Street and Racing Engines
The engines we build here are the most competitive, state-of-the-art endurance engines in the sport. Our goal is to extract every last ounce of horsepower from every engine we build.
Our engine shop offers complete engine building services for your stock restoration project or your all-out race car. And each Cobra Automotive engine is meticulously documented with detailed records of every component used in its assembly.
Cobra Automotive Road Race Engine
The Cobra Automotive Road Race Engine pictured here starts with a Dart block that is specially CNC-lightened using our own proprietary program. We then bore the cam tunnel for 55 mm rollerized cam bearings and the entire inside of the block is deburred. We use only the best custom-forged racing crankshafts, made especially for road racing, and smaller low-friction Honda rod pins, while retaining the standard small block Ford main bearing diameters and widths. Custom steel billet Oliver connecting rods are mated with JE dome pistons using special tight-tolerance stainless steel rings. Our cylinder head CNC porting program is very aggressive, and we finish off the porting operation with a thorough hand polishing to assure we get every last CFM of airflow from the intake and exhaust ports. Jesel split-ratio Pro Series shaft-mounted rockers finish the valve train to keep the engine pulling hard all the way to its 8500 rpm redline. We have both dual and single plane intake manifolds available for these engines, featuring more porting than anyone can imagine. On an engine this sophisticated, the stainless steel “stepped” headers are an absolute must if you want to squeeze every last bit of horsepower out of this engine and stay in front of the competition. Every Cobra Automotive Road Race Engine is built with the latest technology in wet sump oiling, including specially modified oil pumps and custom-built aluminum oil pans. Naturally, we use only the best ARP hardware and Race Series Fel-Pro gaskets. In full competition trim, this engine generates 580 horsepower.
Boss 302 331" Stroker Engine
The BOSS 302 engine is still as desirable today as it was in the late 60’s and early 70’s. Pictured here is a Boss 302 based engine with Cobra Automotive upgrades. It’s built with a new Ford Racing Boss 302 block and Scat forged steel crank, for 331 cu. in. We balance the rotating assembly and degree the solid roller camshaft to complete the shortblock. The original Boss heads are ported and modified for maximum flow. We install Jesel rocker shaft assemblies and Comp Cams valve springs and hardware for the best possible valve train control and overall reliability. The entire motor is assembled with ARP hardware, and to provide the best spark we use a billet MSD distributor and MSD 8.5 mm ignition wires. We also fit a Bud Moore oil pan to give it a trans am racing look. To complete this street-drivable engine, we fit it with a custom set of stainless steel “flat four” Bud Moore headers like the ones used in his original race cars. On the dyno, this engine produces 475 horsepower on pump gas. It's shipped complete and ready to run, so it can be dropped right into your high performance street car as soon as it arrives. The engine at left was built with four Weber 48 IDA carburetors on a manifold supplied by the customer. Our standard Boss stroker is equipped with a Holley four barrel, unless otherwise specified.
289 FIA Cobra Engine
Finishing first in a vintage FIA race starts with a Cobra Automotive 289 FIA-legal road race engine like the one pictured here. Using a magnafluxed and correctly date-coded C5AE original Ford block as our foundation, we build the highest quality Cobra race engine available anywhere. The block is cryogenically treated for added strength, and is fitted with Cobra Automotive’s FIA race-quality repro Hi-Po iron main caps. The rotating assembly consists of a custom forged race crank with hollow small rod journals and undercut and lightened counterweights. Linking the crankshaft to the custom JE pistons is a set of custom-machined, forged steel Oliver connecting rods fitted with tool steel lightweight wrist pins. Finally, neutral-balancing of the entire rotating assembly ensures maximum smoothness and high-rpm reliability. We port-and-polish an original set of ‘65 289 heads to our own exacting standards, which are completely prepped for racing. There is a custom-ground, fast-ramped camshaft, and tool steel lifters with bottom oiling holes to operate titanium intake and exhaust valves with 8 mm stems. “Beehive” springs and titanium retainers, working with the race-prepared stock-style rockers, will keep the valve train working without failure. A race-ported Weber intake with four fully-prepped 48IDA carburetors provide maximum power and reliability for our dyno session. If squeezing every last bit of horsepower out of this winning combination is what you’re looking for, then adding a set of Cobra Automotive’s custom stainless steel tri-y headers is an absolute must.
331 cu. in. Gurney-Weslake Engine
There are not many engines as impressive looking and sounding as a Gurney-Weslake engine. The engine pictured here was built for a SuperFormance GT40. We started with a new Ford Racing BOSS 302 block and added a Scat forged steel crankshaft with a set of Scat forged steel H-beam connecting rods, then fitted SRP aluminum pistons that were modified for use with the Gurney-Weslake cylinder heads. The rotating assembly was balanced and an aggressive mechanical camshaft was selected and degreed, to achieve maximum performance and reliability for street use. Custom port work with a customized Gurney-Weslake valve train complete the cylinder heads, which are bolted to the block with very special, custom-stepped ARP head studs. We fitted a one piece intake valley cover with water lines to eliminate the three piece system that was always problematic. The Weber induction system helps give this engine the look and power it is famous for. This engine generates over 480 horsepower on the dyno.
Dual Carb Big Block
Pictured here is a nicely done 427 Sideoiler with Edelbrock aluminum heads and water pump, Canton oil pan, Billet SFI approved 427 balancer, Blue Thunder 2 x 4 bbl Medium Riser intake, Cobra Automotive chrome Pent Roof valve covers, and topped off with a pair of Holley 660 cfm carburetors. More great components are available today for these engines than ever before and this means we can provide the best engines available since this flagship Ford High Performance engine was introduced in 1958. From a single 4 bbl 428 cu. in. engine, to a fire breathing twin Paxton supercharged 427, we have many years of experience to offer you when it is time for you to pick one for your car. Horsepower numbers from 400 HP to 700 HP are commonplace with our engines.