A Side Oiler Like We've Never Seen

Probably one of the most exciting aspects of the hard-core aftermarket parts business right now is the availability of enough parts to build an engine completely from aftermarket components. The engine you see here is based on a '69 Ford big-block, but not one part was ordered from the Blue Oval. Every component has been heavily tuned-on by its manufacturer to be stronger, lighter, and produce more power per pound while looking like the parts from the era of Free Love.

Getting these components together and having them look like they were meant to be requires some refinement, but that's where this story comes in. Check out how master craftsman Dan Van Auken, part owner of Wheel to Wheel, the vehicle and drivetrain development company that builds many show and prototype cars for GM (as well as most of the Detroit-based PHR engines), builds this engine for his dream car, a Superformance Cobra.

Van Auken said, "I have dreamed of owning a Cobra since high school, and last year decided to buy a Superformance Cobra--which comes sans engine from South Africa. In my mind, a Cobra needs a FE-based big-block engine, but I couldn't find used parts I felt were worthy of the prices. So I started researching the aftermarket and found an all-aluminum, electronic fuel-injected, FE-appearing engine could be built that would easily make 500 hp."

The company that really makes building these engines possible is Carroll Shelby Enterprises, in Gardena, California (310-538-2914). Ol' Shel got back into the Cobra business a few years ago, but found the engine supply to be the linchpin in producing complete cars. Never one to be slowed by details, Shelby decided to build an aluminum 427 FE engine. The blocks are machined in-house and they now have their own forged FE pistons and connection rods, and are finishing development on a hardcore CNC porting program. Some of the other hard-to-find items, like the shaft rockers, timing chain cover, valvecovers, and water pump (made by Edelbrock), are also available from Shelby. Federal-Mogul has a huge parts list for these engines, too.

Van Auken likes the Shelby block: "It has a lot of gussets and double-cross-bolted, billet main caps for a lot of strength. The oiling system is more conventional than the original side oiler, which makes it easier to get working right. Two oil galleries that run down the valley carry all the oil through the engine." The block is also capable of running the famous SOHC heads, for traditionalists.

On the cost side, Van Auken says, "I tried to find a good, used 427 block to start with, but everything I looked at was either .030 inch over in the bores, rusty, or just plain used up--and people wanted a lot of money for that junk! It turned out the Shelby stuff was a bargain as I knew it was right from the start."

Since this Cobra is meant for street duty and premium fuel isn't getting any cheaper, the compression ratio of the engine is a mild 9.9:1 to allow the usage of regular-grade, low octane gasoline. Keeping the compression low hurts max power production, but the engine easily makes 1 hp per cubic inch, which means 500 hp in a 2,515-pound car! That power to weight ratio is enough to scare the "you know what" out of even the most jaded person. Although Van Auken isn't going to make big, big horsepower with this combination, he wanted to overkill the bottom end in case he stepped up the compression or induction system in the future.

"I always wanted a Cobra engine that had the Weber carburetor-look--you know, the two rows of multiple carbs under the long air cleaner--but one that was actually electronically fuel injected," said Van Auken. I found a company, TWM, in Goleta, California (805-967-9478), that makes aluminum intakes and throttle bodies that look like Weber carbs and ordered some parts up to see if it would all fit under the hood of the Cobra."

"After some measuring, I realized if TWM machined their intake to tip each of the throttle bodies 10 degrees towards the center of the engine, the air cleaners would squeeze under the little scoop in the hood. I then flipped the injectors around so the fuel rails and injectors were located in between the throttle bodies so they looked more like carburetors. This created a real packaging challenge, as there is no space between the bodies, but I needed to fit the fuel rails, fuel pressure regulator, throttle linkage, and custom-built vacuum plenum in there. It all fit, but only after some serious whittling."

The really trick part about this engine is that it looks cool, is very efficient both inside and out, and has a lot of the things Van Auken can apply to any type of engine. It's also very subtle, so take some time to really look over how Van Auken constructed and integrated everything. That's almost as cool as the way it sounds blasting by in Third gear at 100 mph!

Van Auken acquired all the components and is beginning the process of refining them to work in concert with each other. Notice how he designs and builds most of the componentry to perform multiple tasks, allowing him to package systems better than what may seem possible. Also, note how he has built the engine to be high-tech, but look low-tech in every way--a feat not as easy as you might think!

Since this is a street car, Van Auken designed it to provide a thick torque curve and run on readily available pump gas. We'd say almost 600 lb-ft of torque and 515 hp is enough to motivate a 2,515-pound car, would you?