HiPo Cobra Engine - UK Builder Needed

[JimmyMac]

I have a complete set of new old stock 289 HiPo engine parts (in the Fomoco boxes) and a rebuilt Holley Le Mans carb.

The bits are pretty special to me so if anyone can recommend a builder to assemble and blueprint a Cobra engine with these, please send me a PM.
I don't want any fancy stuff, just exactly as it was done for the period.

To give you an idea of the parts in this list have a look at one of the cranks.

HiPo Mustang eKschange

 

[Keith]

Jimmy, link comes up blank page (Firefox 4.0.1)

 

[JimmyMac]

Hi Keith,
Howsitgoin ?
The hipo mustang site appears to be down for a while ?
I purchased this NOS crank a while ago and it went down pretty well with the guys on that forum since it apparently has a full set of correct foundry and inspection marks as a true HiPo crankshaft.
In the meantime, I have considered building the HiPo engine a couple of times but hum'd and haw'd and got involved with too many other things. Now my GT40 is progressing well and I am having a clear-out and so thought it best to get the engine assembled to get rid of a few more boxes for some space around here.

Here are a few pictures of the said crank:

 

[Rich Roy]

Carefull, the rods shown are 1969 Boss 302, which is a whole other animal than the earlyer "hi-po" 289 engine.........

 

[Mike Huddart]

Carefull, the rods shown are 1969 Boss 302, which is a whole other animal than the earlyer "hi-po" 289 engine.........

The 302 Boss rod superceded the HiPo rod as a replacement part. Same length, the Boss piston had the same comp height as a 289, but had a lot better bolt with the oval heads instead of the square HiPo. It meant the bolt seat was spot faced instead of broached.
Possibly slightly heavier but you need a balance job anyway so it doesn't matter. You do get a lot stronger rod.
Mike

 

[JimmyMac]

Roy,
These Rods are C3AE numbered and yellow coded.
HiPo forgings in my opinion with oval headed bolts and they came in Boss boxes?

 

[Keith]

Hi Keith,
Howsitgoin ?
The hipo mustang site appears to be down for a while ?
I purchased this NOS crank a while ago and it went down pretty well with the guys on that forum since it apparently has a full set of correct foundry and inspection marks as a true HiPo crankshaft.
In the meantime, I have considered building the HiPo engine a couple of times but hum'd and haw'd and got involved with too many other things. Now my GT40 is progressing well and I am having a clear-out and so thought it best to get the engine assembled to get rid of a few more boxes for some space around here.

Here are a few pictures of the said crank:

Nice parts Jimmy.. I am well mate, thanks. You know, however shiny aftermarket parts are, there is something about the original 'made-for-the-purpose' original HiPo parts that makes the whole package an authentic time warp. Although you can't see them - you know they're there and that knowledge would enhance my own enjoyment of ownership enormously..

Since he's posted here, I can recommend Mr Huddart as a top builder. He may not remember me but he may remember a small journal SBC 302 (or two) and later some larger journal 350's (or 2) and may be a HiPo 289 from below?

Long long time ago now - another world....

 

[Mike Huddart]

Roy,
These Rods are C3AE numbered and yellow coded.
HiPo forgings in my opinion with oval headed bolts and they came in Boss boxes?

C9ZZ-6200-B is the same part number for both 289 Hi Po AND Boss 302
All had C3AE some later ones had C3AE-D
And according to the '78 Hollander ( the breakers yards bible ) which I have in front of me, they sold for $51.80 plus tax !
Mike

 

[Jac Mac]

The 302 Boss rod superceded the HiPo rod as a replacement part. Same length, ***** the Boss piston had the same comp height as a 289******, but had a lot better bolt with the oval heads instead of the square HiPo. It meant the bolt seat was spot faced instead of broached.
Possibly slightly heavier but you need a balance job anyway so it doesn't matter. You do get a lot stronger rod.
Mike

Quick correction, Boss 302 piston had shorter comp height than 289 HiPo to make up for stroke difference between 289/302..

James, I just happened to be going thru a box of assorted 289/302w rods yesterday in an attempt to bring some order about... amongst the 289 rods( all C3.. 5/16 bolt) I found three different forging/machining shapes around the big end area, no wonder confusion reigns in this area.

 

[John Lueders]

Jimmy,

I've been building a very similar engine. It took me several years to find and accumulate all the parts. I've been working with Cobra Automotive in Connecticut (owner Curt Vogt, engine builder John Garuti) and am extremely pleased with the honesty and quality of their work. They serve both the vintage racing crowd as well as the restoration crowd and they seem very knowledgeable. They've been very responsive and flexible, even to the point that they let me spend my vacation this week in their shop assembling the engine under John's guiding hand. We just started up the engine on the dyno a few hours ago, we'll be dialing it in tomorrow. It isn't prohibitively expensive to ship an engine across the pond (especially is overnight service isn't a major goal) and I suspect you'll find comparatively few folks in the UK as practiced on and knowledgeable about the 289 HiPo as these folks are. JL

 

[JimmyMac]

Mike, Jac,
Thanks for the input on these, these old bits mystify me most of the time but sometimes I get it right.

John,
Your advice is very welcome and I'm glad that you found a trustworthy engine man. I do know a wee bit about shipping engines and heads to and fro as I bought my GT40 engine block in Philadelphia and shipped it to Oregon for completion. I also got a very nice block from some chaps whom you might know at Main St Motorsport in Connecticut a few years back and the shipping has always been simple.
It would be wise to get this engine done in the US but the packaging for all the loose parts would be pretty large and the cost to ship such a lump from here is extortionate and more complicated than in the US. Also the Brits always have ways of letting one down for some inexplicable reason.

We do have a number of high quality engineers here however and these chaps build and maintain historic and FIA racing engines, Mathwells, Knight Racing, and of course Mike to name but a few and they all use the Sunnen Pro kit or it's equivalent.

Please post a couple of pictures of your engine. I can understand how you must feel listening to that dyno after all of your effort these past years and culminating in the recent weeks, as you watch it grow.

Keith,
That background looks like Bournemouth sea front ?
So there really are 'bad' snakes in the New Forest !

 

[Keith]

It's the old Black Rock car park on Brighton sea front pre: marina days. I purchased the '67 GT350 from Dave Prowse (Green Cross Code, Darth Vader) in '82 or '83 and kept it for a few years. It was finished a 'show' model with custom paint etc and I always wanted to take it back to it's original appearance, funnily enough, Dave also had a black GT500 428 Cobra Jet and I had the choice of either, but I kind of liked the 350 and the small block better so I bought that one.

I used to love doing the Chelsea Cruise in it and popping down the pub for a Sunday lunch time drink. In those dull automotive days it caused a sensation everywhere I drove it - it had only 2 small Cherry Bombs on the tailpipes - what a glorious sound...Chucking it into a curve under power was very daunting as the Detroit locker came in with a bang and a sideways hop and a similar rear end shimmy when you came off the power sharply. I always thought it was a Fault, and then found out it was a valuable Feature!

The motor had been replaced but it was all genuine Hi-Po 289. The block in fact had been raced in COB1 and had been welded where the block had taken a hit from a failed big end bolt.

It was listed in the logbook as: "Ford 2 axle Rigid Body" I was appalled and wrote to the DVLA and said "it's actually a Shelby GT350" and back it duly came so titled!

God, I miss those days.....:cry:

(sorry for thread drift)

 

[Rick]

Knight Racing??

http://www.knightracingservices.co.uk/

He would seem fully qualified with all the necessary credentials??