![]() NTX5467 Edited Januby NTX5467 (see edit history) Many local and national clubs, too! You might check them out and possibly attend one of their national events to get some ideas and talk to owners. There's always been strong support for Early Birds with respect to repair/replacement parts, even body parts. Seems like there's a website "For Y-blocks Only"? Do a google search for "Ford Y-block" and you'll be surprised what you might find. The larger base diameter of the lifter gives it a lift curve similar to a roller lifter cam in other engines. ![]() The Ford Y-block uses "mushroom" flat tappet valve lifters. It might be a higher percentage reduction! In some respects, the 50% price reduction might be a little light, when compared to an Amos Mintor-restored T-bird. No real problem with parts, that I'm aware of. The transmission, although "Ford", was really "Borg-Warner". Other thing would be a more modern version of the Holley 4bbl, or an add-on throttle body fuel injection system which would hide under the stock air cleaner. What you might consider, would be some type of electronic ignition system to replace the point system. Problem was that they just didn't how to harness the many design features, which was not figured out until later years. The Y-block Ford engine was very advanced for its time. I was trying to think if the Dual Range Cruise-o-Matic was out in '57?. Or you can use manual "L" and then upshift manually. In "D", it starts in second gear, but if you floor it, it kicks down into low gear if the speed is slow enough. You might not know it, but if you have a "Ford-o-matic", it's actually a three speed automatic. Flat tappets? Just use some of the newer "hot rod" oils in it, even "diesel-rated" oil with more zddp than normal oils have in them. Better oils, better detergent packges, etc. I suspect that if you have a rebuilt Y-block, use modern oil in it, you'll not have the issues that were present back when they were just "used cars". I was surprised! Especially at the power people claimed for some normal engine parts upgrades. I did some research on what's out there for Ford Y-blocks a few months ago. If you just want a nice old 'Bird you can drive regularly, use what you've got and add some appropriate upgrades when you're rebuilding it. ![]() Unless you specifically want to build a full custom car, don't do an engine swap. Isn't that more interesting than a lame 5.0 with a carburetor? Or if you want more highway-friendly manners, a stock 312 Y-block with an AOD transmission and a set of taller 3.50 gears might make it feel quicker without fundamentally changing the car's personality, and it's a modification that is completely invisible until you're under the car. They had good power back then and you could have a lot of fun with an otherwise pretty stock 'Bird. Now, that said, I'd consider building a strong Y-block and doing something the an E-Bird dual quad setup or even an F-Bird supercharger. Think about it, what would you rather buy: a car that was built and engineered by the Ford factory or a car that was built and engineered by some home mechanic in his garage? Which one? How is it wired? What's the part number? A "build book" with all of these details will help build confidence. Oh, the voltage regulator is bad, but the builder used one from a later car. Nothing worse than a modified car with a long list of mystery parts on it. If you do it, document everything so that a future owner who has to repair the car knows what parts you used. A modified car, regardless of how well done, will have a much smaller potential market and you'll have to convince those buyers that you didn't do hack work putting the engine in there. Stock Thunderbirds are a known quantity with good club and parts support, and you can buy good ones for $25-30,000 all day long. Such a car will be VERY hard to sell if that day ever comes and you will likely need to discount it a significant amount to unload it (I don't think 50% is a crazy number). I agree with the others who say that dropping some garden-variety late-model V8 will hurt the car's value, and, more critically its marketability. Sure, it can be done, but depending on your technical acumen, it's a long road and you'll spend more money on little stuff (engine mounts, wiring, transmission mount, custom driveshaft, linkages, radiator, oiling system, etc.) than you'd spend rebuilding the engine that's already in there, which IS a bolt-in. It's a huge project just to get the engine in there, never mind running and driving properly. There's no such thing as a "bolt in" engine swap unless you're changing from one type of Y-block to another.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |