Happy 429 Day

[secluff]

It's now time to celebrate the "Other" big block. HAPPY 429 DAY!

As cjstaci stated, the Boss 429 was destined for the Torino/Cyclone and Mustang/Cougar platforms. I have some Mercury Cyclone material that shows the Boss 429 as an option. If you look at the unique shape of the shock towers on the '71/ Mustang and Cougar, you will see where it was designed to allow clearance room for the ultra-large heads and valve covers on the Boss. The manufacturing cost of the engine, ever-tightening emission laws, and Ford pulling the funding brought all that to a screeching halt.

It is not widely known, but Ford was developing and testing a 460 Cobra Jet. I came across this information years ago, but unfortunately, I could never find the article again. Ford used a '71 Cyclone as the test car. I was at a new vehicle launch in 1989 when the new Thunderbird Super Coupe and Cougar XR7s were being introduced. I was talking to one of the engineers there, who was also a devout performance car guy. He remembered that project and said they had built several running test cars. However, they lost their funding when Henry Ford ll put a stop to all company-funded racing and sponsorship programs. That also meant an immediate stop to all present high-performance development and future development programs for both production and race cars.

The GM and Mopar guys thought the CJ/SCJ 429s were tough; they had no idea what kind of A$$ whooping was heading their way. Unfortunately, they never got to find out since these two canceled engine projects were pulled out from underneath our feet!

 

[c9zx]

A 460 CJ would have been a wonderful thing. For that matter a Boss 460 would have been great as well. Chuck

 

[cjstaci]

The boss 429 kicked ass on the NASCAR circuit. It’s too bad that NASCAR banned the hemi engines and Ford pulled out of racing. Ford made an all aluminum 494 ci engine for can am racing.

 

[t.kohlmeyer]

The boss 429 kicked ass on the NASCAR circuit. It’s too bad that NASCAR banned the hemi engines and Ford pulled out of racing. Ford made an all aluminum 494 ci engine for can am racing.

NASCAR didn't ban the Hemis, they changed the minimum weights various engine displacements had to carry. The 355 inch rule allowed less weight and made those combos more competitive. The only outright ban was on Ford's 427 SOHC. They called it an exotic engine design. Truthfully, the big blocks started making so much power and the chassis builders had made the cars so light that they were getting crazy fast on the super speedways. They'd be hitting 250+ MPH with a Boss 494 by now.

 

[Hemikiller]

I think a bunch of the CJ/PI parts were later used in Ford's marine engines. I bought a takeout from a local dealer, it had 72 PI heads with screw in studs and guideplates, 70 SCJ intake and CJ/Truck rods with the football headed rod bolts. The block and crank were standard 2 bolt 460 parts.

 

[t.kohlmeyer]

You like Boss 429's? Here's the man with THE Boss 429

 

[c9zx]

I think a bunch of the CJ/PI parts were later used in Ford's marine engines. I bought a takeout from a local dealer, it had 72 PI heads with screw in studs and guideplates, 70 SCJ intake and CJ/Truck rods with the football headed rod bolts. The block and crank were standard 2 bolt 460 parts.

I've seen the same thing. The PI heads work very well. Chuck

 

[secluff]

I've seen the same thing. The PI heads work very well. Chuck

In 1972, the 429 Police Interceptor used D2OZ-6049-A (D2OE-AB) heads, which still had the '70-71 size CJ valves but ran the smaller ports. The change in the '72 head was made to comply with Ford's across-the-board compression cut so all passenger car engines would run on regular fuel. (The medium and heavy-duty truck gasoline engines were exempt) I ran the '72 PI heads on my '72 Gran Torino (originally an "N" code) with a '70-71 CJ short block, and all I can tell you is that it was a Monster!! My engine was hydraulic, so no valve adjustments were needed, and they retained the valve springs, spring seats, guide plates, and hardened push rods as used on the '70-71 CJ/SCJ and '71 PI engines. The '72 engine used a one-year-only intake that used a 4300D carburetor. The Quadrajet used on the '70-71 CJ and '71 PI engines was no longer used. I ordered a new D2PF-TA 4300D as used on the '72 Ford and Torino police cars, and believe it or not, it ran great! I will say I was a little nervous about that one! Our head transmission shop tech, who loved any and everything 429, offered to build my C6 to P/C specs without the first gear lockout and gave me a list of what he needed. All I knew was that leaving it in drive and not shifting it manually, at WOT with a 3.25 gear, it would shift out of first at 60 mph, out of second at 100 mph, and drop the speedometer needle like a hot potato in high gear. It continued to pull like a freight train until I felt it getting a little light in the front end, which I wasn't comfortable with, and let up. If you find a set of these heads, don't dismiss them as boat anchors. They do WORK!

And yes, against my better judgment, I did try running against my fellow Ford fanatic friend, whom I had known since high school. He had a '70 SCJ 429 Cyclone with a super drag pack (Mercury talk for the 4.30 Detroit locker geared car). As expected, he left me like I was tied to a tree, but when that 4.30 maxed his 429 out, which didn't take long, I ran him down and left him. (A shallow victory for me)