Ford 429/460 Engines: How to Build Max-performance

Learn to make incredible horsepower from Ford’s most powerful big-block engine design.

For years, Ford relied on the venerable FE big-block engine design to power its passenger cars, trucks, and even muscle cars―and why not? The design was rugged, reliable, amortized, and a proven race winner at Le Mans and drag strips across the country. However, as is always the case with technology, time marches on, and Ford had a new design with many improvements in mind. Enter the 385 family of engines (also known as the “Lima” big-block). Produced from 1968–1998, the 385-series engines were used in multiple applications from industrial trucks to muscle cars and luxury cruisers.

In Ford 429/460 Engines: How to Build Max Performance, which was written by Ford expert Jim Smart, all aspects of performance building are covered, including engine history and design, induction systems, cylinder heads, the valvetrain, camshaft selection, the engine block, and rotating assemblies. The best options, optimal parts matching, aftermarket versus factory parts, budget levels, and build levels are also examined. The 429/460 engines are a good platform for stroking, so that is covered here as well.

Whether you want to build a torque-monster engine for your off-road F-150, a better-preforming version of a 1970s-era smog motor for your luxury Lincoln, or an all-out high-horsepower mill for your muscle car, this book is a welcome addition to your performance library.

Jim Smart is an automotive journalist who has contributed to just about every Mustang and Ford magazine that exists. Over the decades, hundreds of his how-to and feature articles about Fords and Mustangs have been published. Smart has written several books for CarTech, including Ford Coyote Engines: How to Build Max Performance, Ford Small-Block Engines: How to Build Max Performance, Fox Body Mustang Restoration 1979–1993, and Ford 429/460 Engines: How to Build Max Performance. He is an automotive enthusiast and has owned and restored multiple enthusiast vehicles, including various Mustangs. Smart resides with his family in Southern California.