All 292’s and 312’s in 1957 Ford cars are classified as ‘Thunderbird’ V8’s.  This does make for some confusion as everyone wants to believe their particular engine actually came from a Thunderbird when in reality it was from a car.

Lorena, Texas (South of Waco)

That was my next question,is there any difference between a Fairlane and a Thunderbird 312?From what I've been reading it sounds like there is. It could be a Fairlane 312 dressed in thunderbird acesseries. I'll have to see if the owner  would drop the pan and look at the main caps/crankshaft. It would be better for him to know what he's selling anyway.

A T-bird motor will have a different harmonic balancer, a different generator location, a water pump spacer, a different thermostat housing, a tach drive distributor, and I think a couple other things. As Ted said, T-bird valve covers were installed on car engines. It doesn't mean it's a T-bird motor.

If that motor came from a T-bird, the correct T-bird parts are long gone and passenger car parts are now installed. Basically, it is no longer a T-bird motor, if it ever was one, and it's certainly not worth $1000. Not to me, anyway.


Lawrenceville, GA

The motor looks like it has the side breather which the thunderbird does not and it looks like the valley pan does not have the draft tube on it either. Probably not from a Thunderbird car.

  Vic Correnti

Thunderbirds used a rear sump oil pan, passenger cars front sump, trucks more a tub shape than a front or rear sump.

John - "The Hoosier Hurricane"

Here are a few pictures of the 1957 312 y-block we bought last week for $350.00 .



Here are the markings that I have found so far.

Driver's side head - ECZ-G

Intake - ECZ-9425-B

Block - driver's side - ECZ-6015-C

Pass side - looks like 8A followed by a V with an o inside



















I took picture of all the markings, the last picture is the intake.



Also here is a new picture of the 256 y-block in my 54 Mercury with the valve covers installed.






Jeff Leydig
Stallions Auto Interiors
Stearns, Ky. USA