I went to the one of the largest weekly car shows in the North West a week or so ago and took my 53', she came with a flatty (block was cracked:/) but I worked for over a year to build a Y block and make it fit in her. Other than a couple of T-Birds, I was the only guy with a Y block at the show, their were hundreds of cars, and many of them would have had a Y's stock in them. My old girl is not much to look at yet, but she was a great conversation piece, tons of people came up to me and commented on her. It's fun being different from nearly everyone else (especially the sea of Ford owners that use scrub power)...

-Johnny

Portland, OR

Thanks again guy i will be looking for a 312 again or a 292

Definately seek a Y block. I have a 79 F150 with the 351M, had it for 20 years as a regular driver but last few years have not been able to afford to drive it, 11MPG at best and I just replaced the motor with a freshened onE and no better mileage, should have put a Y block in it! then at least I would get 16 to 23!

55 Vicky & customline

58 Rack Dump, 55 F350 yard truck, 57 F100

59 & 61 P 400's, 58 F100 custom cab, 69 F100, 79 F150, 82 F600 ramp truck, 90 mustang conv 7 up, 94 Mustang, Should I continue?

No question! Build a 292/312 or a 312 out of a 292. I will cost less in the long run, the car will have more value, run better and your Y-Block brothers will be much happier with you.

   God Bless.   Tim                           http://yblockguy.com/

350ci Y-Block FED "Elwood", 301ci Y-Block Unibody LSR "Jake", 312ci Y-Block '58 F-100, 338ci Y-Block powered Model A Tudor

tim@yblockguy.com  Visalia, California    Just west of the Sequoias

I think the very early powerglides had to be shifted manually.

Butchering up everything I can get my hands on in Dayton Ohio

Paul:

GM powerglides were 2 speed transmissions, they had no 2nd gear. Just low and drive. Not the same as FOMs.

John - "The Hoosier Hurricane"

I have since found a company that will make the FOM start out in first and at the time I yanked the original motor and trans did not know by putting the pedal to the floor it would start out in first,I knew about manually shifting them but was used to more modern automatic trans and those hyrdamatics and did not care much for the FOM. Might have been a good trans just to cruise around in but was not impressed with it after driving others.

Butchering up everything I can get my hands on in Dayton Ohio

Actually, FOMs were quite good transmissions..yes they do start in 2nd gear while in Drive, (G.M. Powerglides are the same) but if you're in a hurry, is it really all that difficult to engage Low? And if you understand the trans, from Low, above 20 mph, put the lever momentarily back into drive & then snap it back into Low, & now it's locked in 2nd.. it's a fun move & works quite well... But don't forget to engage Drive again, before decending down to 20mph again.

Paul

I wish I had stayed with my original plan to rebuild the original 272 but adapt a modern trans but I listened to a friend instead,all this went down before I got a computer and found out about the new parts being made for them. After driving mid 50s olds for years with the hydramatic the FOM sucked putting it mildly so I wanted nothing to do with it,I have noticed the 272 seemed to have more torque then the 351 I have in it now and cant wait to get the 292 rebuilt and installed but I need to raise the cash to do it so it might be a couple years so my advice it to find a Y block.

Butchering up everything I can get my hands on in Dayton Ohio