Interesting Craigs List finds

87BFN owner wrote: This is not a CC by any means. Engines that are in it, if they are what the seller says they are would be worth it. 427 cobra

I'd believe it when I saw it.

Those are pretty rare engines, so I would think it would be a steal, if they were really Ford 427s. BTW, I like that boat, although it is too much boat for me.

Those are indeed more than likely 427 Fords, but hardly "Cobras". Believe it or not guys, but there were by far more 427 Fords installed in boats than in any cars. But it wasn't a hot engine by any means, just heavy duty. It was the big block mainstay used for the 300hp Chris Craft, Interceptor and Crusader marinization package used from +/- 67' up thru about '71-72, long after it was available in a car. But at only 300hp at only 4000rpm. It had 352-390 spec small-valve heads etc. But make no mistake about it, the cross-bolted, 4-bolt main cap blocks still bring large bucks today, and which all of these engine were/are. In this case someone just told this guy that this was the engine that Ford provided for the AC Cobra (same block only), and voila, a Cobra engine. However, Holman Moody and Interceptor both offered much higher HP marine versions of this engine. You can see in the REFERENCE section back in certain 65-67 boats where the Interceptor 400HP 427 was available as a high performance option "without a warranty". Holman Moody took it multiple steps further all the way up to 600-700 HP marine engines. MTCW.

My uncle's cris has a 283 in it. But when his uncle ordered it new it had the option of a 427, but I believe it to have been a 427 chevy. Either way my great uncle Chuck said with gas prices at 17 cents a gallon for premium he just couldn't see buying the big motor. Crazy eah.

Reid
By the way thanks for the extra back ground info. It's always great to learn something new about boats.

Fairly common, as some have said already, to find a 427 ford motor in a marine application. What is rare, and would designate it as a "Cobra" motor, is the side oiler option. The motors in the Cobra cars had to have the side oiler configuration to fit into the chasis. I have a friend that responded to a add here in the Northwest for a large wooden cruiser that was rotting away. It turned out to have side oiler 427 twins in it that he resold for almost $9000 each as rebuildable cores! More than paid for the trouble of retrieving the boat!

I've got a 1967 Car & Driver that tests a 427 Cobra. The article states that the engine is really a 428, and not the 427 because Ford found the 427 way over powered for street use and decided to cheap out on the non race cars.

I wonder if that was done with boats as well?

Copied and pasted from the engine manual section on marineengine.com:                           427 Ford Operators, and illustrated parts.

It's a Ford that Chris marinized. Reid, I think you're right on regarding the 300HP. Low RPM but tons of torque. Probably 2:1 reduction tran's swinging maybe 18" props.

The comment about them being Cobras, is from the sellers own mind! I guess since we have a ebayhole thread that we'll now need a Craigslisthole thread too!!

1st year for glass hulls?

If it was rated at 300 hp at 4200 that would be 375 for torque at that range peak torque would have been higher most likely but I doubt they were over 425. I can hit 460+ with the 408 but when on the dyno I couldnt maintain it over 4400 rpm ended up with peak hp at 443 torque at 4750. It would be interesting to know the exact speed those 427s were rated at it could be as low as 3800 rpm, or it could be higher than they were very low compression engines. Either way well suited for a cruiser, lousy for a ski boat.

Tug boat motor, Probably could make a nice wakeboard boat with one, built in ballast and everything.

Riley wrote: What kind of boat is that in Pete?

The latest in the line of CC beast wakeboats, the new Super Air Nautique 480.

Bruce, The 427 is a Chris Craft marinization. I don't know what boat the picture was taken in. My reference on Chris shows HP's without CI. so I'm not too sure. There are 300 HP's listed in the 23' Continental and larger but I'd say it isn't the 427. I'd rather say it was used in larger cruisers and like Eric mentioned twin installs.

James, With a 2.5:1 trans on it swinging say a 24" 4 blade prop, I'd say it would make a good tug boat engine! That's 1095 Ft. Lbs. of torque available at 1160 RPM!

Reid, You are probably correct. The 23' Continental is plenty big enough to handle a 427 (even twins) so it must be the same 300Hp version. I do see a couple listings of 370HP V8 in Chris Crafts but it doesn't say who's engine it is. I do know they were using some Cal-Cadillac's so the 370Hp may be the Caddy.

Hurry up!
http://dallas.craigslist.org/rvs/500392203.html

Boat Doc post pics if you would please, or email them to me if you can't post them.