[DeTomaso] 429 big block

[David]

This gets my vote for most entertaining email of the week.  
:-) 

JDeRyke at aol.com wrote:

>In a message dated 8/31/12 10:44:31 PM, LEVITT1946 at aol.com writes:
>
>> Will a 429 Ford engine from a 1970 Mustang fit into the Pantera ?
>> 
>Yes. There are quite a few such in the Pantera community. Precision Pro 
>Formance sells (or once   sold) a conversion kit. But why stop there? The 460 
>is the same block as a 429 with a stroked crank, and Ford currently sells a 
>510 crate engine. The engines are 4" longer than a 351-C, so you shove the 
>whole powertrain back on custom motor and ZF mounts so it fits. The extra 
>angularity of the u-joints doesn't seem to shorten their life. The shifter is 
>adjustable enough. Finally, aluminum heads, an aluminum intake, a lightweight 
>Holley and an aluminum waterpump all add up to an engine that weighs about 
>40 lbs more than a stock 351-C but has 3X the torque. Seam-welding the entire 
>body and running a good chassis stiffener kit would be a good start towards 
>keeping an uncracked paint job. 
>
>Now for the bad part. Even if the engine is free, it will NOT be a cheap, 
>easy swap! You get to make your own brackets to mount alt, AC and headers, 
>fiddle with the shifter around the wider repositioned block, and once running, 
>you'll find that your ZF is now effectively a 3-speed. 1st and 2nd are 
>pretty much useless even with 12" wide rear tires, except for winning 
>tire-destruction derbys, and are dangerous in the wet. So you re-gear the ZF for 
>another $2500 or so to harness the monster torque, which markedly increases your 
>top end and temptation to use it. There may be cooling issues even with a 
>big Fluidyne aluminum radiator. GT-40 type or 'Gurney-duct' hoods are common.
>
>Jr Wilson ran a 572" Boss-429 pro-stock-type engine in his open-road-race 
>Pantera for a decade, using a radically regeared ZF. But he also had the 
>unofficial 'world record for blown rear tires above 200 mph in a street car' (7 
>or 8....) and was once clocked at an event by radar at 245 on 2-lane 
>blacktop. He mentioned to me that "This is what you get if you spend $2000 a month 
>for 5 years on your Pantera...." Darryl Johnson's 545" big-block Pantera 
>regularly competes in the Mojave Mile runs; he is trying for 180 in the 
>standing mile. Forest Goodheart is the latest in the big-block ranks with his 510" 
>Pantera that replaces a supercharged stroker-Cleveland he thought was too 
>slow. Surprisingly, all these owners are currently in Nor-Cal Panteras, but 
>there are others. Good luck- J Deryke
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