Looked like any other Non-Mach 1 72 sportsroof. The 72 R code was a drivetrain option, so there was no exterior badges or special bling to let people know what you had. You could dress it up with any of the options available to a sportsroof. One could have had the 351HO in a Grande' with a flat hood and white walls.
Exceedingly rare... All R-codes came as 4-speeds. Marti's By the Numbers book doesn't split-out the Mach's from the Non-Mach sportsroofs, but it's pretty safe to assume that less than 20 were built. Marti can likely provide an exact figure.
We used to have a yellow R-code coupe here in Florida, that would show up at Mustang shows here and there. Only 19 coupes built.
The differences went beyond compression. Compared to the Boss 351 the HO was also missing the aluminum intake, the solid lifter cam, the adjustable rockers and the dual point distributor. That's what comes to my mind anyway. Even with those disadvantages, that Cleveland was still pretty capable.
It's a shame the Boss 351s were so rare. It was the most powerful small block of the era; easily capable of smoking most big block muscle cars. Although, it's not that hard to replicate that performance when building a 351 Cleveland 4V.
EDIT: My mistake. Apparently, the R code did have an adjustable valve train. I saw a lot of Clevelands back in the 70s and 80s and none of them had an adjustable valve train. Not surprising since that engine was so rare.
The differences went beyond compression. Compared to the Boss 351 the HO was also missing the aluminum intake, the solid lifter cam, the adjustable rockers and the dual point distributor. That's what comes to my mind anyway. Even with those disadvantages, that Cleveland was still pretty capable.
Yep- Basically the R code 351HO was a BOSS 351 with open-chamber heads. The camshaft was somewhat revised to account for the loss of compression. To say that Ford neglected to market the 351HO is an understatement.
The HO engine had flat top forged pistons unlike the domed version in the Boss . It did have a smaller mechanical cam , open chamber heads and YES it did have the D1ZX- CA aluminum intake and a 1 year only D2ZF GA carburetor. I had one "in a crate" From a Missouri Ford dealer. A real time capsule sold it many years ago after I put about 5,000 miles on it.
Randy
I also have an 2F02R - 1 of 30 non-Mach 1 R code sportsroofs in 72. 336 Mach 1, 30 sportsroof, 14 convertible, 4 Grande, 14 hardtop - 398 total. Not many left, especially the non-Mach 1 cars.
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