"breaking the Bank" ?? You simply need to make a budget for it and do some checking around for what it takes to build XXX HP you can afford out of a 292. call Ted Eaton in Texas or Tim McMaster in CA. And yes a 292 was available in a 57 bird. I've only seen one at Tbird Nats several years ago.
We owned a 63 unibody. I installed a 430 Lincoln engine and auto trans. It was a 2 bbbl engine. with the 389 rear gears it easily smoked the tires. I changed the pumpkin to a set of 325 gears and it still smoked the tires.
I know where there is a 292 4bbl '57 Bird, restored numbers matching car. I guess for proof that a '57 Bird could be had with anything aside from a 4bbl 312 one would just need to go back to old sales brochures. Or find old optional packages that could be ordered.
292 2barrel did come on the T'bird. I know because I have a C 'bird. It was the base car. The only factory options in mine were radio, heater, and power seat. Had a 3 speed w/o overdrive, no power brakes or steering. Been mine since 1971. And yes you can make the power you want. Contac Leslie in Australia @ ybloke for one of his 471 blower manifolds, they are top quality and gorgeous!
fandoc, glad for your reply. I new I had seen one or heard of them. Thanks for the confirmation. All kinds of ways to order a car back in those days.
If one is going down under for Y block parts the real deal is the custom head that they make down there. They make your Y block accept a 302 top end parts, it really opens up your possibilities for induction and from what I have been told they breath like late model without any port work what so ever. Well then it won't be a Y block. think of it like putting Ardun heads on a flattie.
When i put the Y block head on my Plymouth, I noticed that 8 of the bolt holes were the same as a Small Block Ford head. Valve sequence was different, so you would need a special cam, But it looked very doable at home.
My first car was a 56 Ford custom 2 dr short trim no sun visor pass side that my folks bought in 57 . It was a 245 HP 312 3 speed In 1961 I replaced the top end with parts from a 57 312 heads and intake and distributor. If your 57 T bird had a 2 barrel it was a 292.
My '57 Merc hardtop with the factory(lincoln) 368(Y_BLOCK) motor beat my friends 365HP, 1965 stingray one nite in 1965.
Read the April 2016 issue of Hot Rod... If I remember correctly, there were two Yblock motors in the build off that made over 500hp
What's better than a Y-block? If one wanted to have period correct horsepower with torque, can't go wrong with the 462" Lincoln. One of these BIG Y-blocks was the NHRA Top Eliminator back in that day. jack vines[/QUOTE] Rodney Singer and Karol Miller ( yes the same y- block king from Bonneville and Daytona) in 1960 with the fuel ban in effect. Front blown (Potvin like) Lincoln. Karol still wears his championship ring proudly.
1956 had dual quads available over the Ford dealer parts counter. Recommended for 312 stick and overdrive trans put could be installed on any V8 engine. Part # B6A-9000-B. In 1957 dealerships could not sell these and discounted the kit to $200. Still could not get rid of these obsolete parts. Find and buy one now.
You can find the factory 2X4 intakes at around 3-400 dollars at swap meets.I am using adaptors to run edelbrock 500s on mine but you could always run two WCFBs or,if you are really into self abuse two teapot holleys.A good 312 with 113 heads,good performance valve job, light portwork , a CR about 10-1 or a bit more,a GOOD 1X4 intake(blue thunder) and a suitable cam will make 300 bhp.Did anyone ever actually build and race a gasser made out of one of those Ford pickups?
Pork n beaner I can verify that the f8 did have a Lincoln yblock in it. There was a pair of old moving trucks that sat in a backyard for many years and they came into a scrapyard while I was looking for parts and had the engine and transmission pulled from it. I plan on building a 4x4 1952 ford truck with it based on one of the larger 52 trucks not an f100. The truck had air brakes and a 5 speed with an overdrive gear. I'm keeping the compressor to run tools or air up tires and the 5 speed with a divorced transfer case I picked up. The Lincoln shares distributor and oil pump with the Ford but don't think much else but the big trucks often had a tach drive distributor which is nice.
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