On the surface, this unassuming small block Ford on the Forte’s Parts Connection dyno doesn’t look like much considering today’s electronically enhanced, computer controlled and forcefully induced options, but what it may lack in Star Wars technology is more than made up timeless appeal, which is exactly the way the owner wanted it.

What started with a Dart SHP block as the foundation for a FIA Shelby Cobra engine in virtual period-correct form ended up pumping out over 1.51 horsepower per cubic inch, an impressive number considering the engine runs on 92 octane pump gas. The final tally was 526.6 horsepower at 6350 rpm and 472.2 ft-lbs of tire abusing torque. Great numbers for any pump gas small block, but it will really shine when stuffed between the frame rails of owner Paul Martin’s handmade aluminum-bodied Shelby Daytona Coupe copy.

All engines are air pumps, and this one starts by inhaling through not two, not four, but eight individual air meters in the form of venerable Weber 48 IDA carburetors. These miniature wonders are the Swiss watches of carburetion. Before modern electronic fuel injection, the world’s most exotic cars had one thing in common: they all came with Weber carburetors; Ferrari, Porsche, Maserati, Lamborghini…they all had them. The gems perched on top of this original Shelby intake manifold use the larger choke sleeves, and with careful tuning they can exhale a beautiful exhaust note. Like the intake manifold, these are also original, and were crafted in Bologna, Italy. Unfortunately modern pollution laws and the advent of electronics has pushed most, if not all of the OEM carburetors the way of the Daewoo – the last one rolled off the assembly line in 1992. Modern tuners can do a great job of baseline tuning, and Forte’s engine builder Jesse Rondeau says, “These only needed some basic jetting changes.”

The air is pulled into Air Flow Research 185 Renegade heads that are out of the box with a valvespring upgrade from PAC. Of course Forte’s didn’t leave anything to chance; Rondeau checked the valve job and did a little clean up for consistency. Mahle‘s forged Power Pack pistons sculpted out of 4032 aluminum are in charge of compressing the mixture and swing on the ends of Scat I-beam rods rotated by a Scat 9000 cast crankshaft. Rondeau was tasked with controlling the timing events inside the Dart block using a custom hydraulic roller camshaft of his design.

This is an impressive engine build with a vision of past and present. Next time you hear someone say “they don’t make them like that anymore,” think to yourself, “well maybe they do,” and think about the names Mike Forte, Jesse Rondeau and Paul Martin, because they still do!