Head choices

[ScotiaFE]

I will bring this to your attention now.
The late model heads ie: C7, C8 and D2 have a lower exhaust port than
the earlier heads. It can be an issue with some header fits so that is something to keep in mined.
C7 heads suck so I don't really consider them good for anything really.

[Falcon67]

That's going to be the thing with older iron units.  If you can find a decent pair ready to use or in need of little work, then you can save some money.  If you are starting from scratch and have some good level of performance in mind, modern aluminum head assemblies are going to be way more cost effective.  I was going to spend close to $1200 on basic performance prep to run a set of 351C-4V iron heads.  That wasn't counting the other mods in the plan - just some basic machine work, decking, etc.  I already have valves.  For $1600 I bought a set of aluminum heads that do every thing the iron heads could do and more, without all the extra work.   For engines like the SBF, it pretty much makes no sense to use any old iron head unless it's a total resto project. 

I'm an Indian, all right; but here in the nation they call us the "civilized tribe". They call us "civilized" because we're easy to sneak up on. White men have been sneaking up on us for years.

[My427stang]

I will bring this to your attention now.
The late model heads ie: C7, C8 and D2 have a lower exhaust port than
the earlier heads. It can be an issue with some header fits so that is something to keep in mined.
C7 heads suck so I don't really consider them good for anything really.

This is a serious point.  I built my D2s because I already owned ceramic coated truck headers with the low port.  If I hadn't had them, I would have likely gone Edelbrock

Need to make sure you match the head to the header or the header to the head

[ChiefDanGeorge]

No headers yet. It's so tight on the passenger sides shock tower I am worried about finding a set that will fit in there.

[Heo]

Use s set of factory castiron shorty
Headers they fit last a lifetime dont
Leak and are reprodused IF you dont
Find a used set

[ChiefDanGeorge]

Who reproduces the shorty cast iron headers? I've talked to this guy and he says his shorty header will fit.

[Heo]

I dont remember but i have seen
Them on eBay
I think there was a pair in the
Classified on this forum a while ago

[ChiefDanGeorge]

Doing some searching shows no one is reproducing cast iron ones anymore. Someplace called Pops was but is out of business.
Original cast iron headers are going to have to match to early heads aren't they?

[Heo]

Yes they are for the early style
Exhaust ports.
I dont know how much lower
the new port is but in My 64
Galaxie there seems to be
Plenty of space down from
The headers
The problem i can think of
Is maby the pitman arm

[ScotiaFE]

Port Locations.
The exhaust port on a later head is about 1/4" lower than the early head exhaust port.
Some pics to give you an idea of what it looks like.

[turbohunter]

Here's what it looks like overlapped.
With gaskets from the right company SCE. 

[ScotiaFE]

I prefer the flat coppers to the embossed ones.
Do they make flat ones?

[turbohunter]

Heh heh
I was just pokin' fun atchya.
My brother and Hussey are/were direct competitors in the copper arena.
I'll text him about flats.
All that's in the catalog that I see are the embossed.

[ScotiaFE]

Hussey is not in the gasket business anymore.

[turbohunter]

Thought I remembered something about that, thus the "are/were".
Anyway I'll ask Ryan if there's a pn for flats that's not readily findable in the FE section and pm you Howie.
Hope all is well with you and yours.