Hello, I'm getting my Ford 428 ready to go into a '34 ford 3W with a drop axle and vega box cross steer. P&Js are going to mock up the engine mounts using a 390/C6 that I am supplying. Then the frame will go to Show Me Rod and Customs to build the body on the frame, making sure the firewall will clear the motor/******, so I think it is safe to say it will physically fit. BUT, what I am concerned about is what headers or OEM style cast iron shorties might fit. I plan to only run the top of a 3 piece hood, but it will have full fenders, so I need to keep the exhaust inside the frame. I talked to Sanderson Headers and they told me they didn't have any headers they could say would fit, but did say "sometimes, an application is compatible with the Mustang (FF393) or Thunderbird (FF394) inside ch***is or similar header sets." Has anyone here gone down this road and knows something that has worked out? I hate to order set after set of expensive headers/manifolds only to find they don't fit, and I don't really have the skillset to be comfortable building headers from scratch. Gary
Unfortunately, I haven't done the swap to a 34, but I'm going to be dumping an FE into a Model A soon. I will run across these same issues as you are having. Post some pics up when you can as I will be following along. This is going to be neat, cheers.
The factor cast iron stuff is big and heavy iron . Only a few of the styles flow much better than 2 x 4 bolted to the side of the head. I set of tube headers is your friend , but may be custom is the only answer . The FE is one of the best old timey engines built , toss the iron intake , water pump and exhaust manifolds . Aluminum intake and water pump , tube headers , they are pretty light weight torque monsters .
I ended up building my own shorty headers. Couldn't find any other ones that came close to working. Turns out it wasn't as hard as I thought, I actually enjoyed the challenge. I used a weld up pipe kit. My car is a 34 Plymouth, with an F1 box, but the principle is the same
Those drilled through / open ended exhaust manifold bolts were always a major pain in my azz to remove , in the area where I live
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