There was an article in the September Hot Rod magazine about turning a 1963 Ford 312 into a 600Hp fire breather. The engine was bored and stroked to 355 cubic inches. The output was remarkable for a 355 cid engine that’s normally aspirated.
What caught my attention was that the pistons, connecting rods, crankshaft, camshaft, 2×4 tunnel ram intake, heads and carburetors were all replaced by high end (“expensive”) components! At a 14.25:1 compression ratio, racing fuel was needed. This was an expensive build!
Still a Ford 312 Y-block?
The block was the sole significant component from the original 312, and it was bored. Was this still a Ford Y-block 312? Technically, yes, but not really. In a similar vein, my daughter and I are attending a Foreigner concert in September, a band which will feature not one original member. Is it still ‘Foreigner’? I’d have to give a qualified “yes”. Regarding the engine, I guess you could ask “If not a Ford 312, then what else would you call it?” Good point.
Dyno Hijinx
Back in the day (and more recently) the dyno sheets from testing of various engines have at times caused confusion. Yeah, maybe your buddy had his worked-over 440 engine dyno’d at 520Hp, but that means very little for your 440. Or maybe the car was ‘supposed’ to be stock, but had head work, headers, cam, specially tuned carb(s) and reworked ignition. Sure, it’s still stock, right? Again, what does that mean for your 440 or anyone else’s? Not a lot, other than maybe demonstrating how well the 440 responds to modifications.
