Will this rumor never die

[shelbymann1970]

That story seems very fishy? It has echos of this "I had it dealer installed" story. A "assembly line special install" is even more far fetched? Is this guy going to claim assembly line installed headers too?

The biggest issue with just dropping in a 427 into a Mustang or Cougar would be what heads you have because the exhaust manifods choices are limited.

The MR heads don't fit the 390 exhaust manifolds or the CJ manifolds.

The closest you can come with the 67 medium rise 427 engine is the 67 Fairlane manifolds. Those are not made for the Mustang/Cougar and there are interference points with them as cast.


Now the 427MR heads could have been modified in the castings rather simply by adding the additional materials to go to a 14 bolt CJ type manifold but it wasn't. What didn't exist explains as much about what wasn't built as much as anything.

Final analysis by engineering just showed that the CJ was a better choice for a production engine. The W is just a big cruiser mama which fit better into a Cougar concept and isn't even close to a NASCAR potential as built.

The guy in question his dad was a bigshot at Ford. We live in Ford country. He has a 427 in the 68.5. He has the original 428CJ he says new and never used. I highly doubt it would have been installed on the assy line but in another area of the factory with parts as needed. Said guy is a successful business owner here a few miles west of Dearborn. doesn't appear to be a shyster or BSer. I've conversed with enough of them. I just never found the time to go check it out. He enters in shows in his immediate area. Maybe i'll run into him or call him this summer to see what he has. I'm as skeptical  as the next guy. Extraordinary claims require extraordinary proof. Gary

     Gary,
         The fact that he has both engines is the clue here.  Produced with the 428 on the line and "possibly" changed at the X garage ( if his dad had enough clout) or DST ( that also did conversions for "the right" people). I don't doubt he had it done but we all know the W code Mustang never happened on the assembly line.
    Randy

and that is what I said in my last post. If it was done it was probably done in the area where they fix the cars. I'm sure not all ran right off the line. An ex coworker ordered a 70 LS5 Chevelle out of 'nam and the engine let loose right off the assy line so delivered with a CE block. It happens. So they have the areas. To be clear once again it isn't nor was ever a W-code 68.5. i guess I need to go see the car.