Originally Posted by
scambo1
Bar,
You're something of a car guy. I am not a ford guy generally and have been hunting for the right 1955 chevy 2 door post to be my next project. Well, I stumbled upon a 1957 ford 300 2 door without a motor/Trans. I'm considering a 2012 5.0/6speed for it. The body lines and stance on that 57ford absolutely got me.
The plan:
Tumwater, WA
I negotiated a 51 chevy convertible 2 for 1 in the deal...I'll be ebay ing.
I'm finishing a bagged 66 c10 short fleet 350/th350.
Drivetrain thoughts? 427/4 speed? 5.0/6 speed...too much bad stuff on the 4.6
Loving the C10 ... if I only had the garage space.
Do you know me from High School, or something? My DD then was a 57 Ford Custom Sedan, 390, 4 speed. My favorite builds have always been historically correct, "what if" designs. Like an alternate history for cars. The kind of stuff Steve Strope is now famous for.
I built a "what if Ford had the idea of a GTO 10 years before GM?" ... drivetrain was a 390 (called a "Big Block" but actually a medium block) and (I think it was a Muncie 4 speed) and at 9 inch Ford Rear Axle (which you car is probably already sitting on) with a limited slip differential. While not year correct, I stopped at about 1959, since the 60's stuff was another generation of cars (nobody could differentiate the differential, but the rubber that thing would lay down was legendary enough to get my nemisis kicked out of school when he claimed by "work" as his own)
Don't get me wrong, I dream of the new Ford "Coyote" V8's. But frankly a 50's Ford just isn't a good drive with a high reving modern engine which has the volumetric efficiency of a recent Winston Cup motor. The other issue is size. The DOHC heads are ginormous. Probably fit easily in your car, but I'd do a lot of measuring before buying anything. I assume someone has figured out the electronic engine controls and wiring (that would scare me from a 2012 swap). The suspension on 50's Fords was good for its day and robust, but absolutely terrible by modern standards. The most any sane person is going to do is cruise and enjoy the ocassional hellacious burnout. With those limitations in mind, an old school torquemonster like the 390 is going to drive right, sound right and look right.
The other consideration is, what sells? I've not been in the market recently, but the new Coyote v8 crate motor is easily twice thew money an old school engine would be.
Just my humble opinion. Everybody's got cool ideas and maybe I'm too conservative.
Going to the Detroit Auto Show this year? If so, PM me. I'm going to try to get up there to look at the Mustang 350R (my new Contract 2015 goal). Ford had me at "Flat Plane Crank."
