How the Greatest V8 Engine Was Created in Just 90 Days

In 1964, two American automotive giants were locked in the most expensive fight for racing supremacy ever seen. Chrysler had just unleashed their legendary 426 Hemi, and Ford had responded with something that had never been done before. 616 horsepower, a six-foot-long timing chain, and enough raw power to get it banned from NASCAR before it ever turned a wheel in competition. This is the story of Ford's greatest engine, the one they called the Camer. But to understand how this engineering marvel changed American motorsports forever, we need to go back, back to where it all began. Now, if you're into legendary engines and motorsport history, you know what you need to do. Like and subscribe for more videos just like this one, and hit that bell icon to get notified when we upload next. It was called the 90-day wonder, Ford's greatest engine, the Camer. Born for NASCAR, banned before its time, but destined to become a legend on the quarter mile. Some say if they'd built a stronger block, the history of drag racing might have been different. But one thing's certain, in just 90 days, Ford created an engine that would be remembered for the next 50 years and counting. And this wasn't just any engine, it was so powerful that NASCAR banned it before it ever hit the track. 50 years ago, it was celebrated as Ford's finest engine. It continues to be called the 90-day wonder, and more frequently, the Camer. It's the 427 Ford single overhead cam, known as the SOC. Derived from Ford's 427 cubic inch side oiler block, it was designed to be Ford's two valve single overhead cam high RPM response to Chrysler's 426 Hemi for NASCAR in 1964. However, competing with these specially designed engines transformed stock cars into non-stock cars, leading to a scenario that NASCAR sought to prevent. It prohibited special racing engines aiming to prevent the Hemi and Camer. Chrysler abstained from the 1965 season in protest, whereas Ford persisted with its Camer-free 427 cubic inch wedge, which it had been employing in NASCAR for a few years. But what exactly is the SOC? Well, basically, it's a two valve single overhead cam modification of Ford's 427 CI-FE V8. The engine heads were mainly made of cast iron, although aluminum heads became available later and featured a roller chain cam drive utilizing a six foot long timing chain. Opting for chain drive instead of a gear drive system reduced both development time and expenses, yet it raised timing discrepancies due to the chain's tendency to stretch when under load. This led to the necessity of adjusting the cam timing from one side of the engine to the other in order to compensate for the chain slack. As the chain turns in a single direction, the cams likewise turn in that direction, causing one cam to rotate toward the intake follower while the other moves away from it. To address this issue, each bank needs an individual camshaft where one mirrors the other, ensuring that the opening and closing ramps are accurately positioned. In addition to the distinctive upper section, the FE block received updated oiling and incorporated cross-bolted main bearing caps to manage the higher RPM these engines would experience. The cam bore in the block now housed an idler gear shaft that rotated the distributor and oil pump. The heads included completely machined combustion chambers. Both inner and outer springs were installed on the stainless steel intake and sodium-filled exhaust valves, which were activated by roller rockers mounted on the shaft. Initial prototypes featured spark plugs positioned at the base of the head, believed to improve spark distribution. Ford engineers discovered no distinction in placing plugs at the top or bottom, so in subsequent engines, they positioned them at the top for convenient access. In its standard single carbureted form, the engine produced 616 horsepower at 7,000 RPM and 515 pound-feet of torque at 3,800 RPM as per Ford's factory specifications. Now here's where Ford did something that shocked everyone in Detroit. NASCAR's engine ban placed Ford in a situation where it had an advanced racing engine, but no racing opportunity. The creation and funding that Ford Engine and Foundry Division put into making the camera parts necessitated that the engine be utilized, so with finished components in stock, Ford took the camera drag racing. Ford offered engine agreements to Pete Robinson in Atlanta, Kenz and Leslie in Colorado, Connie Kalita in Michigan, Tom Hoover in Minnesota, and Lou Baney in California. It's great how Ford evenly distributed the SOC enthusiasm throughout the nation. Now this would have constituted a present from the speed deities had Ford created the engine specifically for drag racing. However, Ford assigned the drag racers the responsibility of enhancing the Speedway engine for quarter-mile applications. The only method to determine its performance would be to execute it. Due to his nearness to Dearborn and his status as a leading drag racer, Connie Kalita was the first to attempt to unravel the enigma of the SOC. Issues with the connecting rod plagued development from the beginning. However, Ford's intuition regarding Kalita may have been accurate as he was the first individual to reach 200 miles per hour at an AHRA event in 1965. Do you remember that 750 horsepower limit? Well, Ed Pink was about to triple it. Ed Pink was assigned to fix the Baney dragster, first driven by Tom McEwan and later by Don Prudhomme. Pink stated that the issue with the camera wasn't the chain. That was a problem he resolved with crommely links, but rather with the block. Quote, This engine was meant to handle maybe 750 horsepower, and we were getting 2500 horsepower out of it, Pink said. He would elaborate by saying, We would be lucky to get four runs for qualifying and four eliminations from a block. If we did, the crank would be laying in the bottom of a broken up block. He continued by saying, Obviously starting with an existing block cut development time by plenty, but the block was never developed further for drag racing once the decision was made to go in that direction. If someone would have developed a stronger aftermarket block, the history of top fuel racing might have been different. End quote. However, Pink's crommely chains did not fully resolve the issues with timing chains. The chain represented another compromise in terms of time and expense as it was less expensive and required less time to design than a gear drive system. Throughout the camera's brief four-year drag racing run, the real issue was consistently at the bottom end. Pete Robinson expressed concerns about oiling issues that forced him to change mains and rods after each pass. For months, he worked on improving and extending oiling, finding that modifying the 426 Hemi oiling system for the camera, along with the Hemi's main bearings, enhanced engine durability. Now what I want you to do is picture this. 130 wins, 10 losses, and one secret project that almost nobody knows about. 1966 was the year Ford's single overhead cam engine dominated funny car racing. In Mercury's machines, it won an incredible 86% of races entered, with dyno Don Nicholson posting a stunning 130 in 10 record. Then, Ford tried one last experiment. The Super Mustang, a secret sock-powered dragster meant to revolutionize the sport. Despite Connie Kalita building the engine and Tom McEwan behind the wheel, it was a disaster. Even with its innovative camera engine, the Super Mustang ran a full second slower than its competitors. After a handful of disappointing appearances, Ford quietly retired it, a rare misstep in the sock's otherwise legendary story. So now if we go back to reality, the sock collection persisted in establishing its reputation. Sneaky Pete Robinson won the 1966 NHRA World Championship with his dragster powered by a camera engine. Dyno Don Nicholson experienced a successful season with his Cyclone Comet, which carried on into the 1967 season as AFX progressed from using original bodies to employing tube chassis with fiberglass lift-off bodies. Logie Stamping, located in nearby Fraser, Michigan, supplied ladder-type tubular chassis for the cars powered by sock engines. In 1967, Kalita emerged unexpectedly to claim victory at the NHRA Winter Nationals, followed by the AHRA Winter Nationals the subsequent week, and ultimately the NASCAR Winter Championships in Deland, Florida. Completing a quarter mile in 6.81 seconds at 219 miles per hour, he would remain with the sock from 1966 to 1970. Prudhomme piloted the Baney Dragster for two years, capturing the first six-second NHRA National Event victory with it. Other sock dragsters closely pursuing were Jim Cooks, piloted by Bob Mureves, also known as Floyd Lippincott Jr., Tom Hoover's short-tail long-tail, and subsequently Chuck Griffith. In 1969, Danny Ungais triumphed in nearly every race he participated in with Mickey Thompson's sock Mustang Funny Car, while Dyno Don Nicholson clinched victory at the 1971 Winter Nationals with a camera-powered Maverick in the newly-established no-handicap pro-stock category. Just when the camera seemed unstoppable, Ford made a decision that still baffles enthusiasts today. However, the end of the camera was slowly approaching. As resources, financing, and enthusiasm from Ford diminished simultaneously, many of the cameras were swapped out for the reliable 426 cubic inch Chrysler Hemi's. One person who didn't agree was Pete Robinson. Recognized for his work in weight reduction, early electronics, and aerodynamics, he believed that the overhead cam setup was more suitable for nitro drag racing compared to Chrysler's Hemi, and he persisted in experimenting with and racing it. At that time, top fuel elapsed times were improving with Chrysler's Elephant engines, and upcoming were Art Donovan's 417CI Hemi in 1972, Keith Black's 426-based Hemi, and John Rodeck's aluminum big-block Chevy engine in 1974. And naturally, by that time, Ford had a new Hemi head modified to fit one of its existing production blocks. A new boss arrived, the Boss 429, and it was built on the 460CI production block. Ford fully committed to the new 429, eager to set aside its past knowledge for what the company aspired to achieve. Regrettably, the 429 turned out to be significantly inferior to the icon it succeeded. NASCAR had ultimately approved the camera. The original prohibition on special racing engines on October 19, 1964 did not mark the conclusion of Ford's efforts to persuade NASCAR to allow the camera. Ford kept pushing NASCAR to permit the camera for the 1966 season, yet in December of 1965, NASCAR prohibited it again. In April 1966, NASCAR changed its decision, albeit with certain conditions. The engine was restricted to full-sized Galaxies and featured only a single tiny four-barrel carburetor. However, the disadvantage came from the weight handicap the sock Fords had to bear compared to the Dodge and Plymouth Hemis, 430 pounds. With that, the camera was to become a drag racing only effort. Now, the camera's story didn't end with NASCAR's 430-pound penalty. Ford simply walked away, and their 90-day wonder became the stuff of drag racing legend. Sure, engines like the Boss 429 came after, but none could match what a team of Ford engineers created in just three months in 1964. 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