If you've tried the bolt-on big-power makers like a solid roller cam with monster lift and you're tired of an engine that won't idle and only makes power at high rpm, then listen up. A forced-induction arrangement might be just what you need. Superchargers are mechanically driven while a turbo-charger is exhaust driven, but both do the same thing: force more air/fuel mixture into the combustion chamber. This makes for more power in a big way.
Our atmospheric pressure is approximately 14 psi, and it is this pressure that feeds our normally-aspirated engine. If we use a supercharger producing one atmosphere of boost, then the blower is adding 14 psi of induction pressure at the intake. That's a lot of boost, and a more streetable figure would be one half an atmosphere or about 7 psi. If we take a 300ci engine and add a blower running at 7 psi, then we have an engine functioning about the same as one with 450 ci normally aspirated. In practice, output would be somewhat less because blowers are not 100 percent efficient. Using one atmosphere of boost on a 300ci mill is like having almost 600 cubes underhood. It's easy to understand why forced induction is so popular because a small addition in size and weight means a huge power addition.
Accessible Technologies (ATI)...
Accessible Technologies (ATI) is a major player in the forced-induction field with its line of ProCharger superchargers.
Turbochargers produce boost just like a mechanically-driven blower but usually take longer to respond to the throttle and are a little more complicated to install. They do offer the advantage of having no parasitic power loss because they run on exhaust gases that are already on their way out of the engine.
Nitrous oxide is easy to install and doesn't require a mechanical device to push the gas into the engine because it's already under high pressure inside the bottle. Introduced into the fuel and air slipstream, it has the same function as a blower in that it adds more oxygen to the combustion chamber. As the nitrous is introduced, extra gasoline is added simultaneously. Let's take a look at some of the forced-induction products out there. There are many that would make a nice performance upgrade for your classic Ford.
 The heart of any blower system...  The heart of any blower system is the impeller. In a supercharger, the impeller is mechanically overdriven by over 4:1. |  This cutaway of the C-2 supercharger...  This cutaway of the C-2 supercharger offers some understanding of the blower's internal structure and the way air travels through it. |  This photo shows a typical...  This photo shows a typical installation of the Pro Charger on a Ford EEC-IV EFI engine. Those of you with classic Fords having EEC- IV EFI conversions might use this setup. |
 Although the two famous companies...  Although the two famous companies have combined to become one major player in the forced-induction field, Paxton and Vortech still offer separate product lines. |  This photo shows a typical...  This photo shows a typical Paxton installation on a carbureted 289 engine. The entire carburetor is enclosed in a pressurized dog house. |  Different brackets allow the...  Different brackets allow the same blower to be used in other applications. These allow you to use your Novi 2000 off a 289 on the taller 351 Windsor. |
 Here a complete kit from Paxton...  Here a complete kit from Paxton is installed on an EEC IV 351W engine. The supercharger mounting hardware has to be stout to prevent any flex at the blower. |  A modular conversion would...  A modular conversion would have an induction setup similar to the Paxton Novi 2000 shown here on a 4.6 Bullitt Mustang engine. |  Vortech offers several excellent...  Vortech offers several excellent blowers such as the V-1 S-Trim, V-2 SQ-SC Trim, V-2 S-Trim, V-1 T-Trim, and V-5 T-Trim. |
 Powerdyne makes a nifty belt-driven...  Powerdyne makes a nifty belt-driven supercharger for the 5.0 Ford. The belt-drive system is quiet so your car won't have the whine produced by other types of blowers. |  For those of us crazy enough...  For those of us crazy enough to try a brand-new '05 Mustang in our next classic-Ford project, Kenne Bell offers this brand new twin-screw unit for the 4.6 three-valve engine. |  One effective means of improving...  One effective means of improving blower efficiency is to use an intercooler to lower the air charge temperature as it leaves the blower. The unit shown here is a Paxton intercooler using air-to-air heat exchange. |
 These heat exchangers are...  These heat exchangers are for use in custom installations and come from ProCharger. They use an air-to-air or liquid-to-air method of heat exchange. One of these units could be the way to go on an early car. |  Kenne Bell offers twin-screw-configuration...  Kenne Bell offers twin-screw-configuration superchargers for small-block Ford engines using EFI. This Blowzilla unit is made especially for small-block EEC-IV EFI Ford engines like the 5.0 and 5.8 Windsor. There are also kits available for the 4.6 modular engines. |  Instead of having to change...  Instead of having to change fuel pumps to achieve optimum fuel flow, you can now use this cool accessory. |