302 block
Cargo Master
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 2,571
Likes: 22
From: Oxford, Indiana
The early block will be a slightly thicker casting and will be heavier, but it's not really important unless you intend to make stupid amounts of horsepower. Dimensionally they are the same. The later block will also be machined for a 1-piece rear main seal where the earlier one will use a 2-piece. The 1-piece is preferred. The bigest difference is that the later block will probably have the taller lifter bores necessary for a roller camshaft. You can run a flat tappet cam in a late block with no problem, but it takes a later block if you want to run a roller cam with the factory roller components. I personally prefer the later blocks for everything I build.
Hotshot
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 16,138
Likes: 4,735
From: Burbank, WA
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Ford Parts Specialist
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 88,826
Likes: 783
From: Simi Valley, CA
The Versailles was basically a rebadged Granada/Monarch with a 'toilet seat' decklid.
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