With the 40th Anniversary of the Street Rod Nationals, it was a perfect time for Street Rodder and Ford Racing's recognition of street rodders who install a late-model Ford engine in a Ford hot rod. Our search led us to Gary Salter of Broomfield, Colorado, who is our latest award recipient with his '34 Ford sedan delivery fitted with a new Ford 302ci crate V-8 engine linked to a C4 transmission. As co-owner of Rocky Mountain Street Rods in Arvada, Colorado, he wanted to build a signature, traditional hot rod to showcase his shop's talents. Starting with a rarely seen body style, he perched it atop a Roadster Shop chassis with a Heidts Superide frontend and Ford 9-inch rearend. Its body was massaged to perfection and coated in PPG black by Brad Aregood, while Jim Skinner at Auto Weave laid down the hides to cover the interior. Rolling on Wheel Vintiques wire wheels topped with BFGoodrich rubber, the car achieves a classic look. Congratulations to Gary who will receive a limited edition jacket and be in the running for the grand prize-a brand-new Ford crate engine.
Q: What imbalance does a Ford have when picking damper or flywheel, and how do you identify it?
A: If you're picking up a used engine from a vehicle it's good to know what you're starting with, as there are a number of differences between years:
'81 and newer 302 is 50-ounce imbalance
'80 and older 302 is 28-ounce imbalance
All 351Ws are 28-ounce imbalance
Many new crate engines come with a neutral balance crankshaft. While it can often be hard to tell on an existing engine, sometimes the crankshaft damper is a giveaway as to the imbalance because they bolt weights onto the back of them.
No weight = 0 imbalance.
A weight sticking out about 1/4 inch = 28-ounce imbalance
A weight sticking out about 3/8 inch = 50-ounce imbalance
Of course we always recommend contacting the damper or flywheel manufacturer to be 100 percent certain. Balance is critical to the longevity of these engines. If there is still any doubt, you can have the existing parts tested at many engine shops to determine their exact imbalance.
The new Ford 302ci crate engine...
The new Ford 302ci crate engine looks perfect bolted to the 'rails. Sporting Ford Racing valve covers and breathers, it gets plenty of spark from MSD while loads of chrome accessories add just enough vibrance to the mix. Power runs through a C4 trans linked to a Ford 9-inch rearend.
Gary's '34 Ford sedan delivery...
Gary's '34 Ford sedan delivery was completed by the team at Rocky Mountain Street Rods in Arvada, Colorado.