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I just bought a barn find ‘57 F-100 Styleside with wrap around rear window to restore. It’s in rough shape and I’m taking it down to the frame. The truck came original with 272 but somebody put a straight 6 in it a LONG time ago. Trying to decide if I should find a 272 or just drop a 302 in it. Planning to put disc brakes on it either way and drop it a few inches. Any thought from the group here regarding the engine?
Pulled it out of the barn with a come-a-long Loading her up Strapping her down About to hit the road Bed removed
Nice project! Motor choices are best made by deciding what your goals and expectations are in advance. Since you plan to modify the truck, originality is not relevant.
A good 272 will be hard to find and rebuilding one is expensive. I would look for a donor vehicle with a good 302. I always try to take the lo bucks route but it doesn't always work out.
Finding a 302 will be a piece of cake. And there is no shortage of parts, either original or aftermarket. The 272 would be cool, but there are very few pluses to putting it that truck.
292 would be good. Depending on just how you would approach the 302, considering that it suffered through the smog era, a 292 can be a lot more powerful and fuel efficient while looking correct or period and it should bolt right in, assuming that the truck has not been altered significantly for the 6 cyl.
Most of the time, when the fuel mileage threads come up "What's your Mileage" or similar, small blocks don't usually do as well. But again, it depends on how the 302 is approached. If it is a dog from the smog era and that's it, it will be bad. If it is modified with the plethora of aftermarket parts available, and the key, assembled competently and tuned well, it should do a lot better but this can be messed up very easily. This is true for any engine. I would shoot for an '80s roller cam engine for the basis if I were to go that route.
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