LSG

390, our friend Mr Barnett is only right on two things. 1, 'sounds good' is very subjective. I might not like what you like, and you might not like what I do. and 2, its complicated. Thats as far as it goes. Unfortunately, there are a great many people like our friend who don't understand the difference between primary and secondary exhaust tubing. Primary exhaust pipes are very much size critical, diameter and length both matter. Once you get past the collectors, however, open atmosphere is best. Most of us don't want to listen to open headers all day everyday, so we install a system. In that system, the SECONDARY pipes can't be too big. There just isn't any such thing. However, if you search the 'net, you can find lots of stories and opinions about people going faster after switching from 2 &1/2 or 3 down to 2 &1/4th or 2. What these folks fail to realize is that if their car was jetted and timed properly, they would be faster and make more power with the larger secondaries. Maybe they don't know how to read plugs or change jets. So, why do some folks, even exhaust manufacturers, recommend the smaller stuff ? That part is simple, it is easier and cheaper to make. When an exhaust shop tells you that a smaller secondary makes more power 'down low', what he is really saying is that does not have a 3 inch mandrel to bend the larger pipes with, and doesn't have the needed skill to hang a 3 inch system. And our friend is wrong about it being tough to fit. It fits fine, it is tight,but you CAN do it, Just get the Magnaflow stuff and put it on. I would recommend reversing the bolts on you rear spring shackles, it give you more room for the 3 inch pipe, AND for your fingers as you are working. If you look around this site, you should find a thread from one of our men who made his own twin outlet tips to fit his 3 inch exhaust. Looked just like stock, only bigger. You might also check Buckeye Demon's build thread. He has a 351W based engine with a custom 3 inch system. Looks nice. And I haven't heard him complain that it was 'too big'. Also keep in mind that the secondary pipe diameter affects tone. A bigger pipe is not 'louder' as some folks presume, but DOES have a lower tone, which many folks find easier and more tolerable on the ears. LSG

390, look at the MagnaFlow 3 inch kit. The only thing you'll have to do is make your own tips, if you want to replicate the M1 original outlets. There is no reason to choke it down to 2 & 1/2 after the mufflers. Stay at three. Don't listen to anyone who tells you that 3 inch is 'too big' , it isn't. After the header collector, there is no such thing as too big. The only reason I didn't buy from them is MF will only sell the full kit, even though I only need the tailpipes. If they were willing to sell me 3 inch tailpipes alone, I'd buy them in a hot second. LSG

Prayers, it sounds like you have chosen to add the reinforcements. I would if we were talking about my car, and I was going to add the power you are planning on. You'll be glad you did. On SFC, the only option ones I would consider are Tin Man's or make your own like Bucky D has done (awesome ). All of the bolt on / weld on ones other than those look cheesy. The convertible inner rails are probably stronger anyway. And those will be invisible. LSG

Driver, that article was interesting, but is missing information, or perhaps is biased towards emissions compliance. Full manifold vacuum is better, almost always. The only reason the timed / ported vac even exists is to make the engine idle much warmer. It was an early emissions idea to remove oxides of nitrogen. The carbs were richer than they should have been, so the rich mixture and late timing gave a very hot exhaust. Prayers, yes, the annular discharge boosters will help, but you're still just nibbling around the edges. A vacuum dizzy, and a wider cam, will fix this. Ran a 351C for a decade, swapped into a 69 Torino. BTDT LSG

P1, not sure WHO designed the camshaft......but they weren't thinking largeport Cleveland when they did it. I'd look for a smaller cam, something like 210-214 @ 050 intake and 220-225 @ 050 exhaust on AT LEAST a 112 LDA, maybe 114. Lots of lift is fine. And dump the MSD dizzy, and get a Duraspark, AND run a vacuum advance, plumbed to full manifold vacuum. Yes, you'll need an adjustable can, but it will be worth it. You'll completely change the low speed manners, and the big ports will still breath just fine when the rpm is up. Everything else is just nibbling around the edges. BTDT LSG

69me, hope you got your setup figured out. I'm not certain which 'debate' the guys are referring to, but you should run full manifold vacuum to the dizzy. You may need and adjustable can, if you have a larger camshaft. Those who run ported don't understand why ported was created, it is not what you want. LSG

Jim, have you read BuckyD's thread ? In project progress he has some mudguards he ran that stayed on at the dragstrip, and I don't remember that he drilled anything. LSG

Metal, the MTF kit and the R & C stuff removes your spring towers, so you have more room in the engine bay, which many drag racers want. But it does not help handling or ride quality. The M2/Pinto front end setups were created to be cheap to build, not to have smoother ride or improve handling and only 'update' the suspension by a couple of years. It is most definitely NOT an upgrade. If you are not building a drag only car, you have other choices. Your mustang already HAS IFS, don't be mislead by advertising. LSG

Steve, the FMX is a fine tranny, as are the C4 & 6, but they are museum pieces. Put it on the shelf and build an AOD with 4R70W gears. The AOD, with its Ravinaeux setup is the FMX's decendant, AND you can have overdrive 4th. You can drive farther on less fuel, and have more fun in your car. I would not use a 3 speed auto in anything other than a drag race only effort. LSG

Yeah, that one edge does look kinda weird. Would be nice to see a few more pics of the end of that arm, maybe with the tires and wheel off----

69, there is available , for a small block Ch-vy, an intake setup made of some kind of plastic, that has a valley piece and interchangeable top pieces, with a choice of single or dual. You can swap the tops out and leave the dizzy and coolant in. Don't know of 1 for the Ford, although many years ago, there was a Duffy/PSE intake system that let you swap Cleveland intakes on top of an FE. Haven't seen one in 30 yrs . LSG

69R, your upper arms are a less than stellar copy of the originals. You need to clearance the arms you have, or rebuild some used ones, or throw them out and get aftermarket tubulars. Mine are from Global West, lots of folks make them. LSG

Schw, glad you picked something else--your original guy seemed way too high, and not enough information. What intake was he going with for 229 ? What timing cover for 129 ( ! ) ? I will ask you, however to consider NOT using the distributor that the Phoenix builds are showing. Those are aftermarket copies of a Chevy distributor, and they frequently have an interference with the intake runners on a Ford engine. They also don't appear to have a vacuum advance, which you need for street driving. I would recommend a Duraspark dizzy and whatever else you need to make that work (It is not hard ) and a Weiand street warrior 8124 for a mellow but fun 302. LSG

Max, don't think that i'm picking on you, cause I don't mean it that way, but you still don't understand how vac advance works. Yes, manifold vacuum pulls timing out as you increase load. Ported does the same, not the opposite as you thought, but with one main difference. Ported vac is off at idle, Yes, lots of manufacturers made lots of cars that way. But it wasn't done to make tip in performance better, or because it worked well. It was done ( the ported thing ) to shut off vac advance at idle so that the engine would idle warmer, much warmer. This was done as a means to reduce unburned hydrocarbon emissions at idle. It did that. It also made cars idle much too warm and hurt fuel economy and driveability. The factories knew this and weren't happy about it, but the emissions rules from the FEDs trumped every other concern. And, no, the manufacturers don't don't disagree with me, they disagree with you. Every car now produced has manifold vacuum advance. Yes, ALL of them. Look at where the MAP, the Manifold Absolute Presssure sensor is, you'll find it reading full manifold vacuum. The computer that now runs the timing in newer autos is reading the pressure in the intake itself, not someplace before the throttle blades. If one wants the best economy and power available, manifold vacuum, properly set up, is how you get it. LSG

Dan, I'm thinking that looking at when the valves open won't be enough. My guess is that you'll have to pull the timing cover off and see what the chain and gears look like. Most timing sets only have one way to install. Some have three sets of slots, so that you can install the cam straight up, 4 degrees advanced, or 4 degrees retarded. Some sets have nine key ways. And then, to complicate matters further, there were some single key timing sets produced with a 4~6 degree retard- they were intended for emission regulations cars and trucks in the early seventies. Manifold vacuum is exactly what it sounds like, full manifold applied to the vacuum can all of the time. Ported vacuum shuts off the vacuum to the can at idle. This was an emission era scheme to reduce unburned hydrocarbons at idle. Then there is a further complication, some ( many ) cars had a DVCV, a distributor vacuum control valve, that shuts the vacuum off to the advance until the engine begins to overheat. It really kills fuel economy, and you don't want it. LSG