Currently, I have a '67 mustang with a 351 windsor out of a '77 t-bird. Obviously, that wasn't a good year for the windsor, and even with a full msd ignition, dominator intake, and hooker headers, the power is still not there. Right now it is mated to a toploader and a 9" rear end with posi and 3.73 gearing..

I just went digging in my barn and found I have a 1970 windsor motor with heads. The heads look in rough shape, and still had spark plugs in them. They are completely dry and even the springs are rusted quite a bit.

I also discovered a 400 modified block. Heads look nice and the crank looks like I should be able to turn it down. I believe it's out of a late 70's bronco.

I'm hoping to get around 300 hp atleast out of my motor. What is my best option? Seeing if I can salvage the windsor heads and completely rebuild them? Buying complete heads somewhere else? Should I also do a cam, and windage tray? There are several things to think about here. One being, my motor in the car already has 100k miles on it, and sat for over a decade without running. Should I rebuild the entire block or just rebuild the 1970 windsor motor, and swap it in? Or do I just start over with the 400 modified?

In the end, which would be the most cost effective approach to doing this?

 

You didn't mention what the Cleveland option was thatyou had.. however you'r better off with a Windsor in an old Stang because there isn't a lot of room between the shock towers & those Cleveland engines were BIG (dimensionally)

If you can get a 351W with 4bbl heads then that'd be a great starting point, 300 horsepower should be an easily achievable goal. Not sure if the 400 heads are interchangable with a 351 block, although I know the 400M is derived from a 351.

Stick on a single plane intake & a carb around 700cfm. Port & polish it, a good cam & headers,, go with around 9 or 10:1 compression,, yada yada

 

A set of 58cc heads and a cam will wake up the engine that's currently in your car, and will exceed 300hp with anything but an OE cam.

I would build the 351W and not the M. 300hp is easy with about any budget, but you'll more than likely want new heads ($1k and up).

 

If you went "digging around in your barn" and "discovered" 2 engines, I want to know what else is in there! Sounds like a treasure trove to me!

I can hear it now. "Hey, just ran across a sealed 427 side oiler from 1966 vintage Nascar..."

 

couple things to think about, think those year 351w had the same heads as a 302, small valves for a 351 w , just older 351 w heads would help cause they look just like the gt 40 head
the 351m/400 engine is consider a big block because it takes a bigger bolt circle bellhousing
you can use the 351c/351m/400 heads with a special intake
the 400 in general is not a performance based engine but with enough money you can make anything fast
keeping a 351w would be the best using the 70 model engine as 2v and 4 heads have the same valve sizes , but with a 351c 2v & 4v there is a huge difference

 

All Clevelands and Modifieds are SMALL BLOCKS.

 

I got two 351c's they are great and sound AMAZING open header. But if I had the choice between the two I think i would go with the Windsor, and it is not that i do not like the Cleveland but the parts for the windsor are so much easier to find and trying to mod a 351c is not cheep. And finding a mechanic that know ANYTHING about the motor is also very hard to come acorss. [>:]

 

Finding a mechanic that knows anything about carb'd vehicles is quite rare in its own rite. Heck, I had to tell the alignment shop how to make the adjustments on the front end to get into alignment. Sad sad sad.[>:]

 

pound for pound in hp potential its the CLEvland hands down from its big *** valves in stock form to head flow with gobbs of air...a mild clevland can do 400hp easssssssssy.. windsors are cheaper and there are more parts for accesability,but there are edelbrock street/strip heads now 4 the clevland.....they had 390 fe motors in older mustangs,,clevland is smaller..all in what ya want and$ /// clevland heads will work on widsor but ya have to do machine work on water jacket i think..i know maching is needed.. but will wake a windsor up..69-71 i know those year 351w heads are best DOE#S