450+ hp combo?

Hi, Im new here and I have a '96 Cobra, and Im looking to pull the engine at 200K miles and give it a freshening up, and since Ill be in there, add some power-producing parts while Im at it!  Instead of going with the flow and adding a blower to the engine, I want to do this with a naturally aspirated engine, that can live on 93 octane pump gas, be dirveable enough for daily use with the stock rear gear ratio and a TKO 600 trans. Right now, my Cobra is my daily driver, and I want it to remain so. Ive allready installed the regular stuff, as underdive pullies, flash tune, and CAI.

A combination that Im thinking of is-
Stock Teksid block
FRPP High-flow heads
'02 Cobra intake (required with the new heads)
Malhe 11.0:1 pistons with thermal barrier & skirt coating
Manley steel rods
stock steel crank
Titanium retainers
Beehive springs
Titanium intake valves
Inconel Exhaust valves

Im having trouble with the cams to use. The car has to be streetable with a decent idle, enough vaccumm to run power accesories like brakes, HVAC and such. And I dont plan to run the engine over 7000 rpm.

Any help would be appreciated, even a complete combo.

-'96 SVT  

It sounds like you have the budget for a new block for the build so if this car is your daily-driver to reduce downtime you should really look at starting with a new-to-you block. You'll have to do machine work anyway so you might as well work on the new engine and still be able to drive the car at the same time. The number you are looking to make will require some trick parts. We don't know of too many N/A 4-valves making that kind of power. I know of a 425 N/A 4-valve so I do think 450 is within the realm of possibility, but it's going to take a killer tuner to get that kind of number for a pump gas tune. Who is going to machine/build this engine?  
Michael Johnson
Associate Editor
5.0 Mustang and Super Fords

Al Papitto, BOSS 330 Racing (772.299.0775)...

Just a thought.  
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Sharad Raldiris - 1989 LX 5.0

Ill be having a well-known local shop do the block prep, but the majority of the build will be done by myself and my brother. We always try to one-up each other, and his '91 Saleen SSC clone puts down 457 to the wheels in N/A form with pump gas. Seeing how the Mod is a more efficient design, I believe it should be sble to duplicate or surpass that number.

A recent 5.4 build in Engine Masters magazine by Accufab netted 577 n/a hp.

Another route I was thinking about was aquiring a Lincoln MK VII engine (still aluminum Teksid block) and using that as a core for a stroker combo, since everything is going to be swapped out anyway.

-'96 SVT  

Accufab has many, many years experience, and a few dollars to spend; not to mention John Mihovetz, too. Was that number made on an engine dyno?

What's the combination on your brother's SSC clone, and do you have pictures? The SSC is probably my favorite Mustang of all time so I'd like to see it. Did your brother's car make 457 at the wheels or an engine dyno?  
Michael Johnson
Associate Editor
5.0 Mustang and Super Fords

The combo on my brothers car (as far as I know- he wont tell me a lot about it!) is a Dart sportsman block, Scat stroker crank (331 ci) Manley rods, Im unsure about the compression ratio, but he has forged blower-friendly pistons, custom ground cam (unknown specs) AFR heads (unknown flow numbers) and a Trick Flow upper and lower intake, Im assuming Track Heat, a MSD 6AL ignition, and tuning by a friend of his. His hp numbers were done on a chassis dyno, and the car is, while a bit of a handful in adverse conditions, very streetable and driveable. Its original intent was drag racing, but a lot of street concessions were made with the suspension, so it handles fairly well, but my Cobra would slaughter him on an autocross course!

The Accufab 5.4 combination's 577 hp was made on an engine dyno.

What is the combination that produced the 425 hp 4-valve combination that you mentioned earlier? It it a streetable combination that will happily buzz around at 1800 rpm, but zing right up when needed?

-'96 SVT