One thing right up front, I've never seen a 428 block with a C5AE casting. Now note that is what I've "seen". Every 428 block I've l've looked at had a C6## casting or later, i.e., C7##, C8##(You're getting into Cobra Jet stuff with the C8##/later castings).

Like you and giacamo, I'm not a purist by any means. You may have a very good block but you need to have it sonic tested/mapped to know whether it can handle an overbore beyond the current 4.13 you state it has.

As for the C6-R heads with the dual bolt patterns, they're likely to be '66 Fairlane GT heads and the -S- intake could be from any 390-428 standard 4V in '66. But it too may have come with the heads and been from the same F'lane GT donor. All the 3990GT engine had over a standard 390-4V was a nice mild performance oriented cam, C6OZ-B, and a Holley 600 CFM center pivot float.

holly shi..t i hope the guy i bought my exaust manifolds off of don,t see your prices. im glad he dont look at e bay,

Your estimations are in line with the market I've observed.

The only real area of market influence has been in the non-restoration market.

We folks who were looking for a better head than the garden variety FE heads had no real options other than the factory CJ or 427 heads. That forced us to compete with the restoration market for these heads.

With the aftermarket alternatives now available, the prices for CJ heads in good shape has fallen by nearly half. C8OE-N heads were selling between $900 and $1,000 about five years ago. Now that they're real value is as a restoration item we who are not doing restorations are interested in them only if we can get them cheap.

CJ exhaust manifolds are probably going to be expensive for a long time, though I have no idea what makes resto manifold worth $500. There are still deals to be found but those days are getting fewer.

I built a 2 BBl hi-po motor (9.5-1 cp) from a 64 Maruader back in 1986, drove it for a year and put it in the barn until this year. The rods are stock, resizes and balanced with new arp bolts, also used a small Cran solid cam but can't find the spec sheet after 20 years. This motor has seen 6800 rpm in 86-87 in my 64 Galaxie XL stick convertible, adn has been to about 6500 since pulled out of the barn in May this year. Changed the oil, replaced a bent pushrod,a dn it runs beter now than I remember it running whein it was parked (could have been the bent pushrod huh?)
Point is Yes the factory rods are good peices when properly prepped.

There's no real differences between the FE, wait, there is too! The '64 and older FE have a two bolt engine mount provision whereas the '65 & later have a three bolt system. The earlier blocks can fit your '67 Mustang. A lot of guys did install earlier HP blocks into '67 390 Mustangs, mainly the 427.

Again, you need to search this site for parts availability and expertise to help you know all the parts you'll need.

Gerry, first and foremost know that I fully appreciate your knowledge on the FE. You've been a frequent contributor here with, what I've found, to be excellent advice/recommendations. And your post here regarding the trusty TL is full of good facts/figures. I'm always lookin' to learn more.

Now, after all that, I have to ask, what big block FE powered Fords came from the plant with 2.78 low gear, wide ratio TL's? I keep re-reading your statement, "Most big block Top Loaders were also wide ratio units......". This is what has me confused here. I've always thought, this thinking based on personal experience with a number of big block/FE powered Fairlanes/Torinos/Galaxies, and Ford published shop manuals, that the 2.32 low gear-close ratio TL 4 speed was very commonly used behind the FE and HP 289's.

My first FE/T-loader 4 speed was from a late production '64 Galaxie 500/390-4V. It was a 2.32/C-ratio with the narrow trans. to bell bolt pattern. Other than the narrow tr. to bell bolt pattern, the exact same transmission was in a '65 Galaxie 390-4V car, two '66 Fairlane 390 cars, a '68 Montego 390.

With regard to final drive ratio gearing, the unibody cars were 3.25, the Galaxies were 3.50. A '62 HP390 Galaxie I had for a short while back in '67 was a factory 3.89 geared car but it had a BW T-10 and I don't remember what ratio it was. It was a typical BW T-10, bad 2nd gear synchro. I've never had a good BW T-10.

I just want to know where all the FE top loader 4 speed wide ratio 2.78 gear trannys went? I know a lot of guys have "built their own" 2.78 big block 4 speed. But "Most big block TL's were wide ratio"?

I'm seriously waiting to hear more about this WIDE issue. I'll be checking back tomorrow night after game 7, R-Sox/Yanks.

I didn't detect the same animosity (causing trouble just to cause trouble. No interesting debate...just trouble) in Bubba. Bubba may have been a bit abrasive, but he wasn't entire devoid of all value as Stanley is notorious for.

I finally tracked down the car. It was actually a '56. The fella I knew that had the car had sold it. The car was destroyed in a crash, killing the new owner. (It really was nose heavy) The man that did the installation has also passed away.

The previous owner could not really remember any more details than what I had already mentioned. This is a do-able project, but I'd use aluminum heads and intake to keep the weight off the front end.

Exhaust leaks on FE's in general seem to be a problem, have the manifolds checked to see if they are flat, if not a light pass on the milling machine is in order. If it has been run for a while with the leak it may have eroded a valley in the head oand /or manifold. I had this problem on a 63 Merc Monetery 390. I pulled the manifold, installed a new gasket and used muffler mend (high temp epoxy) in both valleys (okay, this was '85 and I was young and creative). This lasted at least a year before I sold the car.

I'll do it Glenn. I haven't heard back from Lucas this weekend. I had it weighed to his zip. I'll give him until Monday, 10/18, to let me know.