76 Ford F250 Highboy

[Guest]

[Its1FastCat]

A co-worker recently purchased a 1976 Ford F250 Highboy.  It had the factory 390 with an automatic transmission and he was asking for some recommendations on intake, carburetor, heads and exhaust.  His goal is to turn out around 600 horse at the flywheel.  Is this a reasonable goal for a 390?
 

[posford]

Check over at fordfe.com site. There are a lot of really knowledgeable guys there. 600hp from a 390 is doable but I don't think it will be too street friendly. There are more FE parts available now than ever and the prices are coming down from what they were a few years ago.
 
       Nick.     

[mighty mouse]

600 ponies with that dinosaur.... He better have a fat wallet...

Then when he finds out what it will take to actually use this power in that truck - he will poop!

[Its1FastCat]

Thank you both,

I tried to tell him that it will be VERY EXPENSIVE.  I told him that he should run a Performer RPM with a 750 DP and that aftermarket heads would be a given.  Exhaust, camshaft, transmission and transfer case mods will be necessary.  And with those modifications I estimated just over 400 horse.  We priced out the parts at work on Saturday.  I told him to wait and see what condition the block is in internally before he gets ahead of himself with buying parts.  I suggested that we tear it down and check the bores, the end play, the condition of the camshaft lobes and journals and mic the rod and main journals.