You should bring it out to Beaver Springs Dragway in Pennsylvania for the York Nostalgia Nationals in July and the Jalopy Showdown in October! Practically the best nostalgia events out there... -Dean
It's your car, do what cha' want with it, although the FE motor would be my choice as well. Back in the day, a pair of brothers in my hometown took their parents '56 Belair Tudor Sedan into the garage one Fall, and when it saw the light of day in the Spring, it had a flip front end, straight axle, 9-inch rear end and a 425 h.p. 427 out of a '63 Galaxie backed by the Ford's 4-speed. Ran like a striped --- ape. . .until he left the lights on main street one day, lifted the front, let off on it and broke the front axle in the middle of town!! Kinda embarrasing, but neater than hell!!
there is one of these combos running around here in Riverside-gets a lot of double takes at the car shows.
People just post threads like this to piss people off, otherwise they'd just do it and not say anything about it.
I would like to see a FE in the 57 but it's your car so it's alright (sort of not really) I am building a 63 Falcon with a 390 in it, not a you know what in it.................
Putting a Chevy in an early Ford ( 20's - 30's) is one thing, but in a 50's - 60's Ford, it begs to ask why. Just too many stout Fords around to consider a Chevy. Go get a 390, 427, 428, 460, or whatever as long as it is a blue oval engine.
The '57 ford is one of the best looking cars ever made. The car has history to you, do what you will, but the FE motors are still plentiful. Just because you have a big chev motor kicking around doesn't mean you have to use it. You have the opportunity to build a really cool nostalgia car, or another hacked up classic that screams 'redneck'.
I wonder if everyone would be raising such a fuss if you were putting a Hemi in it? "Built Ford tough with Chevy stuff."
Customline Vicky, i really don't care what you think. A big block chevy is a great engine that I know something about and have extras in case I blow one up racing. I know nothing about Ford engines. If I had extra 428's around that would also be a different story. It's a hot rod, you use what you have to go fast. Does the '57 Pontiac rear end make you mad too? Larry T, the car was raced at Faxon, Springer and Lawton. I believe he used a 427 block with a 428 crank. I'm not sure where the cubic inches would be in such a set up. On the inside, there was a hand throttle that he would use to get the rpm's at the same spot every time when he launched. The '57 Pontiac rear end has home made floating axles, but I am not sure if I am going back with that one.
Good lookin car, Will be good to see it back on the track. I'd put a chevy motor in it without hesitation. Good luck with the build can't wait to see it with that big rat. Gary
We raced at LA Dragway in Faxon quite a bit in the 70's/80's. Now Jim has a house in the pits and the last time I was by there, there were greenhouses in the staging lanes. I think the 428/427 combo gives you 454 cubic inches, so no big change. (G) Larry T
57 ford is one of the best looking mid 50,s cars good luck with it and i,m glad to see your a real hot rodder and put what you like in your car
what a weird bunch of responses. all these people so concerned about what motor you put in your car, yet no one offering to pay for the buildup of a big block Ford.
In the 70's, the car used to be a real light blue, almost white. It's a shame that track got closed up.
If you don't care what I think then you shouldn't care what I say. You're not the first one on here's that has done something that riles some (most) of us, so go ahead and do your thing, in the whole scheme of things it really doesn't make a rats ass to me. It's just another one of those rides like I see at car shows etc and once I see a Chevy motor in it I just keep on walkin'. OBTW, none of it makes me mad, I just think it's all sort of goofy. And if you had a 428 laying around, according to you, you still wouldn't know anything about a Ford.
Customline Vicky, I was really worried what you and others thought about me putting a big block chevy in my family's race car. Also, this car will never be at a car show as this is not a show car, its a race car. Last time I checked, race cars are supposed to be fast, going fast costs money (which I don't have a lot of) and I already have a nice engine, so thats what I'm using.
You "Family's Race Car" didn't have a Chevy motor in it. If that's what you've got and you're gonna do it no matter what, then do it. It really is no concern of ours. Why post it on here in the first place?
I have donated a 460/C-6 to another project to keep a chevy motor from being put in a ford and would do it again.
Build it with whatever you have available. Put together the combination of car and parts you like the best. Don't worry about all the "purists". I've built some odd combinations too.
Customline vicky, a million other hot rods didn't come out with nailhead buicks, hemis, 303 olds, small block chevies, or big block chevies. It is a RACE car, not a correct numbers matching 57 Ford show car. Had this car not have had the fenderwells hacked out, tubs for slicks, aluminum plating for door panels, a hold cut in the hood, no way would I put a Chevy engine in it. I posted this hot rod for people to see because that is what this website is about. You should really go find another hobby if you don't like hot rods. In your case, I would recommend golf or knitting.
Christ ... seems like every thread i look at latley turns into a slap and hairpull contest. Who gives a shit what he runs for an engine. Its a cool car!
Get your pantie's in a bunch guy- +1 that says it should stay ford (or go w/a 426+ hemi). I thought long and hard about putting a chevy in my '57, but the bottom line is, if you ever have to SELL IT, race-car or not, people will pay more dollar $ign$ if it's still got a ford heart. Racecar/custom, whatever. And think how much knowledge you will gain working on an engine "you aren't familiar with", learning more about different motors will make you more of a gearhead, less of a "well-I-hadta-do-it-this-way-cuz-thats-all-I-know" type fella, Message boards are all about OPINIONS, if you don't want to hear these opinions, why post?
Cool car!! Here's my dad's '57 with a stroked 542 c.i. Cad motor in it. I hope it inspires you to continue to do whatever you want to with it and let the negative opinions of others fly by as you hammer it down the ol' 1320!!!
Good looking Ford! I bet that Cadillac engine fills up that engine bay! What manifolds or headers did you run?
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