Carburetion Upgrade
This is one of the oldest hot-rodding tricks in the world, but it yields snappy, bolt-on power you can enjoy in a matter of hours. Take the factory carburetor and intake manifold, place them on a shelf wrapped in plastic, and visit the Internet for terrific aftermarket induction systems that will get your Ford hopping in short order.
When you upgrade to an Edelbrock Performer RPM or a Weiand Stealth manifold, you are improving the way your vintage Ford V-8 breathes. What makes these manifolds better than stock cast-iron is obvious . . . even if you have a four-barrel carburetor under the air cleaner. A cast-aluminum, high-rise intake manifold gets rid of unnecessary heat and weight. It also gets you larger ports and an improved plenum. What makes today's aftermarket intake manifolds clearly better than even those old Cobra high-rises is the way the runners are designed. Those long runners have higher ceilings for a greater torque curve that keeps your Ford V-8 pulling like stink across the rpm ranges. Those older high-rises were more for high rpm and with less low-end torque going on.
The Holley Street Dominator dual-plane intake manifold is virtually identical to a stock dual-plane four-barrel carburetor manifold. This is affordable four-barrel induction that will serve the daily driver well. Because this is a dual-plane manifold with long runners, it makes good low-end torque. Bolt a Holley 1850 600-cfm four-holer on top for a noticeable improvement in performance.
This is the Weiand 7282 dual-plane intake manifold for FE-series Ford big-blocks like the 352, 360, and 390. It is not recommended for the 406, 410, and 428ci engines due to port sizing. This manifold will shave a lot of weight off the front end of your FE-powered Ford. Opt for a 650-cfm Holley 4160 on top. Don't forget a 1-inch carb spacer for improved torque and less heat at the fuel bowls.
Here's the Weiand X-celerator single-plane intake manifold. it isn't recommended for street use because it doesn't provide good low-end torque, but if you are going racing and need torque at high revs, a single-plane manifold is for you.
This is the Weiand 8011 high-rise, dual-plane manifold, similar to the classic Cobra high-rise manifold, which is based on the Edelbrock F4B high-rise manifold from the '60s and '70s. The F4B was a great manifold because it offered a nice torque curve that gave us grunt at all rpm ranges.
Here's the Weiand Stealth dual-plane intake manifold. Its runners are taller with smooth bends, which yields a terrific torque curve from idle to high rpms. Think of this manifold as a technological leap for dual-plane carbureted manifolds. The Edelbrock Performer RPM is in the same league.
The Holley 1850 classic street performance carburetor inhales 600 cfm with the butterflies pinned. This is a good, easy-to-service, street-performance carburetor designed for small-block Fords.
Here's the center-pivot fuel bowl Holley 4160 carburetor, which is more appropriate for combination street and strip activities. Most common sizes are 650 cfm and 750 cfm for small- and big-block Fords. Rule of thumb: do not over carburete.