Photo: Final Gear

Introduced in 1964 to fight the rising “HEMI tide” in NASCAR racing, the Ford 427 Cammer engine had a bumpy start and ignominious finish in that circle of racing. Based on the 427 side-oiler block, Ford replaced the in-block cam with an idler shaft and designed a new set of cylinder heads for the Cammer.

Designed as a racing engine, Ford made them available over the counter. Anyone could order a version with a single, 4-bbl carburetor that was rated at 616 hp at 7,000 rpm, or a dual quad version that delivered 657 hp at 7.500 rpm. These engines were available for around $2,350 each.

Successful NASCAR protests by Chrysler ended the hopes of a showdown at the 1965 Daytona 500 between the 426 HEMI “Elephant Motor” and the 427 SOHC “Cammer.” To this day, the Cammer remains the only engine ever banned by NASCAR. Regardless, the Cammer would go on to make a name of its own on drag racing, particularly in Factory Experimental and Top Fuel entries.

Now, Keith Craft Racing Engines is making a modern version of the infamous Cammer available. with a few twists. Starting with a Pond Motorsports all-aluminum, side oiler engine block, they machine it and add a forged 4340 alloy crankshaft, Eagle 4350 steel H-beam connecting rods, custom Cammer pistons from Mahle, along with Bill Coon’s cammer cylinder heads. Additional internal components read like a Who’s Who list from the performance aftermarket.

Fitted with dual quads, the engine is reported to pump out 761 horsepower and 622 ft-lb of torque in streetable trim. If you have a special project starting up, this could be just the powerplant to set it apart from the masses. Mind you, none of this comes at a discount. You’ll need to allow six months build time and carve $38K out of your Piggy bank, but you can count on a lot of discussion when people find out what you’re packing.