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Tech | Drivetrain Upgrade
Our ‘68 Torino GT is factory original in every way except for a 4V carb and intake. At just over 100,000 miles, the drivetrain seems to be fine, making no serious noises. We’re planning on some power upgrades in months to come and when the opportunity arose to visit Currie Enterprises of Anaheim, California, to have the company inspect the rear axle on our car, we we’re glad to visit.

Photo Gallery: 1968 Ford Torino GT Currie Enterprised Axle Upgrade – Modified Mustangs & Fords

Photo Gallery: 1968 Ford Torino GT Currie Enterprised Axle Upgrade – Modified Mustangs & Fords

Tech | Cold Air Induction System Install
It’s no secret that on our classic Ford cars the factory passenger car air cleaner assembly wasn’t designed for maximum horsepower. Rather, a major consideration in the factory design was intake noise suppression. Some factory designed air cleaners came with an open element to reduce intake restriction, but this still doesn’t address the issue of engine-heated air being drawn into the carburetor. An open element design will draw the same hot air that the factory enclosed unit will (just more of it) and for this story we wanted to know if getting colder air into our engine would make a difference on a popular classic small-block Ford. Our ‘68 Torino GT is an original F-code 302 2V-equipped vehicle with a factory style air cleaner, stock exhaust manifolds, and single exhaust; a good representative of a basic Ford small-block project car. It has a C4 three-speed automatic transmission and an 8-inch axle with 2.79 gears. Other than a 500 cfm Edelbrock four-barrel carb and Performer 302 intake manifold, the engine is completely stock. The cam is so mild that it noses over at 4,200 rpm, but the car idles in gear like a sewing machine. With the mild cam and single exhaust it’s difficult to hear the engine running inside the car. It’s the perfect passenger car engine found in many Ford cars of the era. It was made to idle for hours in Manhattan traffic if need be. Our car was factory rated at 200 horsepower at the engine.

Photo Gallery: 1968 Ford Torino GT Spectre Performance Cold Air Induction Performance Enhancer – Modified Mustangs & Fords

Photo Gallery: 1968 Ford Torino GT Spectre Performance Cold Air Induction Performance Enhancer – Modified Mustangs & Fords

Tech | Piston And Ring Technologies
Whether you’re considering new cars, or the high-performance aftermarket, engines are being built with more power than ever before. Items like power adders, multiple camshafts, and EFI tend to get all the glory, but it’s true that virtually no stone has been left unturned in the quest for improved efficiency and power. Buried beneath all the flash, pistons and rings play an obviously critical, though somewhat overlooked role in the success of any engine. Influencing horsepower and durability, piston and ring technology has evolved through the years, and we felt it pertinent to review current thinking.

Photo Gallery: Exploring Piston And Ring Technologies – Modified Mustangs & Fords

Photo Gallery: Exploring Piston And Ring Technologies – Modified Mustangs & Fords