To produce an honest 1,000...
To produce an honest 1,000 hp, you need a serious blower. Our support came in the form of a Paxton Novi 2000, featuring an ultra-efficient impeller design that offered a maximum impeller speed of 55,000 rpm, 26 psi of boost, and as much as 1,400 cfm.
The final component that all but determines the power output of the combination is the intake manifold. Knowing that our 1,000hp goal for David would come near 7,000 rpm, we chose an intake with high-rpm power in mind. Naturally, we chose a single-plane Super Victor from Edelbrock. Our version was massaged by the flow mongers over at Wilson Manifolds. The intake flow was optimized and the ports matched to the same 1262R intake gaskets used to size the entry of the Trick Flow High-Port heads. We also employed a Wilson carb spacer that adapted the 4150 carb flange on our ported Super Victor to the 1050 Holley Dominator carb we selected. While our supercharged combination would be run with a 1,000 cfm 4150 HP series Holley modified for boost by Carburetor Solutions Unlimited (CSU), we liked the look of the Dominator on the Super Victor.
To properly prepare our David for battle against Goliath, we needed a weapon. Big D's was an impressive Paxton Novi 2000. Originally designed for use as a Renegade kit on an injected 351 Windsor, we modified it slightly for use on our carbureted combatant. Rather than go with the carb enclosure, we opted for a simple bonnet and the aforementioned carburetor from CSU.
The Novi installed on the...
The Novi installed on the 427 was a Renegade system that featured an eight-rib drive system. We know plenty of Renegade owners who made serious power with this set up, but ideally we'd opt for a cog drive at this power and boost level.
Paxton supplied a few additional eight-rib blower pulleys, which allowed us to dial in sufficient boost to push to the magical 1,000hp mark. Truth be told, only an available belt length kept us from easily surpassing the 1,000hp mark. Minor components used to complete the 427 included ARP head studs and Fel Pro MLS gaskets, a Pro Comp billet distributor and plug wires and a Milodon oiling system. The Pro Comp distributor was run through an MSD Digital 7 ignition amplifier using Denso Irridium plugs, while Comp Cams supplied a set of 1.6-ratio Gold roller rockers and HiTech hardened pushrods.
Though designed for blower use, the aluminum 427 produced 628 hp and 565 lb-ft of torque. Credit the impressive TFS heads, Cam Research roller cam and Wilson ported Victor manifold for the lion's share of the power.
With our normally aspirated power established, it was time for the blower. The Paxton Novi 2000 was first run with an 8-inch crank pulley and 3.75-inch blower pulley. This netted an impressive 941 hp right off the bat at just 12.5 psi, though we did experience a bit of belt slippage. Unfortunately, we were only able to get a hold of one size belt for testing (at a local NAPA store) and that belt was a touch on the long side (basically our fault for not properly preparing for the test with different belt lengths). The belt would allow us to rev cleanly to 6,200 rpm before slipping.
In the end, we managed to produce right at 1,000 hp at 6,200 rpm using the 3.5-inch pulley and there was plenty left. Unless you had to run in the Renegade class, we strongly recommend a 10-rib or (better yet) a cog drive at this power and boost level to ensure a repeatable boost curve with no belt slippage. Despite the belt slippage, reaching our 1,000hp goal meant David had officially tossed the first stone.
David certainly had his hands...
David certainly had his hands full with our nitrous-injected, 557ci Goliath!
A 557-Inch A460 Nitrous Stroker
To illustrate this age-old rivalry, our Dart David needed a rival, so Goliath took the form of a massive, normally aspirated stroker motor topped off with a little chemical weaponry in the form of nitrous oxide.
Like the 427, the goal for this motor was to exceed 1,000 hp. Paying full homage to the bigger-really-is-better theme, we started with the biggest production motor Ford had to offer and proceeded to add inches. By combining a 4.440-inch bore with a massive 4.50-inch stroke, the original 460 Ford was punched out to a massive 557 ci. The stock 460ci two-bolt block was retained, but filled with a forged reciprocating assembly consisting of a Pro Comp 4.50-inch (4340) forged steel crank, 6.70-inch (BBC) forged H-beam connecting rods, and forged flat-top pistons from Ross Racing pistons. The premium-forged pistons from Ross were designed to accept the valve orientation for the Trick Flow A460 aluminum race heads (they differ from the stock and Super Cobra-Jet valve orientation).
For our supercharged configuration,...
For our supercharged configuration, we replaced the Holley 1050 Dominator with a 1,000-cfm HP series modified by the blow-through experts at CSU.
Goliath started out life as...
Goliath started out life as a humble two-bolt 460 OE block. The stock crank and rods were replaced by forged steel stroker versions from ProComp, while the main bolts were replaced by ARP main studs.
Ross Racing pistons supplied...
Ross Racing pistons supplied the forged flat-top pistons for our Goliath motor. The pistons feature valve reliefs dedicated for the unique valve orientation on the A460 heads. Given the intended power output, forged slugs like these from Ross are a must.
Since we planned on spinning...
Since we planned on spinning Goliath to 7,000 rpm, we insisted on a good oiling system.
Moroso came to the rescue...
Moroso came to the rescue with a high-volume oil pump and pick up to work with a trick oil pan. The Moroso pan featured a dedicated sump and louvered baffles to work as a windage tray.
With so many cubic inches,...
With so many cubic inches, we selected a suitably wild cam. The drag-race roller from Comp offered an 0.806/0.763 lift split, a whopping 275/284-degree duration split (at 0.050), and a 110-degree lobe separation angle.