The “baddest” of Ford engines ever developed occurred during a rush, 90-day research and development program in 1964, the 427 SOHC engine was Ford’s response to the Chrysler Hemi’s dominance in NASCAR during the ’64 racing season. Based on the successful 427 FE engine, the cammer featured a chain-driven roller cam in each cylinder head, actuating big valves in hemispherical combustion chambers. Horsepower was rated at 616 for the single four-barrel version and 657 for the dual quad, and Ford tested the factory engines to more than 8,000 rpm on the dyno. The engine was shaping up to be a formidable NASCAR competitor.
Unfortunately for Ford, a variety of factors conspired to keep the engine from being approved for NASCAR racing, including screams of protest from Chrysler and the higher speeds the SOHC would undoubtedly bring to the racetracks. Having made the commitment to limited production and unable to compete with the engine in NASCAR, Ford scrapped its plans for building cammer Galaxies for NASCAR conformation and focused on promoting the 427 SOHC as a drag racing engine. It immediately made its mark on the dragstrip in the world’s first flip-top blown fuel Funny Car, owned and driven by Jack Chrisman’s in a ’65 Mercury Comet.
In 1966 Sneaky Pete Robinson won the NHRA Top Fuel crown with his SOHC-powered dragster, and in 1967 Connie Kalitta (The Kalitta family still races funny cars today) won the AHRA Winter Nationals and the NHRA Winternationals with his SOHC rail. With Danny Ongais (another great old name) driving, Mickey Thompson dominated the new NHRA Funny Car class in 1969 with his awesome cammer-powered Mach 1s. Racing legends such as Ohio George Montgomery, Dyno Don Nicholson, Les Ritchey, and Don Prudhomme also campaigned cammer race cars in the ’60s and early ’70s, and the sounds of the SOHC zinging to 9,000 rpm were not uncommon at dragstrips across the country.
Never made available in a production vehicle, the estimated 750 to 1,500 SOHC crate engines sold over the Ford parts counter were raced heavily in the late ’60s and early ’70s. But after Ford withdrew factory support, the parts supplies began to dry up, and by the late ’70s, a SOHC became an unusual sight. By the ’80s and ’90s, the engine had acquired collector status, with few engines together and running and small caches of scarce SOHC parts scattered in unknown warehouses and garages from coast to coast. Enthusiasts interested in building a cammer were forced to collect the factory parts piece by piece, often over many years, before a complete engine could be assembled.
Nevertheless, interest in the 427 SOHC endured, and over the last few years several manufacturers have stepped up to fill the demand for the parts required to build these legendary engines. In fact, it is now possible to build a complete cammer from scratch, using only aftermarket parts.
I grew up during that era and it was no secret that the cammer was one super fast engine. The facts, names and information is as clear today to me as it was when I was in my teens. It is etched in granite forever based on the time I spent dreaming and playing with hot rods. While GotEngines.com may be the most respected engine supply company in the USA, we only sell car and truck engines and some marine engines that are interchangeable with a car engines, the trivia and information provided in this blog is here for your convenience and to help you educate yourself on automotive engines. GotEngines.com @ 1-888-344-8044.
