Y Block in a Shoebox/Rust allergy Caution!

I took a pic of this old Rustin'IN Peace 51Ford 4 dr today and it Suprised me that it appeared to have been hot rodded a long time ago.
It has a Thunderbird Y block installed with a floor shift trans from a truck maybe....
I don't recall seeing this swap much so I am posting it to show ya'all.
Actually fits fairly well -but looks like they torched the crossmember to clear the pan AND generator.
Mounts were welded to the rear edge of the 51 crossmember for side mounts......Kinda wild lookin floor shifter and all!
Radiator appears to be from Yblock car and is spaced an inch forwards from the cradle.
Was this a common swap or am I just the only one who had not seen it done??

 

Pre 57 engine it appears with the teapot 4bbl, could still be a 272,292 or 312. The stock crossover pipe says volumes about that swap, the Y is a very wide engine and didnt make an easy swap into the earlier bodies because of steering interference. It is also about 200# heavier than a flatty.

 

Man, that woulda been the perfect rig for runnin shine. Thats the first thing that comes to mind when I see that.

Drew

 

I think a y-block is the coolest "trad engine" by FAR...LOVE to see cars like that built, then and now, using them cool motors!

Thanks for posting the pics...awesome find!

 

Looks like the exhaust came from a truck too. Thunderbirds didn't have single exhaust.

 

Rcollector-I wondered if even the dual exhaust cars had the crossover?

I just thought this was kind of an interesting swap bein a moredoor and would love to know its history........

 

Thats a weird set-up. It looks like they left the auto trans kickdown linkage on the intake when it has a manual trans.

If the engine was from a Thunderbird they shouldn't have had to cut the crossmember because they have a different oil pan. The Thunderbird pan & pick-up are what you want when swapping a Y-block into a 49-53 ch***is.

It's definately a cool find. Got anymore pics of the whole car?

Billy

 

definitely a cool setup...I was going to do it in my 2-door long time ago and put 3 deuces on the top. Does that motor turn over or is it stuck...I love Y-blocks next to flatties.

Hell, I would get that thing back on the road if you could....like it was said earlier...looks like some cool history there.

I may be wrong, but I dont think those headlights are stock either...the rings that is.

 

51's had those wide headlight rings stock. They were made of potmetal & usually get pitted real bad & are often replaced with stainless 49-50 rings.

Billy

 

Could be a truck motor that someone put the bird Valve covers on.

 

I did one into a 50 business coupe back in 1963. With a truck pan it was pretty easy. I had to use a remote oil filter. Most p***enger car 4 barrel motors had the thunderbird valve covers.

 

I'd like to have the stainless outer headlight rings.

 

Looks like a truck motor to me. The fire breathing Teapot carb, if it's a factory piece, indicates a pre '57 engine. Also, if you remove the valve covers and there are adjustable rockers with a single hex head, that means it's '57 or later. The exhaust looks like a truck set up, though I believe that the crossover would have been available on cars with single exhaust as well. Dual exhaust Y blocks did not have a crossover pipe. I also think the trucks came with rear sump pans and the cars with front sumps. Bad business to torch out the crossmember, it's a pretty integral part of the front of the frame. It's a cool swap, but that engine is friggin m***ive for as weak as it is, especially if that's a 2 bbl I see there. I dropped 5 lbs. by swapping a 383 mopar in place of the 272 Y block.

 

hell yea

as for the headlight doors,,, they look almost identicle to my bro's '51 moredoor across the street from me,,, i'd hafta take another looksee but here is a pic of it from last winter


PS... Kenny, PM me about this thing,,, my bro is always lookin for odds n ends for his

 

A buddy of mine put a McCulloch-blown 312 in his '51 Tudor, probably around 1958. I never rode in it, but I understand it was pretty quick.

 

I have it here at my shop -[Its here getting a chopped top] -but it WILL have the 312 for sale later I thought the owner said.......

 

AHHHH gotcha.

all i can say is its in damn good hands. . .

"just a little off the top and a shave if ya please"

PS... take pics of this one, or git your youngin to take a few. LOL.
my bro is gonna want to see this one finished

 

Check on the side of the block, above the oil filter. You should find a casting number there. Then we can find out exactly what type of Y-block you have.

 

Well my 55 for came with the cross over pipe and it was a customline and some models of the p***enger cars had the valve covers I think they even had some in 55 and 56 wiht the four barrel intake.

Josh

 

The Y-Block to shoe box was a real common swap in the 50's. Check out the old movie Thunder Road with Robert Mitchum. He drove a 51 ford with a 50 model frony end and a screamin Y-Block. He was a moonshine runner. It is a cool old flick with some neat old hotrods in it. The crossover pipe is an unreliable way to determine origin. The trucks and cars both used them.

That would be super *****en if it had a couple less doors.

 

are you gonna re-build it?

 

Aright all you guys are running 272/292.312s any body running a 239 I know a 1 year only whats up with it

 

Pretty much the same **** as the 55 and 56 Y blocks. 3 1/2" bore X 3 7/64" stroke. Both bore and stroke are unique to the 239 only. I don't know if you could start swapping out cranks. Other then that it's all interchangable from what I undertsand. I sold my '57 adjustable rockers to a fellow with a '55...I'm pretty sure all the Y block stuff is interchangable