71 Restomod?

I have a 1971 coupe with a 302 2bbl, C-4 tranny. Very clean car from Arizona. I have a 351 cleveland I plan on rebuilding and getting a new C-4 for it, after that I need some ideas on a Restomod for it. Any ideas? What to do to the body, paint, rims, and tires?

Thanks Dean.

Reply to
Dean
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Unless you are really into Clevelands for the uniqueness or how pretty they are all dressed up, you will get a lot more engine for your dollar with a Windsor build-up.

Rob

Reply to
trainfan1

I disagree, a Cleveland that he owns will give more bang for buck than any Windsor could.

If it's a 4v, get the port plates from MPG Head Service

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If it's a 2v, get some Aussie 2v's, possibly from Power Heads
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Or if it's a 4v, go this route aswell.

If you want aftermarket aluminum heads, go with CHI 2v or "3v's"

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Or you can take your iron 4v or 2v heads and make them flow not far off the cfm rates of most aftermarket Windsor heads, for the price of a die grinder and some sandpaper rolls.

As far as the restomod stuff, lowering is the main thing. Get some high rate (620 lb/in) coils and cut them if need be, get some high rate rear leafs and if they need lowering you take a leaf off your OE springs and bolt it on upside down on the new leafs.

Get some Bilstein shocks.

Tires, I'm not sure what size to get for a '71, but here's the place to get the chart to tell you:

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Rims, 17 or 18 inch. I like Raceline GT's, go with the polished ones b/c I've already got the powdercoated ones and you don't want to be a copycat.
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If you prefer 5-spokes get Boyd Smoothie 2's:
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UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD YOU GET AMERICAN RACING TORQUE THRUST II'S OR D'S. OR ANY OF THEIR CLONES. I will hunt you down and kill you if you do.

If you've got major budget, get Team III AC III's with the half polish, the spinners, and the lugnut covers

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With the big rims you've gotta have some big brakes. 13" Baer Claws or Stainless Steel Brakes Force 10.

Follow my advice and you have just added $10,000 of stuff to a $5000 '71 Mustang. In other words, welcome to the club.

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Reply to
one80out

How do you plan to use the car? That might make some differences in the direction you go. For example, if you're hitting the highways and byways, you might want to think AOD instead of the C4. Fuel prices being what they are, you might also consider EFI for the open road. My old 72 was white with blue hood panels and red pinstripes. I'd say scan some pictures for color schemes and compare. If you are considering show, now that Restomod shows are popping up, you might check out what each category restriction is and see how far you want to take it. Spike

1965 Ford Mustang fastback 2+2 A Code 289 C4 Trac-Lok Vintage Burgundy w/Black Standard Interior; Vintage 40 16" rims w/BF Goodrich Comp T/A gForce Radial 225/50ZR16 KDWS skins; surround sound audio-video. Feb 2004 - http://207.36.208.198/albums/86810/003_May_21_3004.jpgFeb 2004 - http://207.36.208.198/albums/86810/005_May_21_2004.jpgJul 2005 - http://207.36.208.198/albums/86810/davescar_7_11_05_002.jpgJul 2005 - http://207.36.208.198/albums/86810/Engine_rebuild_006.jpg
Reply to
Spike

I missed the part about his already having the engine... but he already has the Windsor, too, already in the car, and he will spend a lot less on a 331/347 stroker than working entirely through a Cleveland hop-up.

Rob

Reply to
trainfan1

It's usually a bit more cost effective working on a windsor because the parts for the cleveland engines are more expensive.

Reply to
Ritz

I agree in general. But a 331 or 347 stroker Challenger engine does not have the potential of a 351 Cleveland, much less a 393 stroker Cleveland. The Cleveland's larger valves and the unshrouding they enjoy with the splayed layout are advantages a Challenger lacks. In more familiar terms it's like comparing a 385 series 429 to an FE 428 or a 454 Chevy to a 455 Pontiac or Buick. All else being equal, the advantage goes to the splayed valve heads, every time.

As far as cost, Coast High Performance offers a 393 kit for the Cleve with steel crank, forged pistons and forged rods for $1600, and a 347 kit for the Challenger with similar components for $900. So you save $700. But consider this, that even at a mild 1 hp/ci, that extra $700 invested in the 393 Cleveland is giving you 46 more hp than the 347 Challenger, and more torque everywhere. So the fair comparison is, what would it take to get that additional 46 hp and that additional torque everywhere, out of the 347? 1.13 hp/ci out of a Challenger will definitely require a $1200 set of aftermarket heads, and evening out the torque difference will probably require a supercharger. Yet the Cleveland can easily make the 393 hp with the factory heads, 2v or 4v.

And if we skip the stroker kit for the Cleve, it's now $900 ahead of the stock iron-headed 347 Challenger. Sinking that $900 into some of those Power Head CNC ported Aussie 2v heads will definitely put the Cleveland out front of the stock iron-headed 437 ($1075 complete

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). Oh, and by the way, I checked out the '71-'73 wheel and tire chart that I linked to in my earlier post, and I gotta say it does not have a lot of examples. So if you're checking that chart, check the '69-'70's too. Anything that will fit in a '70 will definitely fit in a '71.

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Reply to
one80out

Reply to
cprice

Exactly. Other than a possible name brand, the only other names I've heard similar to that were the Commando and Super Commando 383's from MoPar.

Reply to
66 6F HCS

Hmmmmmm Perhaps Mexican competition to Canada's Windsors? : 0 ) Or perhaps one of the many building/rebuilding companies like Evergreen which supplied Kragen and some others....

Spike

1965 Ford Mustang Fastback 2+2, Vintage Burgundy w/Black Std Interior, A Code 289 C4 Trac-Lok; Vintage 40 16" rims w/225/50ZR16 KDWS BF Goodrich gForce Radial T/As, Cobra drop; surround sound audio-video... See my ride at.... Feb 2004- http://207.36.208.198/albums/86810/003_May_21_3004.jpgFeb 2004- http://207.36.208.198/albums/86810/005_May_21_2004.jpgJul 2005- http://207.36.208.198/albums/86810/davescar_7_11_05_002.jpgJul 2005- http://207.36.208.198/albums/86810/Engine_rebuild_006.jpg
Reply to
Spike

When Ford came out with the small block V8 it called it "the Challenger V8." That name was continued in use for several years, I don't know how many, but at least for the '62 to '65 model years. The name "Windsor" did not arise until the arrival of the tall deck "351" version of the Challenger V8 in '69. The name "Windsor" was used to differentiate THAT 351 ci engine from the 351Cleveland. The fact that the Cleveland did not go into production until the '70 model year, and during that year in fact the 351W and the 351C shared the same VIN code letter, suggests that the name "Windsor" did not even arise until sometime in 1970 or '71 or even later.

So I sometimes use the name "Challenger" to refer to the 289-302-5.0 standard deck engines and only use "Windsor" to refer to the raised deck ones. I guess it's pretty stupid, since just about nobody even knows this vocabulary anymore and fewer even care. I should just join the crowd and call all the wedge head small block Fords "Windsors." It just doesn't feel right, because a standard deck SBF is not a "Windsor," but I'll try.

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Reply to
one80out

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