From what all you are saying I’m guessing the right side of an early or late, Thunderbird or passenger car will exchange and the exhaust pipe will fit. My 56 car has a flat top on the left and a 55-6 round on the right. I bought a right side flat top but have not put it on because not knowing if the exhaust pipe would fit as is. I also see there is a butterfly eliminator available and mine is wired open. Now I think I’ll purchase one and put it on thanks to this discussion.

56 Vic, B'Ville 200 MPH Club Member, So Cal.

Sounds like you're having fun.

I prefer function over form, but occasionally we can have both. If a car is trailered, or sits in a museum, function is not important. Personally, I can't see owning a car that can't/won't be driven. 

My original, oil-bath air cleaner for the Tea Pot was modified for a pcv valve. the steel mesh was compromised, and I feared it could be sucked into the carburetor. I sold it for $25. I should have kept the base, but it would not fit a 57-up carburetor. A 57 repop air cleaner is $450. 

I have nothing against originality, but I don't get seeing a dozen identical cars, parked side-by-side. You've seen one, you've seen them all, so to speak. However, I have retained all original take-off parts, other than the air cleaner and leaf springs. There are no mods that can't be undone. 

Mine has a Moroso 1/2 inch spacer on a "B" four barrel manifold with a "Demon" Holley 4160 style carb. Thermal break works just fine at 1/2 inch. After many trials - I found that it would fit the oval air cleaner up under the hood scoop. The air pan (hot air deflector) is mounted on nylon standoffs attached to the bottom of the air cleaner. It all just pops right off.

There is a fellow here in Tucson with a '56 truck that he shows - used to be seen here a lot. Every time I saw it with the hood open, he had the engine dressed differently! After talking to him about the changes, I adopted a similar approach just for the fun of it.  Takes a pair of valve covers, three wing nuts and an air cleaner that clears the hood. I know he has at least four different set-ups and I have the street driving air pan as well as three or four others I have gathered after I knew the drill! I have a set of chromed "Mercury" script covers in honor of my dad (he was the family Merc man), several tins with various Y-block decals and script - and a set of the Aluminum t-bird dress-up covers. 55 and 57 stock air cleaners and several other aluminum versions. Let your pocketbook be your guide! (My mrs hates this attitude).  

 
 Steve Metzger       Tucson, Arizona

Do you have hood clearance issues with the oval air cleaner? Using a carb spacer?

I have a Billet Specialties oval air cleaner, 15 x 8 1/2 x 2, on top of a Holley 4150 Street Avenger 570. There is no room for a carb spacer, but hood will close if just using a paper gasket between B manifold and carburetor. The oval air cleaner has a flat base. It looks great, but I would like to use a phenolic spacer. I might get a cheap drop-base round air cleaner and use 1/2-1-inch spacer. If I want to show my car, I can swap air cleaners. I just have to remember to not close the hood.

I took the temperature of my stock cast iron manifolds yesterday Left 538, Right 496. I would have thought the right smaller diameter passenger car manifold would have read the higher of the two 🤔. I’m going to order 2 replacement manifolds from CASCO and have them ceramic coated. I’ll post results. Be well!

1955 312 T-Bird Warwick, NY

The standard iron exhaust manifolds - parked at hot idle in my driveway with the hood up - 525º F.
After the coating process, same exact conditions - 325º F

The fellow I talked to at the vendor - this is many years ago now - told me to expect about a 200º drop and he was nuts on. My buddy just called them the other day to get a Jeep manifold coated and he told me that they quoted $115 for the single, 4 cyl casting. I think the bird set cost me $225 plus shipping - best money I've spent!

Yes, I put a heat shield on the battery and it works - but looks - not so great. May end up at right rear in the trunk someday. My bird is a HOT ROD - not a show car.  
The air pan for the carb really drops the intake air temp a huge amount - old info from the Holley manuals says you get about 1 HP per 10º F drop. The radiator on a T-bird ducts its air right into the carb and except in the winter in Michigan, or Wyoming - can't be good. When the pan is in place ( I designed it for easy removal ) you can feel the torque difference on a hot day. 107º here yesterday. Seals to the hood with MOROSO fire resistant foam.






 
 Steve Metzger       Tucson, Arizona

Some time ago I installed a dual master cylinder in my TBird.  When I did, I left out the stock battery heat shield.  Within 6 months, the heat from the engine cooked the battery to the point of cracking the case.  After cleaning up that mess, I reinstalled the heat shield with no further issues.  It gets hot under there. 

Nice, it would be interesting to benchmark the temperature of the stock manifolds vs your ceramic coated manifolds. Hopefully later this week I’ll have time.

1955 312 T-Bird Warwick, NY

Will try to find my old file photo - taken when they came back from JetHot. They are not the only vendor of this high temp ceramic coating - just happened to be near me.



They are coated inside and out as standard practice at this vendor. Guys have told me that the coating lasts virtually forever......

 
 Steve Metzger       Tucson, Arizona

Hi Steve, anything to reduce the engine compartment temp has my interest: any chance you could upload a photo of the finish on the exterior of the manifold?

Best Regards

1955 312 T-Bird Warwick, NY