New Members - Introduce Yourselves Here!

[BruceS]

Scott and all,
I took an easy way and used repro small block hipo exhaust manifolds port-matched to the Roush 200 heads.  Then I sent them to Jet-Hot and had them coated a dark gray to look like cast iron... Without doing the coating, in the Houston climate they would look like balls of rust in no time!  Stainless bolts from ARP too.  Bet that coating would work well on the FE cast headers!

[fast Ed]

I had popped in a few weeks ago with an intake / carb question, but missed the newbie thread here!

My name is Ed Nicholson, I live in Caledon Ontario, which is about 30 minutes NW of Toronto.  Been playing with cars for 30+ years now, and I have been a Ford dealer parts guy for just over 20 years.  This is my first FE-powered ride, a 66 Thunderbird Town Hardtop.  It has the base engine, which was the 390-4V Z code unit, all stock at this point.  Car is a nice solid cruiser that was brought up from California, around 10 years ago according to the previous owner.  It needs a full cosmetic resto to be super nice, for now it's just a good driver. 





First "mod" to the 390 is going to be these Moon valve covers that I picked up, and did some detailing on:



I had been thinking about a multi-carb intake to add some underhood eye candy, but have been pretty much talked out of using one of the old school aftermarket castings.  I guess if a good deal on an OEM Thunderbird 3x2 intake comes my way, I'll have to jump on it!


cheers
Ed

[jayb]

Those are cool valve covers, and would look good with the oval air cleaner on top of the tripower setup.  Good luck on the search...

[fast Ed]

For now, to go on the 4V Autolite I have an air cleaner like this Edelbrock piece, but a no-name without the logo:

[chilly460]

Another new guy here.  I've been on the Network54 FE site for a long time, don't post much but check it frequently.  After seven years (long story there) finally got my '63 Marauder on the road with quite a bit of help.  Hoping to work out the bugs in the next few months and have a decent street car for the summer.  Original Z code/auto car, converted to T10 for now as I got a great package deal on all the conversion parts.  Running the original 3.00 rear now, going to be putting together a Trak Lok with used 3.50s in a standard carrier after I finish moving and pop them in to see how they work. 

Car was a mess, the RF fender, R door, both rockers, and both quarters have been replaced.  Not very "original" in any way, or valuable, so decided to set it up with an early/mid '60s street style.  Running a '78 LTD disc brake setup in front, but otherwise stock suspension, PS, manual brakes. 

Motor consists of:
.030" 390 105 block
750DP
Performer RPM
Edelbrocks 60069 with some bowl work and valve job.  It's been too long to remember details, but they flow right at 270/195 @ .600" as I recall
Comp 270H 224/224 .519/.519 installed at 106ICA on 110LSA
9.5:1 with TRW forged pistons (model no. not handy)
Stock crank and rods with ARP bolts
Canton windage tray with stock pan
MSD Distributor and 6A ignition
FPA 1 3/4" tri y's to non-mandrel 2.5" exhaust

Still finalizing wheels/tires.  Cragars on their now are OK, but also have a set of Torque Thrusts for it, will likely end up 275/60/15, so basically 28" tire.  Car had worn out springs in it and now with the new springs the front tires are too short, going to a 225/75/15. 






Goal is to be a reliable street car.  Hoping it can go low 13s, possibly high 12s in good air.  Probably ambitious but we'll see, definitely will take a lot of tuning/tweaking from where it is now. 

Will be asking a bunch of questions as I get to work on the little remaining items, great forum you guys have here!!

[ScotiaFE]

Nice Marauder!
Best name ever for a car or pretty much anything.

[jayb]

That is a good looking car, all right.  Love the Cragars S/S wheels on '60s cars...

[mtburger]

Hello All, Mike Howard here. I am a registered member on several of the Ford forums, and the HAMB. I use the same name on all of them, and I generally do not post much unless I have first hand, on topic info, but I do read a ton.

I have several projects in various states of build or completion, and really enjoy the time I get to spend in my Barn with them and my buddies.

This is my current FE project, and as with the rest of my projects, I take a great deal of pride in doing most all my own work, (although I have had one professionally built Cleveland engine done for me in the past).

It is a 69 Cougar XR7 I bought in 85 and drove as a daily driver for a couple years before breaking it down to make a hot street car out of. That was prior to getting married, which sidelined the project for about 15 years. It is now back on track, and I have collected a nice set of tunnel port heads and  2x4 intake for it, along with a pile of NOS items before they became impossible to find like the complete grill, most all of the chrome, and a NOS quarter panel that I sawed up so the tires would fit.

Thanks for the space, Mike H.

[Falcon67]

Howdy from west Texas, y'all.  Not much to tell here - we're a his-n-hers bracket race family with a couple of pretty decent play cars.  No FEs in the house but I've followed Jay's work from the other FE list.  Keeping up with what people are doing is always good because you never know what tidbit of info might apply to what you are doing.  I typically run 351C stuff but that's getting scarce around here. We'll see.  My car has the spare 302 in it now because the last C came apart after two race seasons.   I'm considering modding the Falcon to take a 400 block so I can reuse the good heads and some of the other parts at least.  We moved in the winter of 2010 and 2011~2012 was spend building a new work shop, so no car stuff got done at all.  Spent all the money, so maybe next year    I'd like to do the 4 door a bit like what Mike is doing to the Cougar.  Spent my allowance for the next 3-4 years on the shop, so...sometime!

His:

Hers:


Shop build thread at Garage Journal:
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=100482

[jayb]

Welcome, Chris.  Pretty cool cars, but I like hers better...

[Falcon67]

Of course - then you'll be pleased to know that hers is also faster. 

[390 Cougar Conv]

This is my first text.  Found this site last nite.  Enjoyed reading about all the troubles everyone else has and the solutions all you respond too. I am building a 69 Merc Cougar XR7 GT390 Convertable. Have had the car for 19 yrs. Have put 35000 miles on it and havent drove it for 8 yrs. Did the real stupid thing to it.  Had the oil changed and put synthics oil in and 700 miles the cam went flat.
Thats when I learned about Zinc the and Phosporus not being in the oil anymore. Lifes a hard lesson.  Oh well.

For the last 2 yrs I have been building the 390 with new parts and I am in the assembly stage. Had the block squared and parelled and the machinist had to remove .023 off the top. now I have a new problem pistons stick out .015, .018, .016, .012 on both sides are the same so the machinist did his job. Now I will have the pistons shaved to try for .040 quinch. Then its time to check piston to valve clearence.

Have Edel. heads and intake T&D roller rockers Crane roller cam Speed Pro forged pistons Eagle rods stock 2U cast steel crank and much more. thanks for reading.  Clifford

[dubsan]

New guy here
Met Ross in Huskerland a couple months ago. Was back in Omaha visiting family and attending the huskers last home game. Wanted to meet the guy that is such a great contributor to this and the Fe Ford forum.  Unfortunately  his BBstang  was retired for the winter and out of sight.
Car wise I have  a couple of projects.
Found a 68 FB S code  4 speed at an estate auction couple of years ago. Only 6 guys showed up for the car portion of the auction as all  the gals were inside bidding of sticks, dishes et all.   Runs and drives great needs some tlc on paint and interior  but lucked out in that its a rust free car save the cancer spots next to the front shock towers.  Had  128 K, factory 4 speed, had NOT  been screwed with, came with bench seat and 8 K  tach dash.  No 2 stang is an S code 68 convert found  with no drivetrain  except rear end.  Paint all faded  down to primer and top full of holes.  Have found  a good 390 and toploader  with FPAs, Edel heads intake and water pump.   Cosmetics easy but costly to mend once I get my two daughters out of College(3 years)  Until then I need to be very creative finding funds to play with for the Stangs

[My427stang]

Larry, good to have you here!

So much for our warm Nebraska winter though, had to buy a torpedo heater for the garage to finish the truck!

Talk to you soon - Ross

[MikeP]

Hi, New guy here from PA. After a few years of small and big block fox bodies. I figured it was time to jump into a FE project. Picked up a 2 owner 59 Edsel Ranger, 292 3 speed car. Current plan is a  mild 390 with a T-10 to work the bugs out.