Hot Rods How good can you make a Windsor look?

I prefer the looks of the Ford over the SBC, I always thought the exhaust spacing on the Chevy looked odd, l prefer the symmetrical look of the Ford. Bones

 

I found these old Cal Custom valve covers that I'll use if I keep the engine. They're pretty chunky and minimise that angular look.

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Each to their own man but flakes look pretty damn good on this!

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The 221-260-289-302 were built at the Windsor engine plant. When the 351's came out... Two different ones.... The Windsor and Cleveland names got attached to distinguish between them. So.... The earlier smaller engines are also Windsors.

Then they had to throw the 351M in the mix. No.... M isn't for Michigan, it's for modified.

 

Wow, that Caddy mill is a piece of art! If something like that is your goal I see an engine swap in your future. Maybe you would be better off with a y-block, a rocket , a hemi or nailhead, or you could press the caddy into a sandform, and cast the 351 in it..just kidding. .. I guess you already know it, but I think it is pretty impossible to make your Windsor "50s-period- beautiful"...

 

This doesn't look too shabby to me.............

 

Black cap & wires......always look good. All metal fuel lines add to it.

 

LM14, on the first photo can you tell me the brand and model of headers you are using?
Bill

 

The early cobras and the Shelby mustangs all ran 289 Windsor engines. They looked cool and ran great. Keep the engine in it. Like the other guys are saying there are serious dress up parts available.


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The headers are coated Speedway headers for a 28-34 style frame.
SPark

 

Exactly this.

 

"It looks wrong. I don't know if it's the angular valve covers, the long water pump or the dizzy in the front but it just looks so nineties."

You seem to have found acceptable valve covers, and there is a shorter water pump / timing cover setup available based on late model parts.

You can't do much about the distributor location though.

 

That engine sir is a work of art!

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I just made mine look a little older,used marine valve covers that have nothing stamped on them so I could put stickers on them.

 

You'd be surprised at how many don't know the difference. I swapped a 351W into a '56 2-dr sedan I used to own, didn't even spray-paint-rebuild it, just cleaned it up, late air cleaner and all. Most assumed it was stock.... LOL

 

I'm definitely a 351 w fan.

 

The distributor in the front thing helps keep from rib cage or belly button damage due to the long reach to the rear mounted one in the "other brands". It just seems funny that everyone mentions the distributor out front but are ok with it on the Chrysler engine, the hemi style funny car engine and even the LS1 swap puts a distributor out front when converting to a distributor ignition. It's a weird phobia some have. I don't need schooled on what year what motor came out and what was period correct but my only issue is with the chevy loving crowd is why not just buy a chevy coupe then? And.....for the record......the flathead has the distributor where?.........OUT FRONT.

 

Plenty of great examples have already been posted. I'm partial to the factory Hi-Po 289 look.

Yes, too each their own, but I'll never understand why people adapt other valve covers.

 

I've heard a lot about the FE valve cover conversion but never actually seen one apart from some guy that had used Cobra valve covers.

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I guess I have come full-circle in my old age. By that I mean I have gotten to the point where I really like the look of painted valve covers. Sometimes less is more!

 

I am eventually going to adapt the FE valve covers to the 351 thats going in my 66 F100 when I get the extra money to buy the adapters.

 

If you are going that far and installing a tunnel ram, why not adapt the Cleveland heads to the 302 and make it breathe better. There are a couple of links on our list, and there is a lot of information available from other sources.

https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/302w-to-clevland-heads.443450/

I have worked the ports on the 302 heads, and for the time it took, installing the Cleveland heads would have been an easier way to let it breathe. That is basically what made the Boss 302 such a performer.
Bob

 

Besides the fact that the Cleveland heads aren't 'period correct', that combo doesn't make for a particularly street-friendly power curve. Yeah, they could make big power but you had to be turning above 5K rpm to see it. At lower revs, it'll be down on power compared to good Windsor heads. Particularly with a tunnel ram. Add in the hassle and expense of machine work, intake adaptors and other parts, it'll be almost as cheap to buy a set of aftermarket Windsor heads that'll out-perform the Cleveland everywhere except the very top of the tach.

 

Bad picture but finned covers, early timing cover, Chrome pan, and an era correct to ntake goes a long way.

 

Sorry my post says I have a set of Windsor HEMI heads ! I do NOT ! It was to read I have SEEN one set of Windsor HEMI heads . Again I’m sorry , I was in recovery room with my Mother after surgery . Again I’m sorry , I do not have any HEMI heads . I just pray for gifts .

 

When I pulled the 430 MEL out of a 58 Lincoln, to put in my ‘55 Ford back in the sixties it was painted metal flake green from the factory. Loved the color, but it went away in the vat and the engine got rattle canned. Bones

 

This my crusty F1.

Here is my very dirty 3" stroked 289 Challenger.


I do have these from 1964.

I still have a long way to go but I think this looks much better.

 

the suggestion to put it in the bin is the best iv heard yet...
sure the motor may run strong and hard... sure you could put FE rocker covers on it, cover it with a hood.
At the end of the day its up to you, I would swap the engine out.
All of the above suggestions are the equivalent of a transsexual in my books. you can dress him up but he makes an ugly woman, sure she goes hard... because its a man. or put a skirt on it but underneath its doodle town.