Well here goes! After a year and a half of tinkering around I finally started with something worth while. The 351 Cleveland! The car for all intensive purposes should run. My dad had it running years back when it bent two rods and shattered a cylinder wall and piston. So the stock 302 was pulled and scrapped. I then stumbled across another block.. I then found much to my dismay that this was the infamous 255 block.... Seeing as how this was no where near what I wanted I passed. The car become to much of a cost concern and so it got pulled around the corner and not really messed with since. Well on tuesday things took a change for the better. My grandad had a 1973 Ford Mustang Grande with a 351 Cleveland that I could never decide on. After finally having enough I decided that I would least give it a chance. 3.5 hours into it me and my buddy had it out heads off and all. As you hopefully can see I have so much work to do but here goes the adventure! Questions and suggestions welcome!
I can't see any pics. I hope you putting a mustang 2 front end under it, a Cleveland is gonna be a tight fit.
I've had my Cleveland in my Maverick 2 different ways. The first was done back in the early 90's keeping all of the original suspension and using headers from Tubular Automotive. It was a tight fit, made even tighter by not shaving the towers back. Look at my pictures and you can see the current "other way" using a Mustang II front suspension and completely removing the towers right up to the firewall. I built a street cage and re-tied the front frame rails back to the cage. Doing it the stock way I would highly suggest you trim back the towers. The Mustang II way is somewhat of a bear using a Cleveland due to the cross member notch out in the Canton swap oil pan, limiting you on the placement of the engine. I even had to make a bracket to drop the rack so the engine didn't have to sit as high as it would with the rack in the stock location. So the Cleveland sits a little bit higher and a little bit more forward than it should but no way excessive. Either way has it's challenges
I see the error in my pics and I apologize when I have a bit more time I'll sit and try to figure the posting out. As for the engine bay I plan to cut the shock towers back for now. Due to low funds and time I can't build the dream car quite Yet but want to get a nice base started. I don't plan on a mustang II suspension due to the fact that the entire suspension will under major overhaul when I get the chance! I'm hoping to get the Cleveland to around 300-400 hp and make upgrades as I go to include but limited to: 4 way disc brakes, complete aftermarket suspension to include double adjustable shocks and computer remote, completely refurbished fuel and ignition system an so much more! Let me look into the pics though and I'll get back to you with those!
