I have used Red's Y Block Headers in the past in a 1957 Ford Passenger car.  They're not fancy, but they work.  Anyone tried them in a 1955 Thunderbird with a manual transmission?    What are other alternatives to stock exhaust manifolds.

FPA.   Best header for torque and horsepower out there short of custom.  Ceramic coated and fit snug to engine.  I recently tried to get a set of headers made for my '55 Thunderbird, and the so called "header guru" quoted me a price of $3500.00 and I would have to take the car to Charlotte for the fitting.  My FPAs made the best score on a dyno test recently among five different brands.   Joe-JDC.  

JDC

In Ted's testing, the FPA headers were right at the top and are the best headers you can buy off-the-shelf for a Y, period.  Too bad they only fit T-Birds.

http://forums.y-blocksforever.com/FindPost99070.aspx



Lawrenceville, GA

I’ve run both sets on my 55 bird, manual trans. The Red’s aren’t a true “Tri-Y”, as the primary tubes aren’t paired to the firing order. There’s a pipe available that goes from the exit and snakes down the the original exhaust system. Kind of an S bend. It’s 1 1/2” or so, and mates to the stock muffler. They looked good, fit well, and held up fine. But they don’t buy you a lot of power due to the size restriction.

The FPA’s are just what Ted’s results showed. They also fit well, but they’ve got a bigger collector. The ones on the car now have a 2 1/4” exhaust, exiting behind the rear wheel. My car has a tri-4 bar with coil overs in back, otherwise I would have gone 2 1/2”.

Based only on the seat of my pants, I’d say there’s not much difference with a stock motor and full exhaust system. You start adding ported head, more cam, at one point I ran an SN series supercharger, the FPA’s start to post the gains. Currently, the car runs a 10.5 to 1 compression and aluminum heads. No doubt in my mind the FPA’s are needed with those mods.

miker
55 bird, 32 cabrio F code
Kent, WA
Tucson, AZ

Thanks for the replies.  When I pulled the motor out of my 55 TBird, I found two different types of exhaust manifolds.  One side was the original 55 and the other was from an early sixties Y block of some kind.  I would like to find two 1957 TBird exhaust manifolds which I assume are rare and pricey.  I ran a set of FPA headers in a 1957 Ford a few years back and I liked the quality.  I am not a serious racer.  My car has 57 heads, intake and valve train.  I am building a new motor with an Isky E4 cam.   I am looking for options.

Right side exhaust manifold is same as passenger car, left side is T-Bird only

Sanderson also makes a set of headers for the T-Bird (FTB1:$575.00 coated) although not as good as the FPA's.

This guy may have a set of 57 manifolds for a Tbird 

Adrian, lilbirds567@wmconnect.com.  No idea what he would want for them





54 Victoria 312;  48 Ford Conv 302, 56 Bird 312
Forever Ford
Midland Park, NJ

I emailed Adrian and he has a 1957 Thunderbird driver side exhaust manifold he will sell me for $175.  In the photo he sent me the middle casting number is "9429" and the bolts are broken off in the exhaust flange.   Isn't the right casting number for a 1957 Thunderbird Exhaust manifold ECJ-9431-C?

Phil.  I checked with a friend who has been into 'Birds forever.  In checking his parts, he has an ECJ 9431-C exhaust manifold tagged as being off a '57 Bird driver's side.  He also has an ECJ 9431-A exhaust manifold tagged as being off a '56 Bird driver's side. 

Other than the casting number, I don't know the difference in the castings.

IF you can reference Gil Baumgartner's authored Classic Thunderbird Club International Thunderbird Restoration Manual, you will likely be able to obtain more info.  I don't have access to the book at this writing.   

Hope this helps.


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