1952-59 Ford questions on parts cars

I am trying to clean up the area around on work area that has a few cars that I have been keeping for parts. The cars are a 1986 ford 4dr sedan with a 302 cu in engine that runs but the car has a bad transmission. I also have a 1992 SHO that has 300,000 miles on it. Next is a 1976 Granada 4dr. then there is a rusted-out Mustang 11.
My project cars are a 1940 ford coupe that I have owned for 65 years past engines are flathead, 303 olds and a 289 cu in Ford that I repaired the drivetrain and engine after comminating with Frank Oddo The next project is a 1955 ford 2 dr sedan which is a customline with fairlane side trim , 272 cu in engine and 3 on the tree. Next is a 1940 ford 1/2-ton pickup with no engine or transmission.
Parts that I have on hand are as follows.
2- NWC T-5 transmissions , 1 - top loader ford 4 speed transmission, 1 -3 speed transmission , 2 C 4 transmissions that need to be rebuilt, 1- 9" ford rear end ***embly that I had in a 1961 390 cu in 375 hp car. The rears and transmissions are all still in the parts cars. I have 2 rebuilt 351 cu in Cleveland engines, 1 which I have planned for the 40 coupe which I have sanderson headers for on hand. I also have a 302 cu in ford engine out of a 93 T-bird.
If anyone in our group that has any thoughts on what I can put to good use from these parts cars I would appreciate your input. I started working on cars in my folks back yard with a friend Buddy O. when we were teenagers using a chain hoist under a large oak tree to put in the olds engine, move the steering box and have it running in a very few days while reading what to do from a small Rod and Custom magazine. We are both in our mid 80's now with less energy but still have hopes to ride again.
Any thoughts and words of experience would be appreciated
Thanks,
Joe

 

You have a lot of parts with good potential for swapping in upgrades. If you want to sell any, post your location and price here too.

 

Granadas usually have 11” disc brakes that are easily adapted to ‘55-‘56 Fords, the Granada rear is also used, it is very close in length to stock ‘55-‘56 rear, many of them were 9” and have stronger axles.

 

Thanks Jeff,
I will keep that in mind

 

Thanks Mark,
I don't know much about the Granada rears but I had thought it would work well under the 40 pickup.

 

I have a Granada 8 inch rear end under my 55 Ford avatar. Almost exactly the same width and the spring pads bolted right up to my springs. As far as engines and transmissions you have several that would work, how much work to install them depends on a lot of things like oil pan sumps. The 351 Cleveland's all came with front sump pans, not a good fit for the 40 but perfect for the 55. Sounds like you might need to flip a coin!

 

Thanks for your input, the pan sump on one of the Cleveland engines is on the rear . I was told it came out of an RV but i don't have a lot of details. I remember using a Bronco pan on the 289 cu in engine that I put in the 40 coupe years ago, I also used hi pro headers from ford mustang on the engine the p***enger side required work to lay the header close to the block to clear the frame.
Thanks again
Joe

 

Rear sump oil pan good for swaps in a 52-53 Car.

 

More than likely that's a 351M or 400 motor. Same basic design as the Cleveland, but with a raised block deck height to allow a 4" stroke. Taller/wider than a Cleveland, other than the heads and some external bits not much interchange between them.

 

Thanks Crazy Steve ,
I will check it out with the engine rebuilder to confirm it is a 351 cu in Cleveland , the engine has 2-barrel heads with the small ports, my other Cleveland has the large port heads. Both engines have aftermarket 4 barrel intakes.
Joe

 

Joe,
The 351M-400 used the larger 429-460 bell housing bolt pattern so checking the bell housing bolt pattern would be a quick way to verify whether its a 351C or 351M-400.
The Cleveland exhaust ports angle down compared to a Windsor, so sometimes the Cleveland exhaust actually clears better than the Windsor.
I have been able to fit a Cleveland into 54 ch***is which is essentially the same as your 55.
James

 

Thanks, James, for your input I would be were interested in any detail's notes, photos etc. on your 351 Cleveland installation in your car.
Joe

 

That's not 100% true. Initially Ford released the 400 in '71 to replace the discontinued-in-cars 390 FE. First cast with the small-block bell pattern, but Ford decided the available C4/FMX wasn't stout enough for the big cars it went into, so then switched to the 429/460 pattern. But there were also some 'transition' blocks cast with both patterns (for warranty service?), some machined for one or the other, some both. All of these blocks are relatively rare, and I believe these were all gone from production by '74 when the 385 pattern became standard.

 

All of the early blocks I have seen had the "dual" small black and big block bolt pattern so the bell housing casting flare was still the larger pattern although they were also drilled for the small block pattern as well.
Thanks for the correction. If some were cast and drilled for small block only they would be rare indeed.

 

Joe, as I recall the 2bbl stock manifolds cleared the steering box but the 4bbl were very tight. However I ended up using 69-70 Torino/Fairlane 351C long tube headers. I currently use the same headers on my 58 Ford with Cleveland stroker.

 

Thanks James, I have the HiPo headers that I had on my 289 cu in engine in my 40 ford coupe that I can use on the 351 cu in Cleveland with 2 bbl heads in my 55. I appreciate your response.
Joe