Owner installed 427 search

[Wedgeman]

I bought a 427 shortblock  from my local Ford dealer in August 1972

[shelbydoug]

Was it for a W engine? Cast crank, hydraulic cam, etc?

[Royce Peterson]

Ford parts warehouses auctioned off remaining 427 / 406 inventory around 1980. A couple of my friends went to one of the auction locations in Oklahoma. When they loaded up the 18 wheeler after the auction they had one complete 406 short block assembly and more than 20 427 side oiler blocks, various 427 Medium Riser and Tunnel Port heads, carburetors, intakes, and various other stuff. I bought two of the side oilers from them. Both were cast in 1972 and were C8AZ 6090-G assemblies bolted to a wooden pallet and inside a plastic bag, with a Ford script cardboard box stapled to the pallet covering the entire thing. One of the boxes had a Holman Moody tag on it so it apparently had been returned for credit from their location at some point in its life.

The 406 short block was quite interesting. It was a C4AE block with both motor mount patterns. It eventually became a 427 as the block was simply a 427 block with no cross bolts. I forget what the exact casting date code was on the block but it was some time in '64.

Bottom line I think you could have ordered a replacement 427 block from any Ford or Mercury dealer well into the late 1970's. In those pre internet days the auction was advertised for maybe a couple months before it happened.

[Wedgeman]

Doug, it was a service shortnlock  Ribs on side.....Steel $ Crank....Lemans Rods.....Also bought a pair of C5  Bare... Med. Riser heads..