@bosswrench posted:Some early 351-Windsor blocks turn out to have the same thin cylinder walls as was infamous for Clevelands, as the Ford Casting Plant #1 in Cleveland switched its casting technique to the new upside-down 'thin-wall' method. So using a W block is not an automatic free pass in overboring. I've also heard of wall problems with early 302 blocks, for the same reason.
On a pair of 0.030"-over blocks- one later blew during a SS race, and another that cracked after a backfire (cold engine) on the starting line, (coolant running out the right tailpipe), I found pieces of off-center cylinder wall only 0.070" thick. Chevy guys get nervous if their cylinder walls drop below 0.200"- which NO factory Cleveland ever had. I suggest sonic testing ANY '70-74 V-8 Ford blocks for wall thickness checks, if you intend to bore oversize. YMMV....
Just two weeks ago I saw a NEW NASCAR XE block. It was brand new, in a Ford box with the original Ford Service Parts order label on it, from the ordering dealer. It had the Gelong icon and was still in the cosmolene.
It was standard bore and came with a sonic testing chart. There were no cylinders less then .280" thick.
It was the first one I saw close up and I think it was closer to 100 pounds heavier then my D2 4 bolt block. What a chunk of iron...and yes it APPEARED to be legit!
I didn't buy it because the price was $3500 FIRM. Of course if I had the money I'd probably be staring at it right now.
That B9 might be the one that they ran at Bonneville. Mike Cook may have something to do with that as well, if you can find him.
You are no better off on a production Windsor. They are thin wall casting like all Ford PRODUCTION blocks are.
I think the latest "Ford Racing" aftermarket "Boss 302" block (a 351W) WAS the most reasonable at something like $2,200 from Summit?
As stated previously, the Windsor block in a Pantera chassis is going to take "just a little bit" of modification and if you aren't using Cleveland heads, you were missing the point entirely. Using Windsor heads isn't really where you want to go.
You should have by now (50 years later) seen the data I would think?