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Comment by mulmen | Hacker News Reader

Do you have a source on this? It seems like an exceptional claim.

The GT40 was a bespoke race car built to settle a grudge. Henry Ford II wanted to beat Enzo Ferrari at his own game after the sale of Ferrari to Ford fell through. Ford failed to beat Ferrari in their early attempts with the GT40 and the entire car went through several revisions to reach the LeMans winning form. These were not typical parts and I would be surprised if they were widely available.

Also, domestic US engine displacements were given in cubic inches. In this case a Ford 7 liter engine is 427 (whole) cubic inches. A period is not prefixed because it is not a fractional measure.

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The 427 is an FE family engine, which was used in NASCAR. The engine used in the gt40 was based in a NASCAR build of the engine (modified to handle right turns ;) ).

Back then, you could order performance parts from dealerships and whole engines. Could you walk in and order a gt40 engine? I have looked and have not found a part number. However, some race engines did not have part numbers because they were aftermarket parts.

You still can, and they have warranties.

https://performanceparts.ford.com/engines/

http://www.chevrolet.com/performance/crate-engines

http://www.chevrolet.com/performance/connect-cruise-powertra... up to 727 horsepower, with transmission and electronics included and ready to go. Connect and Cruise.

Crate engines are nothing new but are any of those the engine for the GT40?

Those crate engines sure are a great deal. Back in the 90s you had to get an aftermarket block, heads, crank, pistons, and rods for four that (not adjusted for inflation) to even consider reliably making over 400hp on anything. I remember saving money for an A4 Ford block sold by SVE. Never got it cause it was about $2k and came bare and unfinished.

Nowadays, an LS crate engine and a smallish turbo can get you 600 wheel horsepower on pump gas.

Not sure about the entire car but bob riley’s Art of race car design backs up that the gt40 mk1 had a lot of off the shelf parts in it https://www.amazon.com/Art-Race-Car-Design/dp/191058410X/ref...

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