Actually, the new 302ci motor is a true 5.0L. The older push rod motor was only 4.942L but they rounded it to 5.0.

The new one is 4.951cc so it technically needs to be rounded to 5.0.

But it is trivial at best.

 

I agree. The English / SAE measurements only got us ( US ) to the moon and back.

 

I bet the metric system would have gotten you there faster after all, rocket designs from the 50's - 60's were based on the defeated Germany designs, and used their scientists also (which probably took their measures in metric).

The Imperial system is quite archaic and creates complications (ask an architect or engineer) easily avoided using metric measures.

In Ford, it probably was a marketing deal, 300/351 vs. 281/330 doesn't sound as appealing (and big) as 4.6/5.4.

 

Going to the moon and back was accomplished because of the Imperial measurements and could not / would not have been done if they would have used the metric system back at the time? Really? You are not giving these guys much credit, I have to say. If anything, they most likely would have made it to the moon and back quicker and safer using metric. And to be honest: the engineers behind that mission probably did use metric, even back then.
I am an engineer, and in everything we do at work we use metric (large U.S. corp), from distances to temperature, speed, everything, and there is a (good) reason for it. It's about time we switch in general, metric is by far superior in every aspect: from engineering to everyday life.
Ask somebody how many feet are in a mile, or what the weight of a gallon of water is. I've tried, more than 90% of people don't know. That won't happen with metric. Or look as wrench sizes. Metric is easy to use, it avoids confusion and errors, and it saves time. And time is money.

 

It is all part of the New World order. One large village.

 

Feet in a mile. 5280. Weight of a gallon of water. 8.3 pounds. Astronauts killed while on take off and reentry to Earth from moon. 0. Astronauts killed during tests. 3. ( Grissom, Chaffe, & White ). Astronauts killed in shuttle missions. 14. Shuttle was built with metric standards. Off the top of my head, and I am not an engineer. The metric system makes you a more intelligent person? That is a stretch to me.

Edit:

These are just some facts I have put together to form my opinion. This is almost ( to me ) a chocolate vs. vanilla argument.

 

You may know a few of these conversions, but most people don't. Think about this:
feet in a mile: 5,280 compared to:
meters in a kilometer: 1,000

weight of a gallon of water: 8.345404 lbs (lol, that's a good one)
weight of a liter of water: 1 kg
now what is the weight of a cubic foot of water? 62.42796 lbs. - even worse.
A cubic meter of water weighs exactly 1,000 kg, which is equal to exactly 1 ton (metric ton, of course).

Those are just a couple examples. Look at wrench sizes:
(in inches): 1/8 5/32 3/16 1/4 9/32 etc.
What an insanity, LOL. Compared to metric, in mm:
7 8 9 10 11 12 13 etc.

I think this is a big difference. Metric sounds easier and less error prone to me.
Who said that any of this makes anyone more intelligent?

 

As far as I can remember the Mustang II was the first Ford to call a 302 5.0 in the general public. The Cobra II (or was it the Mach 1? they were both just sticker and trim packages) had a fake hood scoop with a 5.0 decal on it. Also, Ford advertised the later 427 and the early 428 motors as 7 liters. But this was probably done to associate them to the NASCAR 7 liter limit of that time. So this has been around for a while but it wasn't until the downsizing of American cars and the foreign car invasion of the late 70s and throughout the 80s that it became common practice for us.

As to the "why" argument that we're in, we use the standard system because it is the American system and we are Americans. At least I am. There is such a big push to change things no matter if they work or not. There is such a big push to make this world smaller and faster and make our country more irrelevant. There are people that want to change our way of life, not for the better, but just because. And the terrible thing is that a lot of those people were born and raised in this very country. <O

So lets abandon the way that we measure things. Lets change the way we build bridges, dams, planes, rockets, highways and cars. Lets buy our gas for 1.6 Euros per liter (that's about $7.50 a gallon, the current average in France). Lets eliminate the standard system so completely that I can't even buy a 1/2 wrench to maintain my old, out dated American vehicle. That way I'll be force to scrap it and drive a tiny, little "world" car. That makes since. Hell, I can't buy a tool set now a days without it being half metric. <O

But if we're going this far lets take it all the way. We can trade baseball for cricket and football for soccer (excuse me, football for "football"). We can swap apple pie for apple strudel, fried chicken for baggers and mash and corn bread for croissants. We can give up our evening beers for afternoon tea. Trade our V8 Mustangs for a front drive 4 cylinder and our big block 1 tons for a turbo 6 half ton. We should outlaw smoking in our cities and all and every type of gun ownership. And most importantly, we must get over the thought that we have to bath daily and that women should shave their legs and pits. <O

I don't want anybody to get upset here. I know am using stereotypes. I'm not saying that any other country's way of life is wrong or that ours is inherently right. But it is ours and it is what I believe in. I am an American and I'm damn proud of it. I measure how fast my car is by the 1/4 mile. I judge my truck's strength in pounds that it can haul. I like horsepower. I like MPG. I like cubic inches. I like 60 foot times and MPH. I like 1/2", 9/16" and 5/8" combination wrenches. I like buying 93 non-ethanol gasoline by the gallon. And I like the way I live. I am pound to be an American and I will fight for the right to say that until my dying day. <O

 

You guys went to the moon?... 20yrs before the microcomputer was invented? You mean that wasn't just smoke and mirrors?

And.. didn't you guys defeat the English and declare independence in 1776? If so WHY are you still using their system of measurements?

 

I don't know, I am looking at this from a practical point of view, as an engineer. If change is for the better, then that is a good thing IMO. I am not sure how metric vs. imperial relates to or impacts fuel prices, gun ownership or engine sizes.
If things would never be improved, that would result in stagnation. And stagnation means moving backwards. And that's not a good recipe .....

 

I prefer to use the CID in my racecar as opposed to Litre.... Sounds dumb to me to call a 70 Buick motor 7.6L. Sounds more badasses when you call it a 464...How many Cuda's,Challengers,Roadrunners do you think would have been sold named the 7.0L compared to a Hemi??Guess I am too old to change.

 

Well, I'm all for the metric thing, but the delay here is because, as indicated in prior posts, we have billions of gizmos that use the inch/pound standard, and many of them will be with us for years. Especially heavy equipment, vehicles, buildings (think elevators for example).

So wrenches and fasteners will be in demand for a looong time.

My beef is in a vehicle, go one way or the other, don't have a metric engine with an English chassis. At least not in new production.

As for engine sizes, Pontiac showed "6.5 Litre" on the GTO;

64-68 PONTIAC GTO NU FENDER EMBLEMS 65/66/67 6.5 LITRE 1964/1965/1966/1967/1968 | eBay

Ditto the '67 & '68 Cougar:

1967 Mercury Cougar 6.5 Litre Emblem - Used at West Coast Classic Cougar :: Specializing in 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, and 1973 Mercury Cougars

The "7 Litre" Ford was an upscale Galaxie with the 428. 427s were also produced apparently, but not many.

1966 Ford Galaxie 500 7-Litre | Hemmings Motor News

I looked at a '66 convertible in the mid '80s. $1200. BUT it was a rust bucket, needed a trans and pretty much a head to toe go-over, even to be a ratty daily driver. I passed. I was bummed.

 

jokerforever, very well said. I had seven uncles that fought in WW2 against people who were asserting their will against the world. The United States of America won it for the entire world. I am proud to be a citizen of this country and it's ways and freedoms. I am not saying that people who prefer the metric system are not. I do not want to press 1 to hear it in English or learn a second language. I do not want to follow the lead of 3rd world countries for their ways are superior to ours. I am damn proud of MY country, its accomplishments, developments, and so many other things. I do not give a damn about the rest of the world's ways or to even follow their pitiful little lead. Closed minded? Yes indeed. Here ends the discussion on my part.

 

I don't have any problems with the metric system, but I agree with jokerforever. If you can't do it your own way in your own house, where can you?

 

I remember as a kid having to learn the metric system as we were going to change over. Never happened. My son isnt taught that now so I really really doubt that I will see it in my lifetime. As to the op, I dont have a clue and if you look at my sig line then you will see I`m a cid person. My actual badges say :
F-444
Monkey wrench racing