Hi Andrew,

Getting 350-400 neddies out of a Windsor *and* retaining a reasonable
modicum of drivability is a bit of a self defeating act, as Windsor's sadly
suffer from to very major problems: (a) the factory non performance engines
have weak bottom ends at best, and (b) they have very average cylinder heads
that don't allow very good airflow.

I can vaguely remember offering you some advice come time ago, and like you
I've lost it as well :) However, I'd offer this advice up front to save you
a lot of trouble: I know it's an old clich?, but it's very true (especially
with Windsor's) in that how powerful and reliable you can make the engine is
entirely dependent on your budget.

If money isn't an object, then I'd advise you get yourself the best pair of
cylinder heads you can buy (Brownfield, or AirFlow Research as they're known
today) make an *excellent* set for small block Fords), a set of Carrillo,
Kryptonite or Crower rods in 6 inch length, keep the bore as close to
standard as is humanly possible, a Scat 4130 crankshaft in standard stroke
(stay away from stroked Windsor's at all costs), a 4 bolt main steel cap
conversion, a quality *externally balanced* crank pulley (make sure you get
the matching crankshaft and flywheel or flexplate), a nice roller cam,
rocker & spring package and a nice port injected manifold & throttle body.

Of course, if chucking that 15 grand at the engine is beyond you, then there
are other, less expensive options.

If you are on a tight budget, then you can get away with a lot of factory
items *provided* you spend the money on the important bits that improve both
efficiency *and* reliability.

With this in mind, I'd look for a set of 289HP connecting rods (they have
bigger 3/8 inch bolts with better heads), a quality set of pistons, a very
good crank pulley (Windsor's suffer badly from harmonics problems,
especially if they're revved up), and the best pair of heads you can
possibly afford.

A good eccono-engine is a home made "Boss", using a pair of Cleveland closed
chamber heads with an after-market manifold, and a reasonably large Holley
(say, a 750). If you don't like that option, then search for a set of 4V
Windsor heads, but they're quite hard to find in usable condition. Cast GT
40 heads are a tad better than the original 4V's, but they're on the pricey
side compared to the Cleveland head swap, and the 2V Cleveland heads with 4V
vales will outflow them in an instant.

Use your standard 302 crank, but invest in a top and bottom stud kit, some
steel caps if you can afford it, and a windage tray will also help.

What manifold you use will depend entirely on which way you go with the
heads, and if you opt for the "Boss" option there's not too many available.
The commonly available "Boss" after-market manifold is an almost exact
replica of the original Ford Boss 302 manifold, and it flows very well
indeed. If you go with the Windsor style heads, the Holley Strip Dominator
or Victor manifolds both work extremely well in the upper rpm ranges, while
the Edlebrock F4B dual plane is an excellent all round performer.

It's an oldie, but it works very well indeed. Especially with a large carb
and a 2 inch spacer.

Don't be conned into headers with overly large primary pipes, as while they
might look tough they'll kill bottom end if they're too big. Something in
the inch and 5/8 range will work well, with a 3 inch collector around 8-12
inches long would be ideal, but it all depends on how much clearance you
have.

Camshaft choice is the toughie, and you can't decide on that until you've
got the head/manifold/carb combo worked out.

Hope this helps,

--
Regards,
Noddy.