289 Sohc

[OzJavelin]

Just to prove nothing is really new .. I was reading an old "MuscleCars" magazine last night and found an article on smallblock Fords (written 1990) which detailed a 289 Windsor with SOHC:
"Ford engineers added aluminum cam boxes in place of the valve covers. The cams acted directly on the top of the modified rocker arms. The bump-sticks were driven by a 1-inch Gilmer belt that got it's twist from a crank-mounted pulley ... The result? With single 4-barrel, the engine cranked out 300hp. The 289 'cammer would also spin to 6500rpm with ease. The problem was that even with the additional rpm potential, the heads and manifold simply couldn't flow enough to keep up. Until that disappointment, Ford had intended to market the overhead cam setup as an over-the-counter kit to be installed by car owners looking for a higher level of performance. When the OHC didn't live up to expectations, the project found itself to be shelved."
I don't think 300hp from 289ci in the mid-sixties is too shabby? Kind of makes a SOHC 5.4L look under-rated. How cool would a SOHC 289 be in an XR GT?? Sweet!!!