1. Spend more gas.
2. Give it much more power.
3. Make the car go fast.
4. Spend more gas. - Oh I said that one already.

Well, You get the idea!

Depends if the car is a daily driver versus a weeknd cruiser. If it is a weekend cruiser, I say go for it..!!!!! On a 302, It will make a BIG difference!
Take off your old manifold and carb and keep it on the shelf.. Pickup an original cast iron manifold and a Autolite 4100 carb....Unless yu want to do the whole Edelbrock thing of course..... I always like to stay original Ford. That's just me.

 

Actually, if you change to a 500 cfm carb on a stock 2V engine, you can get better mileage. Unfortunately, the car will also have better throttle response and power, so good luck with actually trying to get that better mileage.

 

As always, 22GT makes a very good point. With a 4BBL carb, you can keep your foot out of it and just drive on the primaries which will result in very good fuel economy. But it sure is fun to stomp on it and hear those secondaries open up!

I don't know how availablility is in your area, but I've never found Ford 302 factory 4BBL intakes to be plentiful. Whenever I did find them, the sellers were awfully proud of them. So, if you can find a Ford 4BBL intake easily and cheaply, go for it. If you can't, go with an Edelbrock Performer RPM Air Gap. It's a very nice intake for a reasonable price.

I would also recommend the Edelbrock carburetor with an electric choke. It's great for the street. If you live near sea level, you can likely just bolt it on and go. But if you need to calibrate it, it's very easy.

I always believed one of the reasons Chevys got a reputation for being faster than Fords is because so many Fords came with 2BBL carburetors and so many Chevys came with 4BBL carburetors. Thus, your basic Chevy typically had more guts than your basic Ford. And, I believe this also why so many people are so often so very surprised when a high performance Ford blows away a Chevy. (Wait a minute. How can that Shelby Mustang beat that Corvette!)

 

If your motor is damn near all stock, I would keep the 2 barrel. I wouldn't throw o'reilly performance parts on a really nice car for almost no gain (eg. 25 hp that you'll never feel).

 

Well, you can find Edelbrock parts at O'Reilly, but they are far from "O'Reilly performance parts". I'm not sure why so many people bust on Edelbrock. Perhaps it's because they are so big and "mainstream" these days. I also think machine shops don't like them because they can't sell Edelbrock parts with a huge markup when they are available down the street with a minimal markup. So, if you mention anything Edelbrock to a machinist, he's likely to say, "That's all junk".

Consider Edelbrock started out just like Isky and the other old hot rod companies. They just got bigger. I have personally run Edelbrock components on a Ford daily driver and I was extremely pleased with the results.

 

Hahaha! Well, NEfaurora, I consider my Stang a worthwhile hobby, so I don't mind spending more in gas. Hell, I already go through gas like it was still as cheap as it was in 1968. I'm pretty much looking for all of those benefits, so the gas is worth it.

Eh, my car is a weekend car, NE and 22GT, so I'm not too worried about the better mileage. Plus, it's fun having people come up and talk to you every time you're getting gas. But they always seem to ask why I'm crouched down holding the nozzle to the side. Ha!

I've seen a few .302 4bbl manifolds around Phoenix on Craigslist, Klutch, but not many. And they're all a little pricey compared to others. What's the difference between the Autolite 4bbls and the Edelbrock?

Yeah, my engine is pretty much stock, except for the radiator, Wheelsup, but I do want a little more power off the line and at mid range. It's solid as-is, but that little extra could be loads of fun!

 

Yeah, my engine is pretty much stock, except for the radiator, Wheelsup, but I do want a little more power off the line and at mid range. It's solid as-is, but that little extra could be loads of fun!

Gotcha, a well matched HCI combo even on a stock shortblock can net wicked results. There are a bunch of guys going deep into the 11's, a few in the 10's, on a stockish 302 with HCI. 325-350hp is easily achievable.

if that is too much to bite at, start with gears. im guessing your car has 2.73s or 3.00's in it if it is stock. 3.50's to 3.73's will make the car feel much faster off the line for you.

ps. radiator isnt part of your engine.

 

If you're mostly stock, a fun combo is a Performer intake, Performer cam and a 500 cfm 4v carb on the intake. Summit has the identical cam grind and, I think, intake. Depends on your budget. A 4v carb on a little intake are a nice start. Add a little cam and there is more fun. Both swaps could be done in a single weekend depending.

 

Well, the previous owner put a cam in when he had the engine rebuilt. I have the spec sheet at home. I just need to dig it out of the file. If I post the specs on here, would that help yall give me some advice on the right manifold / carb combo?

 

Yep. Also, include trans gear ratios, rear end ratio, ignition mods if any, and what exhaust; meaning true dual, dual with "H" pipe and type of muffler(s).

 

Just curious why you call it a ".302" instead a 302 ?

 

Please forgive if this is naive question, but on a 1966 with a straight 6, 200 engine, does a carb upgrade make any sense? If so, what's viable given it's not one of the bigger engines?

 

Please forgive if this is naive question, but on a 1966 with a straight 6, 200 engine, does a carb upgrade make any sense? If so, what's viable given it's not one of the bigger engines?

Start another thread with this question. It's an entirely different ballgame doing an I6.

 

You know, LDouble, I'm not sure. I also collect guns, so it may be force of habit from writing calibers. Odd. I've never noticed that. Ha!

I'll grab all those specs later today when I get home Victor. Sounds good! Thanks!

Yeah, Klutch, I'm looking for street performance. I like to play on the highway, too, but the way the front suspensions are on Mustangs, and me wanting to keep it at least looking stock, I'm not as worried about top end.