sources of 427 blocks

[jimbo]

Some original 427 sideoiler motors are available as takeouts from marine repowers. Many of these motors were marinized by Chris-Craft and possibly by Ford themselves as marine motors in the sixties. There are some disadvantages and some advantages, to wit:
-they may be less weathered as they have been "indoors" for years, in a boat- if it hasn't sunk.
-if you find these, make sure they were either fresh-water cooled, with a heat exchanger, or run only inland in fresh water, if they were sea-water cooled. If they were used in salt or brackish water, and did not have heat exchangers, the inside passages of the block will be corroded, and it is not repairable.
-the heads and cams fitted are not high-pro automotive stuff. The demands on marine engines are different and the torque curve and hp are different.
-finally and most important, many of these engines came in pairs of left-hand (normal)and right hand (reverse) rotation. While a reverse rotation engine can be rebuilt back to LH, it ain't cheap.
-a close friend of mine sold the two 427s out of his Hatteras 36, with the marine transmissions, exhaust risers etc- the whole works- TWO 427s, both running, for $2500. That is a deal, if you can find ones similar.They are worth essentially nothing in the marine market, and most boatyards aren't interested in building either GT40s or Cobras.