390fe Or 429 Thunderjet

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Apr 28, 2006 | 10:26 PM

WHODINI

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390fe Or 429 Thunderjet

I have a 1967 Ford truck. Which would be a better motor to build. I would like 400 or more reliable horses with a C6 tranny. Both engines are 2 valve and were plucked from LTD and a Galaxy. If you have a good combo for either please share.

Apr 29, 2006 | 01:04 AM

Ford_Six

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From: The Big, Oregon

What are you building the truck for? Do you just want a lot of power, or are you looking to race, or have a big flashy v8 to show off?

Apr 29, 2006 | 05:21 AM

Dave Severson

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From: Madison, SD

Tough choice, both are good engines to build. Lots of good parts available for both. IMO the 429 would be a bit easier (spelled cheaper) to get to the 400 horse and live level, but the FE engines are still one of my favorites.....

If you want just brute torque, there are good stroker kits and aluminum heads available for the 390's and the 429's. For me, the FE would get the nod just because of the nostalgia factor...

Apr 29, 2006 | 05:48 AM

jowilker

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Joined: Jun 1999

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From: Creedmoor, North Carolina

Whodini, Welcome to FTE

and the 67-72 Forum.

Jarad has posed a good question, the engines are from different engine families, have different mounting perches, and tranny bells.

A 429 was never installed in a pickup, but it is in the same family as the 460. You will have to have 460 mounts from a mid-late 70s truck for easy install.

If your truck has a 352 in it now the 390 will be a direct fit.

The C6 is the same on the inside, but came in three different case offerings. You will need the correct one for the engine that you choose.

Either of those engine choices will put a lot of power to the ground in stock form, and with the price of gas going through the roof, spend extra time with planning. You don't want to install a 6 mpg setup in your truck if you are hoping to have a daily driver.

John

Apr 29, 2006 | 10:47 AM

davethecow

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From: fallon nv

I would say unless you already own those two motors,look at the posabilitys.a 390 and a 428 fe are bassicly the same motor,as well as the 429 and the 460.

I love these motors and beleve they still should be an option on new trucks.but like the earlier poster said,your going to need a few extra parts unless you dont already have them.
Building big blocks is a joy,and the raw power at your disposal will make one think "why did i ever have a small block"......lol.

Apr 29, 2006 | 02:30 PM

averagef250

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Joined: Sep 2003

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From: Portland, OR

400 is alot of big block horsepower. The mild 390 in my 7500 pound 4x4 is likely around 350 horse with a ton of torque and it flat out hauls when you put the pedal down. Gets good mileage too. Never been a fan of the 385 series engines, but everyone has thier own opinions. 429/460 might be a little cheaper for a mild build. FE will be noticeably more expensive to make big horspower out of though.

Last edited by jowilker; Apr 30, 2006 at 08:16 AM.

Apr 29, 2006 | 05:11 PM

WHODINI

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390 Or 429

Thanks for the advice. I have both motors. This truck will hopefully be driven on weekends. I wanted something that people would respect as well as enjoy. I know I have a lot of work ahead just to get the truck back together. Right now it has what I believe is a 240 engine and a C4 transmission. I will have to get someone to build the motor(390 or 429) and trans for me. I am looking at a two year project to get it where I want it. It would be nice to just drive to a car show or just cruise on the weekends. I hardly ever see any ford trucks from 67 on up in shows or at them. it would be nice to have a truck that is respectible. The body has some rust at the corner of the doors but it is not too bad. I will remove the engine and trans. I am going to try to do a lot of the work to the truck. I think in stock form, the 429 thunder is about 320 horse and the 390 in stock form is around 260 (I think). I also realize that torque is just important.