FPA Headers

[JimNolan]

Guys,
   I'm changing heads, intake and cam on my 57 and I need to know if any of you run the FPA FE shorty headers for the 55-59 Ford passenger car. They claim that it'll fit a power steering car with manual transmission and lakewood bell housing. Jim

[wildhog]

Jim I am running the F.P.A. shorty's on my F.E. in my 57 Ragtop G.T. heads and a c-6. They fit great and were easy to install. If Stan says they will clear your bell housing, you will not have any problems . Tom

[F570RD]

Jim,I've read your post on the FE forum.For God sakes,can't you just leave the car alone!

[JimNolan]

F57ord,
    NO.
Wildhog,
    Talked to Stan for about 30 minutes. He said with the new tubing bender he has that he is 99.9 percent sure I won't have to cut up the A arms and the steering box on my car will be just fine. The important thing he said was he would work with me on anything I might have wrong with the fit. He seems really sincere about keeping a good reputation. He has three 57's. It'll take about 5 weeks to get to my order. He said the only problem I might have is the Z-bar and that is easily corrected. I've got a welder. He also suggested the Restoration Grey ceramic coating since I drive the car that much and show it too.
    I've got a new cam and intake and I'm having the heads redone now. I'm having 1.65 exhaust valves put in a set of C1AE-A heads with 72cc chambers.
    I'm hoping this build will give me another 30 to 40 horsepower without building too much heat. I'm happy with everything except the fact I want more power on top end. I gave up on the bottom end, it goes up in smoke now with a 2V cam, 570cfm 4V and log exhaust manifolds. I can only run 805 X 75 tires  and be assured of having no trouble changing a tire along side of the highway. So, theres really no reason to want an RV cam and intake. The cam I'm getting is a 268H Comp Cam and the intake is a Edlebrock Streetmaster, I'm keeping the 570 cfm carb. I'll be running 7.7 DCR and 9.2 SCR. I run 87 octane from anywhere now with no problems and I've got 7.6 DCR now. Jim

[F570RD]

Any idea what the DCR will be with the new combo.I too run 87 with my tame 460......love it.

[JimNolan]

F57ord,
    The new combo will be 7.6 DCR with 9.3 SCR. I researched the internet to find out what DCR limits on octane were. The prescribed limits are 7.0-7.8 DCR for 87-89 octane. 7.8-8.4 DCR is 89-91 octane. So, at 7.6 you are at the high point of 87 octane. I haven't had any trouble though. The trouble is when you talk to some other builder that says he runs a 8.1 DCR on 87 octane so why don't you go ahead and get that bigger cam that needs more SCR. Well, trouble is, I know what I'm running now and if I go away from that I'm going somewhere I haven't been and I'm uncomfortable with that. I can pull into any gas station and get the cheapest gas they got and go on down the road without worrying about the pinging when I accelerate.
    Now the 406 I put together is a quench motor. It has 7.8 DCR and 10.5 SCR. If it weren't for the big overlap (low vacuum pressure) I wouldn't be able to run 87 octane. Quench motors automatically fight detonation, so you can run a higher DCR.
    I'm expecting about 355 hp @5000 rpm with the new setup. Now bear in mind I'll be shifting at @ 4000. It'll never see anything above that with me. The combo I have now makes me shift at around 3300 and I have about 296 hp @ 4600 rpm. I doubt it would go to 4600 rpm. Jim
   
   
 

[F570RD]

I'd love to see the car at Byron Dragways in July.57 shoot out and all.Those Craiger wheels are tops!

[iamflashman]

I run FPA headers on mine.  I have a 428 with a tremec 5 speed with stock clutch linkage.

I used the tri-y headers they sell for a 66 fairlane.  They fit great, look great, and are more beneficial than the shorties they sell just for the 57.

[shopratwoody]

When I was drag racing mine I could never leave it alone either.

[JimNolan]

Shopratwoody,
      I've come to the conclusion that having a nice daily driver and part time show car don't really mean as much to me as driving it and working on it. I worked on the steering assembly until all the play in the steering wheel was gone. I worked on the speedometer gears until I'm two miles an hour off actual speed. I just like working on and driving the car. I think you're more prone to doing that if you built the car yourself.
     These guys that buy a car already done, actually spend less money too and then let it sit in the garage until the next car show or pretty day to drive it astound me. I wish I could do that and be happy.
      That's like James building his 57 custom and putting a ground pounding Y-Block in it. He'll get accomplished what he set out to do, I'm sure he will. He'll  run it like that for a little while and then probably start thinking about that hair raising yellow 57 he used to have and start building again. While he's doing that his wife and kids know where he's at and can participate in it's build as well as the sense of accomplishment after it's done. Then, he can start over.
     At the car shows I've heard a lot of guys say " my Dad used to own a 57 Ford". And. every now and then you'll meet a guy that says " my Dad used to own a 57 Ford and we used a truck crank, Isky 3/4 cam, pop-up pistons and a Offy three duce intake and we'd all go to the dragstrip every weekend and we'd win a trophy with it". Those are the guys I enjoy talking to.
      The think the stupidest thing I ever said was " now I'm happy with it". Jim
     

[RICH MUISE]

People (my wife included) use to ask me when I'll be finished. Until recently I use to say "2 to 3 years"..now I say "I'm hoping it will be drivable in 2 to 3 years" lol... I already know when I drive it for the first time, I'll have a whole list of things to finish, add, or change.

[shopratwoody]

Jim,
At my age the Ranchero isn't gonna get a rollbar, 5 point, spool, axles again. The engine wasn;t
all of it. Had a great time though. Had a good medium riser, C6 8 in conv.
  I'm glad I did it for several years. Wouldn't change a thing. Hope you win alot and may the
Racing Gods be on your side

[Jeff Norwell]

I like the ways you fellas think.

[Jeff Norwell]

I have a header question..I bought these pretty cheap..I was told they were a header made from Hedman specificly for a FE conversion in a 57 Ford.A fella I know swears they are the same he ran in his 57 427 Ford in the early 60's.
Are they Junk? Are they any good?
The pictures make them look like garbage.. but they are good and solid .
No Sugar coating.....please tell it like it is...
Anybody ever run them?

[wildhog]

Jeff,I haven't seen a set of those since I was a pup and I'am an old dog now. They woun't work as good as a new design, but I would run them for the nostalgic wow factor! But then I am putting a 57 Lincoln 368 y-block in my Ranchero. so maybe I don't live in the real world. Tom