Nope, check the record book- the 427s did quite well for years- the later Tunnel Ports in the Fairlanes, intermediates like the Mopars, were hard to beat. The whole banned SOHC thing isn't quite accurate, NASCAR relented, but said Ford would have to run the SOHC in the full-size Galaxies, while the Mopars could still run intermediates, with a substantial weight break (like Jenkins' Vega in NHRA), and Ford told them to stuff it, pulled the program and came out with the Tunnel Ports. Installed in cars would not have been impossible, that's why the Boss 429 Mustang exists. You want to hear something evil, try a Tunnel Port with the 330/600 C8AX-6250-D cam
Those engines were hoarded and developed for the dragster classes, not to be wasted on lower classes due to their power potential. The Cammer waxed the Chrysler Hemi in power potential until Kallita and Co. started blowing the bottom out of them. To me, the Cammer is nostalgic eye-candy because I have always loved the '65 A/FX Cyclones. Joe
It wasn't the bottom end, they started splitting the block in the lifter valley, a problem Ford had later with the lightened 5.0 blocks when power adders got serious. The aftermarket FE blocks address this with strengthening ribs in the valley. The other major problem with the Cammer was they were too complicated. If between-rounds internal repairs were needed, the Ford fuel racers needed another engine as re-timing the valve train was a big deal. You couldn't just pop a head off and replace a head gasket or burned piston like the pushrod motors could.
Should be able to find a source on the Kalitta Cammer. It was published in Hot Rod Magazine many years ago. The bottom skirts of the 4-bolt block were cracking as power was increased, finally resulting in total failures. Different measures were applied to strengthen them and they worked temporarily until they were finally compromised by increasing power demands. I'm not sure how many original engines survive today, if any. Joe
Jim Green, of Green Elephant Funny Car fame, used to collect different engines, especially the Ford Cammer engines. He had them both on display in his shop, and in at least two of his rods. Jim is gone now, RIP, and I don't have any idea what happened to his huge inventory of parts, engines, cars, etc, etc, etc. I imagine his wife had to liquidate most of it, to at least help to cover the care of their disabled son, who is wheelchair bound. Seems the Cammer engine in his Model A had the valve covers gold plated, like the wheels and other parts were. I am Butch/56sedandelivery.
The Jalopy Journal
