confess closet Ford owners

[Sportyworty]

The 66/67 427 Fairlane and 68 CJ Mustangs are considered some of the baddest cars of that era. You can't compare 390 cars of the later 60's to 396/375 GM and 389/360 Pontiacs Ford never intended them to be thus the R codes.

[old5.0]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: SportyWorty1</div><div class="ubbcode-body">The 66/67 427 Fairlane and 68 CJ Mustangs are considered some of the baddest cars of that era. You can't compare 390 cars of the later 60's to 396/375 GM and 389/360 Pontiacs Ford never intended them to be thus the R codes. </div></div>

Well, that's kind of my point though. You also can't compare a limited production car like an R-code Fairlane with a mass-produced, commonly available car like a Tri-Power GTO or an L-78 Chevelle. How many 427 Fairlanes and Cyclones did Ford build again? I think there may actually have been more COPO Chevelles than 427 Fairlanes. I recall that a couple of years ago Mustang Monthly reprinted a series of memos from disgruntled Ford engineers stating basically the same thing I'm saying here; that Ford had no viable answer to the big engine Goats and Chevelles, which was ridiculous since all the good pieces were sitting there in parts bins just waiting to be used. I also seem to recall Bob Tasca sharing a similar sentiment.

As for the Cobra Jet, yes, it was a bad customer. And yes, it was a huge step in the right direction for Ford. Nobody can take away the 428 CJ's place in history. But making the 427/425 a regular option in the Mustang, and giving it some marketing push, would have ended any debate immediately.

Think about how fast the Lightweight Galaxies and Thunderbolts were. And now imagine walking into a Ford dealer and being able to order a new, plain-jane Mustang coupe with the same drivetrain. HemiCudas would have run and hid.

I love FoMoCo. Which is why it's particularly frustrating for me when they steadfastly refuse to be the best they can be. Ford has <span style="font-style: italic">always</span> had the hardware to run with and beat any of the other manufacturers (427 SOHC, anyone?), but all too often they have refused to actually sell it to anyone.