37 Ford build--IE: old Header issues thread /37 Ford/5.0/GT40P heads

[Don Shillady]

Maybe this is my real home page even though my '29 replica has a SBC engine. Thanks to 34-40 for setting up a thread for me related to early speedsters. I did contact a person up near the Va/WVA/Md border area who has a Model A speedster and I sent him pictures of my build but he has not answered, maybe he is busy? As I said elsewhere I am like Rodney Dangerfield with a 'glass body replica '29 Ford with Ford badge but a SBC engine, just "no respect" but still a lot of nostalgic fun for me! Its not a real metal Ford and has a SBC engine but the restorer on my street (Dick Ivey) still likes my replica! Anyway this message is to announce the Re-birth of a '76 Corvette engine which "we" got started today (9/19/2012 at 2:35 PM). It started right away and we set the idle at 700 rpm (yes the Tach works!) where it has a mean rumble in spite of having a very mild cam but mainly due to the the turbo mufflers. Some of my earliest receipts are dated in 2005 so it has been a long time abuilding and I am posting here mainly to get the attention of IC2 who surpassed me long ago but I did get it working finally! I had a LOT of expert help from Mr. Chester Houghtaling who has an engine shop just up the street from me and he helped set the distributor up since I had to use a rebuilt points distributor with a Pertronix magnetic breaker kit because the position of the engine and the firewall is such that there is plenty of space for a large diameter distributor but the ledge in the firewall just barely allows the 3 7/8" diameter distributor and several modern distributors just would not go in the engine. Anyway we used a rebuilt (Advance Auto) points distributor with a Pertronix internal magnetic points kit and the outside of the cap required wires for a 327 SBC but anyway it fired up OK. I had some leaks of transmission fluid and some oil around the filter which I will tighten tomorrow. Anyway it really was amazing to me that the engine started so easily and then has a slight rump sound at 700 rpm. The cam is just slightly hotter than the old 300 HP stock cam but I am just hoping to cruise with this car so if it is only a 270 HP engine that is OK with me. I can recommend Mr. Houghtaling strongly for calm, confidant, thoughtful work and he has built a number of engines for competition as well as rebuilt engines for pedestrian transportation. He even has a dyno in his shop and it is amazing it took me so long to find him when he is only about 1/4 mile up from me on the same road! His shop is back in the woods on the opposite side of the road from me and my garage is some 400 feet back in the woods as well but I should have found him sooner! Perhaps some folks here have used his expertise for race engines built by "Progressive Performance", Ashland Va, but it is embarrasing for me to find him so close by and he showed up to my garage, got my distributor problem solved and the engine running in 5.5 hours of clock time!!

Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/Teen Rodder