Took my 55 ford Mainline 4 dr on its first road trip saturday.We went to a hot rod cruise in Longwood FL total distance about 120 miles.I know thats not much,but the car hasnt been farther than 10 miles from home since I got it running.No trouble of any sort,ran along at 55 turning about 2500 rpm in 3rd gear.I am pretty pleased.The car is fresh mechanically but is still in the" primer and only a front seat stage".Engine is a 30 over 292 with an isky cam,pocket ported 113s and a 600 edelbrock on a B manifold.Heads have been shaved 020" and block decked 015".Seems to run really well.I know this is all pretty pedestrian but I am pleased.

Pedestrian build?  Maybe if you run some kind of auto machine shop and push out competition engines on a regular basis. 

For those of us who are hobbyists and have
- possibly made a living doing quite unrelated things in life,
- 'efforted' to school ourselves in '54-'64 y-block component variations and nuances,
- theorized an optimum combination of possible components for our vehicle's intended use,
- hunted down mixed year and application 50 to 60 year old original equipment 'best' component parts,
- worked through the reconditioning and assembly of those sought after components, and
- produced a properly running, reliably performing engine with performance that brings a smile to our face... 
You've accomplished something very significant and amazingly satisfying.  Congratulations!  Enjoy!

I suspect that the more you were able to do yourself, the broader your smile.  
Thanks for sharing.    


NoShortcuts
a.k.a. Charlie Brown
near Syracuse, New York

Congratulations and be quite proud of any and all the work you performed.  120 miles is indeed a good test.  Your engine build sounds like a nice ‘old school’ combination and with the 113 heads, should run really quite well.

Lorena, Texas (South of Waco)

Thank you both! Charlie I do build racing engines on a regular basis but they are for motorcycles. I have spent 6 months short of the last 40 years teaching Harley-Davidson engine repair at a voc-ed school.This is the first Y block I have worked on since the early 70s.

Sounds good, They do run pretty well for a 60 Year old combo.! Kinda like Harleys!
    ( Triumph owner!)

Frank/Rebop

Bristol, In ( by Elkhart) 

An old Triumph or one of the new ones? I love the old Triumphs and always have.

I have an '03 Thunderbird Sport, That's a 900cc triple. I sold my old Brit bike a couple years ago, tat was a 68 BSA 650 Firebird. High pipe scrambler. Hated to sell, but needed the cash. 

Frank/Rebop

Bristol, In ( by Elkhart) 

Frank;
I know what you mean...My very first bike was 1958 BSA Gold Star 500cc single flat track bike. Wish I still had that one now!!

  Ron Lane,  Meridian, ID

Ron, 
        I wish I had it too! Almost had a goldie once, lost it when somebody offered the owner more than I could afford. Probably worth 50 times that today. It was Clubman, the Road Race version.

Frank/Rebop

Bristol, In ( by Elkhart) 

Closest I ever came to a Goldie was a modified B33-not too close! I have owned quite a few A65-A50 type BSAs,but do not currently own a Brit of any sort,just Harleys.Oldest one is a 38 U ,newest is a 69FL.