I am venturing on a cobra kit car project this year and I want to build a 351W for it. I am not looking to race the cobra but I would like to build the Windsor so it will have some punch to it. Any suggestions or sources will be greatly appreciated.
Also I live in NY and I am told that I will need to find a Windsor block manufactured between 1969 and 1974 so I won't be required to install emission controls. Any comments or info again will be appreciated.
Make your buildup so that the engine makes peak power under 6000 rpm, Ford rods are weak past that range. I've built a few 351W for myself and they are good engines but they can't handle rpm like a SBC without a rod change (i.e. aftermarket). If you can find them get a set of early heads (69-71), the chamber is smaller so you can build compression and the castings have more meat for porting.
Just my 2 cents, "If" I were doing it and I had to rebuild the motor anyway and if it were to be a street car, I would look into a stroker rotating assembly. They have come down in recent years and you'll end up with around 400 cubes, nice to have on the street.
Get a flat tappet cam with around 220 duration and .500 lift, get some early 351 heads with the 1.85/1.55 valves (if not, you could go for some ported E7TEs which are plentiful on ebay) and a good high rise with a 650. Itll get you about 320hp with good torque without spending a fortune.
the last post gives a good performing eng. ask 10 eng guys and you will get 10 different answers. remember the most important thing is driveability. too much carb and cam does away with the fun you can have with a car like this. remember the kiss principal. keep it simple stupid. oh yes, the 351 rods are good to 7500 rpm with after market bolts. i have over 120 runs on a set. LOL , just one of the 10.
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