50 Ford Performance Tips & Tricks

AOD Me
An AOD conversion for your vintage Ford can be an intimidating order because many special parts are required. Now, the folks at Windsor-Fox can help because they offer this cool kit for your conversion project. There's no need to hunt around because the kit has most of what you'll need, including a custom-made crossmember designed for your application, the correct-balance flexplate, a Windsor-Fox transmission control cable kit, and a special design shift rod that allows the use of your car's stock shifter. Shorten the driveshaft by one inch, use a C4 transmission mount, and you'll be ready to cruise into overdrive. Info: Windsor-Fox, Dept. MF, 18737 Hwy. 18, P.O. Box 2683, Apple Valley, CA 92307; (760) 946-FUEL.

No More Mystery
Sometimes it's not easy to decide just what combination of parts to use when extra horsepower is what you're after. Let Edelbrock take the mystery out of it with one of their component-matched Total Power Packages. The parts in these kits are designed to work perfectly with each other to produce optimum power. The packages are available in several performance levels, so you can choose one that's best suited to your needs, from mild-street to full-race applications. Info: Edelbrock, Dept. MF, 2700 California St., Torrance, CA 90503; (310) 781-2222.

Room to Spare
When it's time to upgrade the exhaust side of your engine, you'll often find that a set of headers is too expensive, or that there is not a set made to fit your application. The best solution we know of are these K-code exhaust manifolds. They're reproductions of a stock Ford casting originally made for the '63 Hi-Po cars. Available from a variety of sources, they flow almost as well as a set of headers, fit most vintage Fords with the Windsor engine, and give your car a sanitary look underhood while still delivering great performance. Another added plus is that they're quiet, so you won't have the old ping-ping coming from under the hood.

Brace Yourself
On early Fords like the Mustang or Fairlane, the shock tower braces often end up in the way when you're doing underhood modifications such as EFI or a different carb and air cleaner setup. These braces are very important to your car's structural integrity and can't be eliminated. One solution is to fabricate smaller braces to replace the factory units. The Windsor-Fox braces shown here have aircraft-type Heim joints, which makes them adjustable, and will clear almost any underhood modification.

Pulley Power
One inexpensive way to gain some extra power at the rear wheels is to install a set of accessory underdrive pulleys from BBK. Used on serpentine accessory drive systems, these pulleys should be good for between 5 and 10 extra horsepower at the rear wheels. Info: BBK Performance, Dept. MF, 1611 Railroad St., Corona, CA 91720; (909) 735-8880.

Pump Me Up
Anyone contemplating an EFI conversion on a vintage Ford will be pleased to learn that it's no longer mandatory to go with an in-tank fuel pump. The extra expense of a special fuel tank can be avoided by using an external fuel pump similar to the Ford Racing Performance Parts' unit shown here. Simply attach the pump to the car in a convenient location, and you can use your existing fuel tank with no modifications other than setting up a fuel return line.

Cover Me
If you're after the high-performance look for your engine at a minimum cost, consider a set of these "Power By Ford" valve covers offered on '68-'69 Mustangs. They're genuine Ford with the classic '60s stylized lettering, and we found these for a mere $15, breather and PVC hose included. A few minutes in the sand blaster and some rattle-can paint had us ready to go.