351 c

[Jimbo1965]

Just curious if anyone knows why the Cleveland series does not get much play in these FF roadsters?
Those engines are awesome power plants.....not even any options (that I noticed anyway) from FF to put one in.

[aspbite]

I think the 351c engines are perfect for these cars. Who needs a ton of low end torque in a 2200 lb car? (351c engine have a pretty respectable torque curve) To me a high revving engine just screams cobra. The biggest deterrent used to be the header cost, but there is a company that will build a set for virtually the same $ as small block headers. Motor mounts, bell housing, etc. all the same as small block ford. As far as building costs go I have been stock piling and searching for deals for many years before purchasing my kit, and have about 6k in parts to build a 450 ish hp engine. These engines were designed for high performance and at that hp range are pretty bullet proof. A 5.0 motor at that power level is pretty much a grenade. Not to mention the sound.

[Jimbo1965]

Thanks for the replies!
As a child, I remember going for a ride in our neighbors new BOSS 351 Mustang with my Dad.
The acceleration getting on the freeway felt like we were in a commercial jet accelerating down the runway taking off.
I think that was the Key life moment that sparked my interest in Hot Rods.
:)
Also the reason my blood went from red to Blue.

:)

[skullandbones]

If you really want something that will perform on par with the C engine you might consider a set of raised port heads and the requisite intake. That way you could stay with the W design and still have a unique high performance setup. However, it is still more exotic than staying with cheaper and more driver friendly engine types. Personally, I'd love to build an engine with Nascar like heads but the budget does not seem realistic at all. Then reality jerks you back when someone says, "what do you plan on doing with this thing".

Good luck,

WEK.

[walt mckenna]

My dream roadster would have had a Boss 302 motor from a 69 or 70 Mustang (I owned a 69 Boss 302 and sold it to my lifelong regret).

When the time finally came to build my roadster, I looked at buying an old Boss motor and sourcing all of the other parts separately, but my budget would not allow me to go that route. I ended up with an 04 Mach 1 donor which give me about the same power but with the manners of a grocery getter (If my old Boss was not warmed up and I switched my lights on, the alternator drag would almost kill the engine).

From time to time, I wish that I had stuck with my original idea and suffered a cost overrun on my budget. If you can afford to put a C motor in your car, do it.

[RCJones]

CLEAVOR...Best of both worlds...All Ford!