427 versus Coyote

[Christopher]

I have been researching for a month now and almost have my MK4 complete kit finalized. My car will be a Sunday driver with my wife probably not traveling long distances and also a few car shows. I keep going back and forth with the 427 and Coyote. I know I want a fuel injected and also know the 427 will have a lengthy wait time since I already have talked to Blueprint. I don't mind the wait time since my build will take me years to complete anyways. Wondering other peoples opinions and pros and cons of each motor option. Also, going with manual transmission but haven't really chosen that either. Thank you in advance.

[CaptB]

So my only comment about the Coyote is that it isn't a nice looking old school kind of engine. The 427 is. I originally ordered a BPE 347 and returned it to buy the 427. I too am worried on the lead time due to not having DART blocks but since they treated me very good on the 347 engine, I'm going to give it until January to get worked out.

I think a FI 427 is very streetable (from what I ready) but the Coyote is very streetable. I also heard with the 427 really pushing the HP/Torque up you really have to respect the power. So my point is that from a driveability viewpoint I think either is fine. The cost seems to favor the Coyote but I think it really comes down to whether you want the old school look of the 427 or the look of the Coyote. IMHO.

What did BPE tell you about the Dart block......blocking?

[Jim1855]

I favor the 427w, I like carbs too. No reason that a carb'd motor isn't streetable but that depends on your expectations and definition of it.

Don't worry about the power, 550-600 at the crank seems to be a good spot just learn how to modulate the skinny pedal. Fortes mechanical linkage works well for carbs, not sure how it adapts to EFI but it is the key to controlling the power. If you have the power, gears in the 3.55 or 3.31 range work well. You'll still be able to break the tires loose with a heavy foot roll on at 2,500 rpm.

Now, can you get into trouble? Oh yeah and in short order but that holds true for any RWD car that is way too light and has something resembling a motor.

Make sure your brain is fully attached to your right foot, learn how the power comes on and don't do stupid stuff. And if you want put a throttle stop on the linkage to help learn how to apply the power by restricting full throttle.

Jim

[Al_C]

This is another personal choice consideration. I went through a similar debate in the early stages. True, there is a certain romantic appeal of a 427, but it depends on your priorities. If this is going to be a Sunday driver you enjoy with your spouse, you might want to consider new technology vs. old. That was the tipping point for me: I decided new technology was more important than tradition. With the coyote, you turn the key and go. It's like a high performance production car, only better. Mine has ample power (390 hp at the rear wheels), and I could improve that if I really felt the need. Yes, I like the sound of a radical cam on a 7 liter engine at idle, but I like being able to cruise through local streets, too. The coyote can be well-behaved at low rpm, and will definitely get your attention when you put your foot in it.

[Nigel Allen]

I have the Gen 1 Coyote. I fitted chrome coil covers which dressed it up a little, but as CaptB mentions, it does not look old school. Also something to consider, it does not sound old school at idle RPMs. Once you get on it a bit, it sounds great. I must admit I get jealous when I hear the startups and idle of the push rod motors on this site.
The streetability of the Coyote is like a daily driver, which makes it very easy to live with. It also runs super clean, which is nice when your head is right next to the exhaust.

In Australia the DOT are very strict on emissions, so the Coyote sailed through. That said, if I built another Roadster I would be keen to explore a 347 with aftermarket fuel injection.

Cheers,

Nigel

[jamminj]

if you lock the cams or get a choppy tune for the coyote

basically they tighten up the lobe centers at an idle to give it the sound your looking for

[Alan_C]

If you are planning on just going on Sunday drives with the Wife and a few car shows, I would recommend the Coyote because of its civility. When I built my MK4, it was when the Coyote was just getting adopted in these cars. Much was not fully worked out then and I chose to install a 4.6L DOHC engine from a 2004 Mach 1 donor. The 4.6L DOHC engine is the predecessor to the Coyote as they are both members of the Ford Modular family of engines. The 4.6L, when dynoed by the 2nd owner, was 298 HP and 320 TQ at the rear wheels. At the time I built, Dave Smith suggested in the build manual that the sweet spot for power in these cars was about 300 HP. Much has changed since then and I would suggest most would agree that 400 HP or a bit more is what most want in these cars now. On outings with other Cobras, the looks I would get when I did not need gas but about 1/3 as often as the big block guys gave me grins. Yes the BB Fords look good under the hood, but I will suggest that 427, even with FI, will consume 2x that of the Coyote. Maybe fuel mileage means nothing to you, but I liked to take my car on 500 mile trips when I could. Not looking for a gas station every 200 miles was nice. In this community there is support for both paths and many differing opinions. If you have any intention of putting your wife behind the wheel, forget about the 427. It is not just the HP that can bite you, it is the torque that can really get you in trouble. With the short wheelbase, get the rear end loose can be fun or it can be dangerous. IMO a Coyote with about 400 HP at the rear wheels would be perfect.

[FLPBFoot]

I agree with all of the above. I went with a Blue Print 427 carb to be closer to the 1965 theme of the car. Seems every time someone sees the car there are two questions. Is it real? And then next is it a 427? Complete preference of every builder and to me wearing the 427 Ford valve covers and the 427 side badges was something I wanted.