Big-Block Shootout Part 3

The final entrant in our Big-Block Shootout represents the biggest big-block ever offered in regular production vehicles from the Ford Motor Company. The 460 was introduced in the late '60s as a natural growth from the successful and reliable 429. Built to power the huge land yachts of the day, the 460 was reliable and tough while being smooth and quiet, which is exactly what Ford wanted.

As a performance engine, the 460 never really got a good shot at glory. It was never offered in the Mustang, and even Fords "mid-size" sporty cars (like the Torino) didn't have it as an option. Its 429-cube brother, however, got such goodies as Super Cobra Jet and even Shotgun Hemi treatment. Too bad for the 460.

The "up" side to this for 460 fans is how good it was without any major changes. All 460s are excellent beginnings for awesome street engines. You'll see that we're using a stock block, crankshaft, and connecting rods in our Shootout engine because they can take the 600hp-level abuse. They will be inspected and prepped, of course, but they are factory parts. Not many factory engines can lay claim to that level of durability, and all Fords 460s can. Regular readers will note, however, that our Shootout big-block Chevy is also relying on a factory (GM Performance Parts) block, crank, and rod combination, and our Shootout big-block Mopar is using a stock 440 block and crank with aftermarket rods.

We'll be working with Mark Sanchez of Advanced Engineering West (AEW) on our 460 buildup. Mark is a lifelong Ford fan who was dedicated to making 429s and 460s scream for many years. Lately, he's been investing time in the late-model 4.6L quad-cam with great success, but when we offered him this opportunity to build our 460, he jumped at it.

"I've built a bunch of these engines, and I know what it needs to run hard. Before the 4.6 came out, I was all about the big-inch motors. This is like a flashback for me, and I'm really looking forward to it."

Mark then produced a notebook full of scribbled notes, machine-copied pages, and highlighted specifications. He told us: "This is my 460 bible. It's got all my secrets in it." We can't print the entire bible, but we've combined plenty of photos, facts, and figures to share what Mark learned over the years.

Again, we'd like to thank Summit for supporting us by developing parts combinations and supplying parts for our Big-Block Shootout. We're sure many of you readers know about Summit, but the services they offer don't get talked about enough. If you've got a special engine coming together or you need a part that may not be listed in their catalog, they can and will do their best to get the parts for you. Doing complete engine builds in rapid-fire progression like our Small- and Big-Block Shootouts has proven to us how capable they are, so we'd suggest giving them a chance to do more for you.