Expert: Dan Liddy - 7/31/2006

Question
Hi Dan

Here's who I am & were I'm coming from. Dan, I'm an 65yr. ol' young man and never got into car engines in my earlier days. To busy fighting in the ring a bit and lots on the street.

Neve got into car engines and performance. But you know what they say " . . . your never too ol' to learn."

I own a 1966 Ford Mustang Convert. Of which is apaart right now. Brought the engine to a machine shop and had it bored to .030ths. Flatten the deck, bought a soild valve cam just a little above average, solid rockers harden valve seats s/steel valves,I had the rocker studs threaded instead of them just being pressed in.
I got a 4bbl Edelbrock carb & alumimun intake manifold.

My car is going to be a daily driver. My whole ideas for this car and my driving is not to race it or drag on the street.
I want the car to have less stress on the engine. I know I should have bought roller cam with the same for the rockers. But I didn't know. Anyway that's a real stroker I'm told. I going to paint the oil galley's and chamfer the return oil holes so the oil will get to the engines parts quicker and with less iron particles in the oil.

Dan, I seems that I really know what I'm talking about but don't let that fool you. I'm still learn from others.

NOW DAN MY QUESTIONS:

Should I leave the 8in. rear along or take a look inside and see how its doin'?

Am I going in the right directions with my car?

Lastly, what else would you recomm. that I do to just have that GET-UP-AND GO BUT NOT RACE OFF THTE STOP LIGHTS IN VEGAS?

Dan, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOU TIME WITH THIS OL' YOUNG 65YR. OLDER.
GOD BLESS
Ray Monaco
Las Vegas,NV


Answer
Hi Ray

Are you going the right direction ?  Well horsepower takes gas- - -more horsepower takes MORE gas. A value judgement you will have to make yourself.

As far as high performance modifications gto , yes you are following a well worn traditional path.  You could make some great improvements by updating your ignition system. For that, go to
< www.summitracing.com >  and get the phone number for their tech line, their tech guys are among the best in the country, and can tell you what to use.

You don't mention any porting of the heads which might offer some improvement as well, though it's expensive.  

Finally , you also don't mention any exhaust system modifications.  I always recomment headers and dual exhaust to V-8 builders.  Once you get all that gas in there, and combusted, you need to get it out.  The more resistence it meets, the more horsepower you lose in the process.

As to the rear end,  at thye very least, take a look at it's innerds, remember it's 40 years old!!   I'd consider replacing it with a 9" just cuz that's what everybody seems to 'love' these days. They were even using them in Winston Cup a few years back.

That's about all I can offer.  Good luck with it

Dan Liddy
Sarasota, Florida