The fe you can take to what a 500ci range the 385 you can go to 557 if you get a aftermarket block you can go 806.The p51 heads are aftermarket there like a cobra jet but better.Only down side to a 385 i know of is the oil problem but any machine shop can fix that easy just drill a couple holes.The 429 was used up in to the mid 90s in the big van school buses even had a tbi on it.Read this http://www.popularhotrodding.com/tec...ads/index.html and http://www.carcraft.com/techarticles...ild/index.html

 

Yes it fits, yes its a pain to work on, hell yes they are heavy. Aluminum heads and intake help the weight issue. As for power, well um, no matter what a dyno program says, real world is often different, and just because it only makes 500hp at 6000 rpm doesnt mean an engine that makes 550 at 7500 rpm will beat it.

If you only know small blocks and rpm, just avoid saying anything about big blocks until you build one, mmkay? Its a different world when you have over 500 ft lbs just off idle and 600 ftlbs at 5000 rpm. It isnt a diesel since it will still rpm decent, and it isnt a small block that you need to spin the snot out of to get it to move. Hence you dont need 4.11 gears, with the grunt available a 3.50 is often more than enough, and you might find that a 3.00 to 3.25 works even better.

The problem with the 429/460 isnt making power, even with stock heads you can make enough to break everything behind the flywheel. The problem with them is mass, they are a huge lump of iron, and trying to lift that mass is a monumental task. 600lbs is a bare long block, fully dressed all iron they can be much closer to 1000 lbs. Losing the manifolds for headers, iron intake for aluminum, and using other light parts, will help considerably. Iron heads still work, even if you cant spring for aluminum right now.

Swap the cam for one with 230/240 duration @ .050 lift, run an aftermarket intake and headers, and that thing will come alive while still being very drivable. More inches means you can run more cam and retain manners.

Before you slap your money down for it, think of the other stuff. You will need at a bare minimum, a radiator and transmission. Brackets for power steering, alternator and pullies for the 429 are different from the 302. If you dont get all that stuff with it, then you have to find it, some you can buy at a parts store, some you cant. It will need a C6, the C4 and FMX wont live behind it without some serious parts, besides the bell housings are pricey to put them behind the 429/460. If you have AC, then all of that stuff is different as well.

I wouldnt just stuff it in there without rebuilding it, that is asking for the opportunity to pull it again. Think of it as a chance to upgrade some things. I've been considering a 460 in the 71, I have one from a van. Biggest problem for me is the engine is 850 miles away from the car, still needs to be pulled and rebuilt, and the car is a long way from needing an engine. Also the later 460s had the pistons down the hole to limit compression, and the cam was retarded from the factory, both items that shouldnt be a problem with a 429, and easily rectified with a mild rebuild.

The thing that stops me is the weight and that I have big hands that dont fit tight spaces. I know the power to be had, and its quite a bit more than a small block, but these two issues are what is holding me back. We have stuffed them in Fox Mustangs and that makes for a fun smoke show...