I'm running Rochester 2 BBLs (large base center/small base outboards) on my modified 63 T-Bird FE intake. The bowls are foward, but I have to use a mallory small base distributor (currently a dual point soon to be changed to the electronic version). There is no way with any distributor that a Holley will fit facing foward.

As far as Holleys they really don't seem to mind which which direction they go, as I said before both Chrysler and Chevy used them facing foward and Ford had them rearward. The main differences between the Ford tri-power carbs and Chryslers were that the Chrysler used metering plates (resulting an a slightly shorter carb) and no accelerator pumps in the outboard carbs with vacume linkage. The Ford set up used a metering block and bowls with an accelerator pump with mechanical linkage.