I have in my possession a 49K mile 70 429.  I am wondering how the virgin D0VE heads compare flowwise to the Edelbrock 460 heads.  I know the Eddie heads have bigger valves, but I wonder if the difference in flow is worth the money for a mostly street cruisier.  BTW, this is a stock 70 T Bird.  

I think you would be surprised at how much those heads will really flow.  The compression ratio is right there too, so you would gain nothing really in that direction going aftermarket.  There is lots of room to port and polish those heads as well.  My old girlfriends Dad and I did a set for a 460 buildup right in his garage.  You can probably find the templets somewhere, but be ready to disassemble the heads to do it.  You will have the leaded gas problem running on no lead with your cast iron heads.  The aftermarket heads won't have that problem as they are set up for no lead gas.  For now, I would just run what you got.  Between camming and carburetion, that hog will take a lot more gas and suck a lot more air than it's getting now.  It will also kill any gas mileage you might be getting, so there are trade offs.

Have fun - Bowser.

Well, I know these heads don't have the protusions in the exhaust ports like the later models did, so that helps some.  As long as I don't touch those heads, there is enough lead build up on them to use unleaded, but I will still put some lead substitute in every once in a while.  Gas mileage is not rreally an issue for a cruiser/play car.  I just want to educate some of the younger generation about the REAL Detroit iron.  Nothing like seeing a 4600 pound barge laying rubber for a block to open some eyes.  I do want to replace that Autolite 4300 carb, but I will wait till a good Holley 780 falls from the sky.  I need to pull an axle and find out the spline count so I can start looking for a 3.50 pickup pumpkin.  Come on Summer!!!!  

Lucky for you to have a low miles 429, they are starting to get scarce.

The weakness on the 385 series heads is mostly in the exhaust side.  But it's not that bad.  I have set up a number of 429-460, heads and this is what you need to do. 

1. Gasket match intake port. I prefer using felpro's, but it's your choice.  Blend in about 1 inch in. Remember to make the head side of the port about 1/8 inch bigger than the intake side of the port.  Smooth, but don't reshape radically the rest of the port to the valve.  Just polish up the rough cast surface.

2. Gasket match exhaust port. Make it about 1/8 inch bigger than the header port.  Now if you have budget, replace valves with CJ size units. If not than just polish up the originals. get hardened seats! upping the exh size will really do most for flow.

3. Ditch the original manifold. It's OK for a truck low rev unit.  But the edel. or Offy's or Weinds are MUCH better. Also PORT the manifold runners. So many forget to do that but thats were flow starts. at the carb.  Don't reshape runners, smooth them, blend them.

4. a good Holley, edelbrock perf. or carter or Grant demon will make a fine carb. 750 cfm fine.  Did you know that the early 4300 motorcraft carbs were ONLY 450 cfm?  Laters upped to 600, but they were very poor.

Next question.....  Are you keeping it in that 70 T-bird?

If so.. Great!  big cars are FUN!!   I run a lively 460 in a stripped down 67 Galaxie.

Make one really important change that will really really help the off the line snap,  Rear end ratio. The t-bird will have a 3.00 rear. put in a 3.50 or 3.73 best w/posi.

If you aren't putting that 429 back in the bird, could I buy the motor perches and radiator from you?

Best luck...

Dane V

SLC,UT

www.fordautowrecking.com

ALL FOMoCo  cars and parts.

The motor will likely stay in the car, at least a couple of years.  This is a driver, just looks like hell from being parked outside for 20 years.  I love big Fords with big blocks.  My first car was a 8V 427 4 speed 66 Galaxie.  Next was a 64 Galaxie with 390 T Bird and 4 speed.  Then I had a 65 Merc with 410.  

Depends on what your plans are. The Edlebrock heads have a much better exhaust port, larger valves, and you can't compare the chambers, the Edelbrock chambers are much more efficient. If you want a #'s matching ride, stay with the D0VE's, if it's mostly stock, stay with the D0VE's, if it's going to be a race ride, go with the Edelbrocks.  

You had a nice collection of Fords. I would have loved that dualquad 66 Gal

I have a 66LTD w/428CJ and a 67 Gal drag car with a 460

And a couple hundred other Fords.  see my site at www.fordautowrecking.com

D

That 427 was my first car!!!!  My dad bought it off a VW dealer for 300 bucks back in 74.  I was eating breakfast Sat morning when he walked in with the keys and tossed them on the table.  He asked if I could drive a clutch.  I said yes.  End of conversation.  He never even opened the hood before he bought it.  Oh yeah, it was a top loader 4 speed, with 3.08 gears???   I got the nickname of "Clutch" in HS, cause I changed em every 3 months.  I also went through 2 trannies and 3 rearends.  Did you know that a top loader will snap off the tailshaft when you dump the clutch at 6K with 6 people in the car?  Well, I KNOW it will.  I left the car with my folks when I joined the Marine Corps in 75, and they sold it for 400 bucks.  Makes a grown man wanna cry.  Would you like to hear bout the 3514V Cleveland in a 50 Ford 2 door that my brother built?  Or maybe the 67 Firebird that I put a RA III and 4 speed in.  When I was in HS, the old HI-PO parts and motors were easy to find and cheap to buy.  I found a 3 duece Pontiac setup in a landfill once, sold it for 100 bucks cause I had nowhere to keep it.  I also bought a set of 427 cast iron headers for 25 bucks, for a friend's Ford pickup.  Younger folks don't realize what they missed.  

You aren't kidding, In college I had a 67 Fairlane I got for $1000, no rust, straight and a 428PI engine. I put a 4.10 rear in it. and I went racing..

Got stolen back in '90 in Tucson AZ.  Border Patrol found it about 3 years later deep in the desert, stripped and burned to a crisp.

After that I had a 70 Lincoln Mark III nicknamed "Satan's Ride"

It was jet black. , dark tinted windows, before all that was illegal.  and 10 inch wide tires, and trimmed springs that dropped it about 1 1/2 inch. And a stroked 460,, CJ heads and a blue thunder dual quad. Also a 4.10 rear.  4000lb + of pure highway terror.  A/C that would freeze a beef.

And 5 miles to the gallon. 

Oh I emailed you from my ford auto wrecking email about pics of the 4100 carb but it got kicked back to me.. I'm still working the programming bugs out of the webpage and email system, so maybe the fault is mine.   Email me back!  and I'll get you pics of the carb.

thanks!

Dane V

www.forautowrecking.com

SLC, UT

dammit, you old guys and your past rides are making me drool

 im 24 but i have a 69 Cougar that was my first car, another 69 Cougar XR7 that i paid $100 for, a 68 Galaxie Fastback with a 390 in it and a 72 Lincoln Mark IV. ("Satans Ride" gave me some ideas that i REALLY dont know if ill be able to resist doing... id rather sell the car before anything... i dont need 4 cars ya know? lol)

ahhhh... the Galaxie was $250 and has a 390. the C6 puked and my buddy Pete was all too generous in the building of a sick C6 for it. it has 3.89s and a locker. it was also in the April 06 readers rides so you can see it in its primer glory. ive got a 428 for it thats been sitting in pieces for far too long. Edelbrock heads and id LOVE to get the cast iron 427 manifolds, but i hear they dont clear the 68s stuff very well. after that the 428 goes in a Cougar and i build a turbo 460. the T70 turbo was also a generous gift from my buddy Pete.

i bought the Lincoln because a friend needed the money. but the more i drive it, the more i want to just screw with it. dammit.. anyone got $1000 to take it off my hands before i start messing with it??? cmon... it runs and drives! lol.

my first Cougar is my baby. gold with twin white stripes. 17inch Mustang Bullitt wheels and although its not mechanically wild, i still dig the car and its an excellent driver. has been for the last 6 years

my other Cougar was the $100 car. tons of surface rust but almost no cancer. i want to put the other 428 in it after i take it out the Galaxie. there was an Ebay 428 Cougar that was the same color, but a non XR7. the look of it with the big steelies and the scoop was all understated and just mean. i wanna do something like that.

ahhh.. well theres my start. i seem to buy a new car every year so we will see whats next ha ha.