Reply to "More Pictures '72 427 Pantera"

A real 427 is tempting. Apparently Dennis Quella built a few of them.

The heat hass to be a large factor to deal with in a Pantera. If you got stuck in traffic with it, like the bridge, you are cooked dead meat. Open road, probably no problem as long as you are moving.

Modifications to the cooling system would definately be in order. It would be easier to copy an existing "corrected" car. It would save a lot of grief.

I'm not convinced that the ZF can be beefed to take the torque. There are no upgrade components around. It's too unique. You may have to reinvent the wheel.

"You" are going to think it is fine and just when you are running in the middle of nowhere snap the input shaft or spin a bearing on the counter shaft.

A 427 small block will do the same thing eventually. Torque is torque. It's going to be like a supercharged car and just twist everything up.

Don't forget the ZF is aluminum cast case. You can't beef that up even if the bearings and gear alloys are ok. Aluminum tranies twist like no tomorrow. They have a "letgounium" mixed in with the other alloys. The bearings spin right out of the cast in retainers.

I wouldn't build a Ford FE personally. I go all aluminum aftermarket. You're talking a lot of bucks here.