Is there a "best" 1/25 Ford 427 Hi-Riser?

[Ken McGuire]

I want to build a few Ford (Galaxie, Fairlane, Falcon) supercars that used the 427 Hi-Rise engine and would like your opinion on the "best" 1/25 scale engine available for detailing (e.g., wiring, pulleys, carbs, mold quality). Some of the kits I've ordered - which are mostly older tooling - include that motor but, having looked at the instructions online, they don't appear to have as much detail as modern kits from the likes of Tamiya and Fujimi.

Are there any really good aftermarket reproductions of that side-oiler 427 that you would recommend?

[Force]

If the Revell 1964 Ford Thunderbolt is done correctly it should have a "Hi-Riser" 427 but it's not a "Side Oiler" as that came in 1965.

But the best FE engine in my opinion in a kit is the one in the AMT 60 Ford Galaxie Starliner kit wich is among the best kits AMT ever did.

If you get the quite recent 2 'n 1 Deluxe Kit you get two engine blocks and transmissions, three intake manifolds (one single 4V (332-428), one 2X4V (427 Medium Riser) and one 3X2V (390-406), one set of short cast iron headers (406) and one set of long cast iron headers (427), one set of plain unplated valve covers, one set of plain chrome plated valve covers and one set of chrome plated "Thunderbird" script valve covers, three nice Holley 4160 4V carbs with vacuum secondarys and three Holley 2300 2V carbs.

Except for that you'll get a nice 60-64 Ford Galaxie chassis to use with the older AMT 63½ and 64 Galaxies wich fits with some slight modifications, and the best 9 inch rear end i have seen in a kit so far, you also get a set of Shelby style traction bars, a nice set of Astro Supreme rims, lake pipes and some other nice stuff.

if the engine is a"Hi-Riser" and "Side Oiler" is not that visible in a model, a "hi-riser" is just heads with taller intake ports and matching intake manifold where the ports are straighter and carburators is mounted higher up than stock (as on the Thunderbolt engine), and the "side oiler" has oil gallerys casted to the the lower engine block on the drivers side slightly visible on a real engine, a 427 block should also have the middle three main caps cross bolted and have threaded freeze plugs as did all of Ford's hi-performance engines...but as I said, that's not that visible on a model without looking very close.
These engine was not that common, the 427 side oiler came 1965 so before that it was the regular "top oiler" without the outside oil gallery, the hi-riser was also short lived, it came 1964 but was outlawed by NASCAR 1965 and was replaced with the medium riser head and intake package and faded out.
So you can use the 60 Starliner FE engine and call it what you want.

Edited August 19, 2014 by Force

[Mike Kucaba]

I'll throw out that the 427 in the Revell parts pack isn't too shabby. Should be easy enough to source.

[Ken McGuire]

If the Revell 1964 Ford Thunderbolt is done correctly it should have a "Hi-Riser" 427 but it's not a "Side Oiler" as that came in 1965.

But the best FE engine in my opinion in a kit is the one in the AMT 60 Ford Galaxie Starliner kit wich is among the best kits AMT ever did.

If you get the quite recent 2 'n 1 Deluxe Kit you get two engine blocks and transmissions, three intake manifolds (one single 4V (332-428), one 2X4V (427 Medium Riser) and one 3X2V (390-406), one set of short cast iron headers (406) and one set of long cast iron headers (427), one set of plain unplated valve covers, one set of plain chrome plated valve covers and one set of chrome plated "Thunderbird" script valve covers, three nice Holley 4160 4V carbs with vacuum secondarys and three Holley 2300 2V carbs.

Except for that you'll get a nice 60-64 Ford Galaxie chassis to use with the older AMT 63½ and 64 Galaxies wich fits with some slight modifications, and the best 9 inch rear end i have seen in a kit so far, you also get a set of Shelby style traction bars, a nice set of Astro Supreme rims, lake pipes and some other nice stuff.

if the engine is a"Hi-Riser" and "Side Oiler" is not that visible in a model, a "hi-riser" is just heads with taller intake ports and matching intake manifold where the ports are straighter and carburators is mounted higher up than stock (as on the Thunderbolt engine), and the "side oiler" has oil gallerys casted to the the lower engine block on the drivers side slightly visible on a real engine, a 427 block should also have the middle three main caps cross bolted and have threaded freeze plugs as did all of Ford's hi-performance engines...but as I said, that's not that visible on a model without looking very close.

These engine was not that common, the 427 side oiler came 1965 so before that it was the regular "top oiler" without the outside oil gallery, the hi-riser was also short lived, it came 1964 but was outlawed by NASCAR 1965 and was replaced with the medium riser head and intake package and faded out.

So you can use the 60 Starliner FE engine and call it what you want.

Håkan, thank you very much for the information on the '60 Starliner. I'll take a look for that model kit. I agree the '64 wasn't a side oiler but, given that it's almost impossible to see the difference once the engine is in the model, I thought I would simplify the discussion by highlighting the more recent engine. Thank you, very much, for your help and model kit hint.

[Force]

Go for the 2 'n 1 Deluxe Kit and I think you will be pleased...I for sure was when I bought mine.

If you can't find one of those then you should try to find the Custom version as it has most of the parts I listed except for the showroom stock engine, I'm not that into the 60 Starliner itself as I think Ford has done better looking Galaxies, but the kit is so good so I've got several of them anyway dedicated as donors for other builds.