Thought I would throw this up on the racing forum to remind us all of the name and reputation a Y block has among the general public who are realistic when it comes to our great engine's place in history (then and now).
I went to Carlisle, PA, today for their annual Ford show - lots of rain, so I hung out at all of the swap spaces that took about 3-4 hours of time to peruse. Wouldn't you know it...I spotted 2 mcculloch blowers. One was a demo "cutaway" version for a sales man I guess, and the other was one that had been rebuilt.
The owner and I began discussing VS57's because I was talking to him about Y blocks, needing a carb bonnet, etc. This eventually led to Ford and Paxton's work on the VR blower. Well, this fella was a Korean War vet, did some time as an NHRA official in the 50's etc.
He said there was a guy with a 57 Ford passenger car, blown 312 (VR57), back in the late 50's that ran at a drag race in Detroit, MI. He said this fella was eating up chevy's left and right. He also said that this Y blocker had put 4 speed gears in a 3 speed transmission case, and the NHRA allowed it because the rules were not specific enough...He mentioned John??? Hoosier could that have been you by any chance?
Anyway, it was good to spend some time with him benchracing the Y!
Daniel JessupLancaster, California
aka "The Hot Rod Reverend"
check out the 1955 Ford Fairlane build at www.hotrodreverend.com