Opinions on 429 - Coworker is selling

[my$100project]

I posted this in 5.0 but nt much help

It's a 1969 429 it's currently not assembled but has completely rebuilt.
The pistons and crank are stock. IIRC he said it wasn't a 4 bolt and was rebuilt about 10 years ago when .02 bearings where still available. There is some minor rust on the crank, so it would need cleaning but not resurfaced.
THe engine is complete minus I think the intake and carb. He said he has over $5000 into the heads, which are stock (Huge exhaust ports, painted to allow better oil flow, 5 angle valve job, heads ground down to lower compressio and something about changing the angle of the valves 28 degrees to allow for better compression) He also drilled a 1/16th hole into the oil chain area to allow for better lubrication on the chain. He also said he had 2 cams for it and the one he really likes is a custom ground "gorilla" cam...Theoratical horsepower is rated @ just over 700. He hasn't really had it listed anywhere, but another guy is offering him $1500 and wants to come look at it on Monday. If he doesn't buy it he said he would sell it to me for the same price..

Does this sound like a good deal?. I would still need a cooling system, wide ratio c6, and rear end to hold its power.

Also if I was to do this I would have a perfectly rebuilt to stock (with 3 angle valve job) 302..(over $1000 worth of parts and 30 hours vested into rebuild) for sale. Probably $500 obo

 

[tylerrocks]

700hp/1500= .467 hp per dollar. sounds like a good deal to me.

 

[my$100project]

I think that's backwards lol.
I have to buy a c6, wide band gears, carb, intake, etc. That's why I'm pondering the idea a bit.

 

[ttoney]

Sounds pretty good, depends on what you are putting it in. That is some pretty insane HP. The car would need to be built pretty well to handle that IMHO. For the money you probably can't beat it. He offering any kind of warranty guarantee?

 

[my$100project]

no. We're both techs. We B.S. every now and then about stuff and you can tell he is very maticulous about his work. Probably one of the most detail oriented guys in the shop. I trust that he would let me know of something before he sold it me.

 

[67MustangManiac]

I'd be all over that!! Sounds like a deal at twice the price. You could always detune it some to make it more streetable. GIT IT!!!

Now let's see pics!!!

Maniac!

 

[my$100project]

Ok. If the other guy doesn't pick it up I'll give him cash on Tuesday.
Something about he has dibs or "I keep my word" or sum ****. I don't know. If it's not gone on Tuesday I'll post pics.

 

[Dark Knight]

I SERIOUSLY doubt it's going to put out 700HP, unless you run it high up in the RPM range. Painting the exhaust ports isnt going to do jack, soon as it fires it'll burn off. Not trying to kill your plan, but I'd have someone go over it. The 429/460's ports are huge compared to a small block anyway. Milling the heads will raise compression, probably not a good thing with only 91 octane.
Rust on the journals isnt good, means they're probably pitted. You might get away with having them polished, hard to say. Also, remember that you'll need fox body specific headers, swap pan etc.

You might see what people on www.460ford.com think, some VERY good engine builders there.

 

[C.Harris]

Dark is right...milling the heads will raise the compression (and '69 -'71 460 engines were rated at ~10.5:1 compression to begin with) and painting the ports to improve "oil flow" makes no sense. The crank might be cleaned up with a polish but again that depends on the amount of rust already present and pitting. Now, a 5-angle valve job sounds normal but did I read your post right when you said he modified the angle of the valves within the head by 28 degrees????

 

[WORTH]

Dark is right...milling the heads will raise the compression (and '69 -'71 460 engines were rated at ~10.5:1 compression to begin with) and painting the ports to improve "oil flow" makes no sense. The crank might be cleaned up with a polish but again that depends on the amount of rust already present and pitting. Now, a 5-angle valve job sounds normal but did I read your post right when you said he modified the angle of the valves within the head by 28 degrees????

Most of the 429's I remember from that era were not performance motors, they were in full size LTD's and T-birds, I don't think they were 10-1 compression. The paint may be in the water jacket not the oil passages. I'm still scratching my head on the 28 degree valve angle though

I want to know alot more before I spent 1500 bux.

 

[D.Hearne]

The changing the valve angle is the only thing that bothers me. You might have trouble fitting an intake to it. Painting the block and heads to improve the oil flow, doesn't mean squat, just a cheap solution to one minor problem. The crank think doesn't bother me either, if it's too rusty, there's replacements out there, you can always stroke it to a 460. -----------------------------Now, all that said, you'll be biting off a huge chunk with this motor, you're also going to have to invest in more than it to put it in place of your small block, you'll need a transmission, 9" rearend, new springs for the front suspension,yada,yada, yada............. For the cash you'll spend, you can have a bolt in stroker smallblock that doesn't require all the swap parts and makes basically the same power.

 

[C.Harris]

Most of the 429's I remember from that era were not performance motors, they were in full size LTD's and T-birds, I don't think they were 10-1 compression. The paint may be in the water jacket not the oil passages. I'm still scratching my head on the 28 degree valve angle though

I want to know alot more before I spent 1500 bux.

Actually the garden variety '69-'71 429 4V was rated at 360 gross HP and 480 TQ and the 460s from the same years were rated slightly higher, both with 10.5:1 compression....bear in mind that family vehicles of that era weighed considerably and strong bigblocks were chose to serve duty.(compression ratios and subsequently power dropped accross the board in '72)
As you know, 429s were also used in high-performance applications in the Mustang between 1969-71 and they had even more horsepower and compression hovered between 10.5:1 - 11.5:1

 

[302 coupe]

I think the paint that the seller was referring to would be in the valve cover area, to allow oil to drain back down into the engine easier, much like painting the lifter valley. I've never heard of anybody relocating the valves in factory cast heads, maybe he was referring to the stock canted valve arrangement (rather than in-line like a windsor), which does indeed promote better flow, its not something normally spoken of as a mod (because its not). "Gorilla" cam sounds like a slang phrase for someone that doesn't have a clue what they have, kinda like the old 3/4 race cam that everybody had back in the day, lol. The milled heads, assuming it has flattop pistons, will give you a compression thats too high for street use, as others have said, it had 10.5:1 stock, which is already borderline for todays gas. I'd be weary of the crank, but others can easily be found. If you get it, get everything balanced as unit(crank, rods, pistons and pins, damper, and flywheel) to make sure that it works well together.

That being said, it sounds like it would be a real thumper. The engine cost is just the beginning though. You need a nice torque converter, built trans, built rear, big fuel system, big cooling system, big exhaust, it goes on and on.

 

[my$100project]

I found out abit more about it today. The 28 degree was the grind on the head itself. They ground down the head so it sits on the block @ 28 degrees. He said he wasn't to sure about having to modify an intake to fit the angled heads, but if it did a machine shop could do it.

Also It's .030 over new pistons and rings. He also said he polished the cylinders to prevent detonation. He also did something to the exhaust ports to make them wider. It's a cobra jet block. Not a super cobra jet. It's been conveted to a rear sump oil system along with a whole bunch of other lubricating mods I can't really remember. It has been converted to a roller rocker set-up and has a doube roller timing chain.
He said he couldn't sell it out from the other guy even if I offered him more, but if the guy doesn't call him monday or wants to reschedule that he would rather sell it to me anyways since we are in the same shop together and he could see it go to good use.

 

[HHStang]

Big blocks rule! Do it.

 

[Dark Knight]

Just remember, whatever intake you get and make fit is yours, nobody else will be able to use it with an angle mill. Try and get some casting numbers off the block, or look for 4-bolt main caps.. not all CJ's had them. Converting to roller rockers isnt a big deal, new screw in studs and rockers. Are you getting the rockers too? Personally, I'd tell him to keep the heads and offer $800 for the short block, then buy a set of heads that werent angle milled.