Yes, back on topic. Sorry...

I can throw up the example of Formula 1 (yes I know its the extreme, but it should answer your question).
Up until 86 (I think), you were allowed to run a 3liter Naturally Aspirated engine, or a 1.5liter with forced aspiration.
Engine configuration and type of aspiration was the manufacturers choice.

Around 1980, BMW and Renault decided to start going to turbocharging, previously manufacturers had only ever had N/A engines of various types.
The Ford Cosworth DFV was still the dominant engine of the time (and the undisputed best F1 engine of all time). It was making close to 600hp at this time period out of a 3liter V8.

Initially Renault and BMW had BIG issues with the turbochargers (still little was known about these in extreme racing applications).
Durability was limited, and seeing a piston shoot straight through the head was not uncommon on an early BMW engine.

However by around 1982 these engines had completely started wiping the floor. Durability was much improved, and the things were making more power than their N/A cousins.
By 1986 BMW was making 1500hp (thats not a typo) out of its turbocharged 1.5l inline 4.

So in 2 years, turbocharging had taken over 40+years of development of Naturally Aspiration, and the N/A engines had double the capacity advantage.

Then turbocharged engines got banned.


High compression is an effective way to get power, however it is very $$$ and is really only practical where forced induction cannot be used for whatever reason (regulations etc.).

 

I typed a huge response to this but it seems it was absorbed into "byte hell".

Anyway, it's not as difficult as you may think... the trick is to narrow the solid live axle as narrow as you can go, much like you would for a drag racer, specifically a rail - the rear tires almost touch each other

Anyway, to the very short stubby axles that hang out of there, you redrill the flanges instead of for wheel studs, you drill them at a smaller diameter to accept a really stout CV joint. Porsche "Indy" are good to 1000HP, you could use Eldorado (the older, bigger 70's version) CV's, etc. Bullet proof parts. Then on the wheel spindle you can use C4 vette or Eldorado races and carriers, to an eldo or vette or S10 front spindle, it's all interchangable, then make a half shaft out of shot peened and heat treaded 4340N steel. Mount the spindles on upper and lower a-arms, fix tie rods from between the steering point on the spindles to the frame, align, and you're done. Instant IFS suspension with a really strong rear end.

A decent shop can even hack down the Dana 80's or the Sterling rear if you wanted to. Probably more gearing options for the Dana, but I know that a lot of R&P ratios above 3.55 are available for the Sterling too, up to 5:1 or thereabouts. That's a lot of gear.

If you want to balance the car front to back a bit more, you can try to acquire a Porsche G50 transaxle, mount it in the rear, and run an engine shaft between the engine and the transaxle - much like the C5 corvettes do and some of the posrches - they house this engine shaft in a "torque tube".

Time conuming to make, but doable if you can fabricate.

 

No biggie, just need a solid idea with Bridgeport, lathe, Tig, Mig, money and time, things can be done. I'm short in the money and time department but have the other items. The last project was a Pulse Jet that exploded after running two minutes, testing. Drone engine running in the driveway, I made new friends (cops) and new neighbor enemies. They don't understand? Once you get the 460 running you must twin turbo a FE for us, PLEASE?
.....=o&o>.....

 

Twin turbos on an FE isn't much different than a 460 - except that EFI bits are available for the 460.

But... nothing one can't fix with an FE aluminum aftermarket intake, some round aluminum stock, and a drill press.

 

I fabricated up a plastic intake manifold to install a motec fuel injection kit on a race car I am building which originally had a 600cc carbureted engine.
You should be able to see from this photo


I wouldn't recommend plastic for high boost pressures though.