1960's engine wars

[Turbo231]

After starting my post on Can Am engines, I started wondering about comparing the top engines from the 1960's and what their true potentials would be today. My list is:

Ford 427 SOHC
Ford 428 CJ
Ford Boss 429
Chrysler Hemi 426
Chevy 427

Say you have to use stock block and head castings and limit displacement to 430 cid. Fuel can be 110+ octane. Everything else is fair game including fixing any inherent oiling problems. Since this topic started with Can Am, all engines have to run mechanical fuel injection. Again, we are not building a drag race engine. We want something with longevity. Also, we will not worry about the engine weight and just look at power potential.

How would you rate these in order of power potential?

[DanE1]

SOHC 427 Ford
Boss 429 Ford
Chrysler Hemi 426
Chevy 427
428 CJ Ford

[Stan Weiss]

Back in the day watching street racing. I show some 426 Hemi's get beaten by the 440 6 pack

Stan

[pdq67]

I have read that back in the day, an L-88 with no more than a good set of open headers was good for like 540hp!

And the still-born, LS-7, good for 600 hp.

There is information in the old HPBooks, "How to HR BBC's", book in the back if anybody is interested.

pdq67

[PackardV8]

SOHC 427 Ford
Boss 429 Ford
Chrysler Hemi 426
Chevy 427
428 CJ Ford

Agree on your pure power potential ranking, but then we come to OP's "We want something with longevity." and the SOHC doesn't have it. Can't remember anyone running one in an endurance application, but I'd bet against the chain lasting very long.

[Turbo231]

SOHC 427 Ford
Boss 429 Ford
Chrysler Hemi 426
Chevy 427
428 CJ Ford

Agree on your pure power potential ranking, but then we come to OP's "We want something with longevity." and the SOHC doesn't have it. Can't remember anyone running one in an endurance application, but I'd bet against the chain lasting very long.

Didn't Ford run the SOHC in NASCAR? I really can't remember.

[ClassicComp]

Back in the day watching street racing. I show some 426 Hemi's get beaten by the 440 6 pack

Stan

Back in the day my father was the copilot of a fast 67 gto that wupped a tunnelport ford on norcom rd. But that's not endurance racing either.

[427dart]

SOHC 427 Ford
Boss 429 Ford
Chrysler Hemi 426
Chevy 427
428 CJ Ford

Agree on your pure power potential ranking, but then we come to OP's "We want something with longevity." and the SOHC doesn't have it. Can't remember anyone running one in an endurance application, but I'd bet against the chain lasting very long.

Didn't Ford run the SOHC in NASCAR? I really can't remember.

The Cammer never got to run NASCAR because they put in a new rule to stop the use of special non production "toolroom" built engines.
Rules called for the engines to be available to the public in production cars and that's why the 1966 426 Street Hemi came to be.

Ford then used the Cammer in drag racing applications in the FX classes and later funny car and top fuel.

Now flash forward to today and look what special engines they run! Wish they would go back to the old rules!!

[MadBill]

..The Cammer never got to run NASCAR because they put in a new rule to stop the use of special non production "toolroom" built engines.
Rules called for the engines to be available to the public in production cars and that's why the 1966 426 Street Hemi came to be....

Also the giant shoehorn-job of the Boss 429 Mustang...

[427dart]

..The Cammer never got to run NASCAR because they put in a new rule to stop the use of special non production "toolroom" built engines.
Rules called for the engines to be available to the public in production cars and that's why the 1966 426 Street Hemi came to be....

Also the giant shoehorn-job of the Boss 429 Mustang...

That was a strange move as it should have been available in the Torino and Cyclone since those were the cars running in NASCAR.

[SupStk]

..The Cammer never got to run NASCAR because they put in a new rule to stop the use of special non production "toolroom" built engines.
Rules called for the engines to be available to the public in production cars and that's why the 1966 426 Street Hemi came to be....

Also the giant shoehorn-job of the Boss 429 Mustang...

That was a strange move as it should have been available in the Torino and Cyclone since those were the cars running in NASCAR.

Think the rules required engines to be available to the public in a certain quantity. No mention of what body they were to be installed in. Cars raced in NASCAR didn't resemble production pieces other than skin.

[SupStk]

Back in the day watching street racing. I show some 426 Hemi's get beaten by the 440 6 pack

Stan

Yup seen the same myself on more than a single occasion.

[hoffman900]

Back in the day watching street racing. I show some 426 Hemi's get beaten by the 440 6 pack

Stan

Yup seen the same myself on more than a single occasion.

440 isn't 430cid

[gmrocket]

After starting my post on Can Am engines, I started wondering about comparing the top engines from the 1960's and what their true potentials would be today. My list is:

Ford 427 SOHC
Ford 428 CJ
Ford Boss 429
Chrysler Hemi 426
Chevy 427

Say you have to use stock block and head castings and limit displacement to 430 cid. Fuel can be 110+ octane. Everything else is fair game including fixing any inherent oiling problems. Since this topic started with Can Am, all engines have to run mechanical fuel injection. Again, we are not building a drag race engine. We want something with longevity. Also, we will not worry about the engine weight and just look at power potential.

How would you rate these in order of power potential?

I think you can add Olds to that list...can am and the 455 69 H/O and 70 W30

[gmrocket]

After starting my post on Can Am engines, I started wondering about comparing the top engines from the 1960's and what their true potentials would be today. My list is:

Ford 427 SOHC
Ford 428 CJ
Ford Boss 429
Chrysler Hemi 426
Chevy 427

Say you have to use stock block and head castings and limit displacement to 430 cid. Fuel can be 110+ octane. Everything else is fair game including fixing any inherent oiling problems. Since this topic started with Can Am, all engines have to run mechanical fuel injection. Again, we are not building a drag race engine. We want something with longevity. Also, we will not worry about the engine weight and just look at power potential.

How would you rate these in order of power potential?

I think you can add Olds to that list...can am and the 455 69 H/O and 70 W30

Oops, just noticed the 430" thing