Decisions Decisions!

I need some help on a decision I need to make regarding which motor to build. I recently acquired 4 429 motors. Or at least I believe they are. All 385 blocks any way. I will only be building one for now and was wondering which one I should choose. Here are the casting #s from the motors I have. D1VE-AA, D1VE-A2B, D0VE-A, and C9VE-B. I was told 2 are Cobra Jets and 2 are Thunder Jets. I cant tell, and its okay if they are not. But I still would like to know what they are, and the best one to build. Thank you for any help.

MadeInThe70s wrote:I need some help on a decision I need to make regarding which motor to build. I recently acquired 4 429 motors. Or at least I believe they are. All 385 blocks any way. I will only be building one for now and was wondering which one I should choose. Here are the casting #s from the motors I have. D1VE-AA, D1VE-A2B, D0VE-A, and C9VE-B. I was told 2 are Cobra Jets and 2 are Thunder Jets. I cant tell, and its okay if they are not. But I still would like to know what they are, and the best one to build. Thank you for any help.

A real CobraJet will have 4 bolt main cap ... EDIT: ability.

The best one to build would be the one with the strongest main webs and thickest cylinder walls. It requires some measuring to figure that out.

That helps Thank you, Looks like It'll be the D0VE-A motor then.

Dove blocks are usually 2 bolt, odds are you don't have a cj motor unless it has DOOE-R heads on it.

all SCJ are 4 bolt , CJ can be a 2 bolt .

The D0VE-A engine came with 3 D0OE-R heads the 2 on it and an extra. The intake manifold looks like it will fit a Rochester quadrajet carb which I thought was strange. There are 2 of them in a box I received with the extra parts.

MadeInThe70s wrote:The D0VE-A engine came with 3 D0OE-R heads the 2 on it and an extra. The intake manifold looks like it will fit a Rochester quadrajet carb which I thought was strange. There are 2 of them in a box I received with the extra parts.

you have cj heads and if you don't use them on this build you can sale them quick people is always looking for dooe heads

Not sure yet if I will use them on this build or not. I will be putting one of the 429s in my 79 bronco just for fun! maybe I can get it to use even more gas! Leave my mark as a giant carbon foot print.

The 429 CJ used a Q-jet carb. Those carbs are worth money to restorers, as well as the air cleaner base. The D0VE-A block may be two bolt or four bolt have to look. The D1VE-AA block may have been a CJ as well, but most likely is a two bolt.

All the blocks are good. A D0VE-A is better to use for converting to four bolt mains if that is something that you need. The D1VE-AA likely has the thin main webbing, but if it is a thick web be good for four bolt mains too.

If they are all two bolt main blocks I'd get them sonic checked and use whatever has thicker walls. If all you want to do is bore it .030", do some basic machine work, and not looking to make much over 600 hp than I'd say just pick one as it don't matter.

As for heads the D0OE-R are a great place to start, especially on a stroker engine. The more cubes the better they will work. Just a good valve job, bowl blend and clean up will get results. If you are planing to keep it as a 429 the thunderjet heads may be better for mild street.

MadeInThe70s wrote:The D0VE-A engine came with 3 D0OE-R heads the 2 on it and an extra. The intake manifold looks like it will fit a Rochester quadrajet carb which I thought was strange. There are 2 of them in a box I received with the extra parts.

Those heads will work great for a race build, but if your building something mild and sticking at 429" in a bronco, they are not the best choice. It will run better with the smaller heads.

rmcomprandy wrote:

MadeInThe70s wrote:I need some help on a decision I need to make regarding which motor to build. I recently acquired 4 429 motors. Or at least I believe they are. All 385 blocks any way. I will only be building one for now and was wondering which one I should choose. Here are the casting #s from the motors I have. D1VE-AA, D1VE-A2B, D0VE-A, and C9VE-B. I was told 2 are Cobra Jets and 2 are Thunder Jets. I cant tell, and its okay if they are not. But I still would like to know what they are, and the best one to build. Thank you for any help.

A real CobraJet will have 4 bolt main caps.

The best one to build would be the one with the strongest main webs and thickest cylinder walls. It requires some measuring to figure that out.

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RANDY
not all cobra jets have 4 bolt mains, you know this right? and not all are D0VE BLOCKS

BOSS 429 wrote:

rmcomprandy wrote:

MadeInThe70s wrote:I need some help on a decision I need to make regarding which motor to build. I recently acquired 4 429 motors. Or at least I believe they are. All 385 blocks any way. I will only be building one for now and was wondering which one I should choose. Here are the casting #s from the motors I have. D1VE-AA, D1VE-A2B, D0VE-A, and C9VE-B. I was told 2 are Cobra Jets and 2 are Thunder Jets. I cant tell, and its okay if they are not. But I still would like to know what they are, and the best one to build. Thank you for any help.

A real CobraJet will have 4 bolt main caps.

The best one to build would be the one with the strongest main webs and thickest cylinder walls. It requires some measuring to figure that out.

------------------------------
RANDY
not all cobra jets have 4 bolt mains, you know this right? and not all are D0VE BLOCKS

From what I have seen, all the Cobra Jets had the thick webs to be able to have the 4 bolt main caps. There may be others out there which don't but, I have never seen them.