good also.

[David Lee]

Originally Posted by Damn Yankee

I have access to my brothers 68 fastback 4-speed roller I have been looking at for some time as a Stocker. It would definately be a FE set-up with a 4-speed. Looking for the FE Guru's out there to tell me what specific class and engine specific's I should lean to ie: 428 Cobra-Jet, 67 Shelby 500, ect.
Thanks for any input

I agree with Jeff that you should run it as 390 engine, Lot easier to get blocks and heads. Here is the weight breakdown with a 390. With a 390 its factored at 315hp and weight break is 10.26. This will put you in E/SA. Today almost all the engines cost about the same to build except for the rarer motors such as the Hemi, Ford 427 and cobra motors

[Stephen & Horace Johnson]

run a FE motor in it.. the blocks are not that crappy since basically all of the FE guys are running a stock block and FLYING!!! there's a select few of FE guys to talk to about this combo...

[Rory McNeil]

The 66-67 390 engine is a good combo for Stock, but the 68 doesn`t get the better PI intake and 735 Holley carb the earlier cars can use. A 68 Mustang can be converted into a 67 however. The 428CJ is a good combo too, there are plenty of strong running 428 Mustangs in B&C/S, both stick and auto., despite constant HP factoring (over 40HP from the factory rating).
A 390 would easier & cheaper to get blocks, cranks, and factory heads for, although both the 390 & 428 can run the NHRA legal Edelbrock heads, with a HP penalty of course. Like Jeff mentioned, the FE blocks CAN be a weak point. A 390 should be fine, but over the years, I have had several split cylinder walls in non filled 428 blocks (no problems with Hard Blocked blocks) The current 428 in my bracket car had fairly decent sonic check numbers, but it split 2 cylinders in 2007 before we finally filled it with Hard Blok. I guessing because of the block being over 40 years old, it may have had rust pitting issues on the backsides of the cyl.walls. Another concern, more so with the 428`s longer stroke and higher power, is the splitting of the main webbing. The previous 428 was in my car for over 10 years, but towards the end, the oil pressure kept getting lower, especially at idle. When I took it apart, the main bearing bore webbing had cracked thru the oil feed holes between the cam and crank bores at #2 & #4. That may have caused a very slight amount of oil bleed off, but the main reason for the low oil pressure was that the #4 cam bearing had walked foreward, causing a major internal oil leak. It`s not uncommon for the main bearing caps to show signs of fretting from the caps moving around some. Cross bolted main caps, like the Ford 427 uses would greatly reduce the fretting and main wb cracking issues.

[Jeff Swanson]

Originally Posted by Damn Yankee

I have access to my brothers 68 fastback 4-speed roller I have been looking at for some time as a Stocker. It would definately be a FE set-up with a 4-speed. Looking for the FE Guru's out there to tell me what specific class and engine specific's I should lean to ie: 428 Cobra-Jet, 67 Shelby 500, ect.
Thanks for any input

Andy is that you? Do yourself a favor and run the other way!

[Damn Yankee]

Originally Posted by Jeff Swanson

Andy is that you? Do yourself a favor and run the other way!

Yes Jeff, it is me................Giving up on the heads-up thing with travel costs sky-rocketing out of control. Just toying with the idea right now, Division 4 races are not as far from OKC as NMRA

[Jeff Swanson]

Originally Posted by Damn Yankee

Yes Jeff, it is me................Giving up on the heads-up thing with travel costs sky-rocketing out of control. Just toying with the idea right now, Division 4 races are not as far from OKC as NMRA

Stocker racing is a lot of fun. FEs aren't a lot of fun. Do you hate money?

Good luck with whatever you decide to do. BTW, Kuntz is selling off a lot of FE stuff.

[Tom keedle]

this ain't my stuff and i don't know the guy selling but if you think you want a 390,http://denver.craigslist.org/pts/1041792356.html


just trying to help, no dog in this...i seem to be collecting amc stuff lately