55 T-bird first ride with new 302!

Just took the Bird for a spin with the new full roller 302 and T5!

Motor is a 69 302 with ported stock heads, roller cam (Comp XE276HR 224/230 @ .050 and .513 lift I/E 100 LSA), RR and factory (over the counter in 1964) tri power. Previous motor was a stock 289 4v with C4. When my Dad first built the car in 1975 he put in a hot 260 with the tri power and C4. This 302 with T5 makes those previous motors seem like kindergarten!

Was a long road to finish this motor because the first cam we put in it (comp flat tappet) wipped out the whole motor. So we tore it down and ordered a roller cam, new rebuild kit washed it and reassembled it. The roller cam has a awesome noticable idle and great of manners on the street! We are extreamly happy with how everything came out.

As for the colors We wanted it to have that factory Y-block look so we went with the ford red and black valve covers (with "Thunderbird V8" decals on the way). We are going to polish the aircleaner lid as well. Still a few things left untill we are totally finished though.

 

yo, check it out!

 

Sweet! I'm a fan of the 302, I have an 88 roller motor in my '59 'Bird, and the same in my sons '68 'Stang convert. They're great, and look great in a Ford!

 

Forget making it look like one, swap #8 and #2 plug wires and it might sound like a Y.

 

The cam we put in is a 351W retrofit roller cam. One of the major things we wanted was the 351W firing order because we like the smooth sound it has compared to the 289 firing order.

 

Let's see some photos of the whole car !!!

 

Nice work can't wait to see the whole car!

 

This is how it has looked for the last 29 years. He finished it right before I was born, they wanted to bring me home from the hospital in it but it rained that day. Some years later I would drive it to prom.

If you are wondering why it sits a little high for a T-bird its because it was a drag car before my dad got it in the mid 70's. Kind of worked out having the rear raised for slicks because the lightweight SBF and aluminum trans brought up the front from having that heavy Y-block and cast iron ford O matic.

 

Very nice. I like to see non-port hole tops. Many of the non-port hole tops had port holes cut into them making the non-port hole tops more and more rare.

My dad has a 1957 E-Bird with non-port hole top.

Mike