Reply to "ZF Horsepower Rating"

I think of it this way. First, I let others blow it up, then let them decide, gee, I guess that was too much.

The Ford GT40 first had a Collati. It was still a Lola GT at that point until Ford bought the rights to the car.

You can research if you like but those cars all had DNF's in the early days due to transmission failures.

In the development of the car the race teams switched over to the ZF to handle the power of the 289 under race conditions.

On a good day, they could coax 400hp out of that 289, Webers, 180 degree bundle of snake headers and all.

In the continuing development of the car, the 427 was the next step in it's evolution.

By that time, Phil Remington was the engineer in charge for Ford. He is mentioned most often in association with Shelby but Ford had basically split the Mark I, 289's to Shelby and the 427's to Hoolman-Moody. No matter who is responsible for what now.

The ZF behind the 427 was inadequate. The 427 race engine with the aluminum heads, i.e., the "lightweight 427 was limited to a compression ration of no more then 10:1 and about 500hp and 550 ft-lbs of torque for durability reasons with the thin aluminum heads.

The 427 "lightweight" engine is an entirely different beast then the iron head versions. The aluminum heads are very thin and won't take more the 10:1 compression.

Remington designed and entirely different transaxle for it using the internals of the Ford "top loader" transmission to handle the power. It is a four speed.

The transaxle has an entirely different designation. Don't ask me, look it up if you are curious.

Where anyone today is saying the ZF today will handle 700 hp is beyond me?

What was is what is. It is a small block transmission and the 351c fits into that description.

500hp-ish is the expected capacity. If you look at the Gp4 factory race Panteras that is about what those engines were. No supercharges, no strokers, no nitrous. Webers yes, but in fact they are pretty much torque killers throughout much of the rpm range...except for one very, very narrow band when all Hell breaks loose with them.

Maybe today technology can make pigs fly but if you are running 1000hp in front of this thing the betting pool is open as to when and how far it is going to blow up.

Winston Churhill once said, "those that refuse to learn from history are doomed to repeat it".

Well said if you ask me. Gentlemen, care to place your bets?