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Back in the seventies when I was more seriously into building hotrods, I had a 1966 Ford Mustang, that I'd shoehorned in an American 351 Cleveland engine. It had the closed chamber heads and all, but it was an American Cleveland block.
I remember reading about an Australian cast 351 Cleveland block that was reported as being much stronger than the American block due to its higher nickle content.
Anyone here remember or know of this?

I was either still a sperm back then or in school. lol
Sounds like a good read though.
Dan

Mad Dan, I just did a little search for Australian Ford 351, and came up with all kinds of good reading. They're still making them! And vastly improved since I had the American version thirty years ago.
Definately correct enough for a Mad Max car: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1QhNlg3Wq8

To riverroad, the XD and and E blocks are better quality.If you can find one you should go for what some of us call a bubble back or turtle back block.Having more nickle and material with thicker bore casting's.The distributor shaft sixes are bigger at the base by a mm or so, so use the later hei xd and e series units.From memory the blocks are about 6 kg's heavier than early ones.Regards Scott.

River Road, Are you sure they're still making them (Clev. Blocks) in Australia!?
I was pretty sure the last ones (Blocks) were cast in the early 80's...even our F-Series were getting Windsors by then!
There are quite a few 'aftermarket' backyard guys working on Cleveland style cylinder Heads over here at the moment.
"FunnelWeb" for instance have designed a 3v head (halfway between a 2v and 4v) and offer the best compromise between street and strip (allegedly)
They also supply alloy intake manifolds to suit...and even 'Clevor' head/manifold combinations to put Cleveland heads on Windsor blocks.

Having said that if your dead keen on having a Cleveland under the bonnet be aware that non-rebuilt blocks are getting pretty thin on the ground over here too!
It may be worth getting your own block 'sleeved'!?. That way you definitely know what you've got...no worries about 'core shift' on your block...
and million times thicker than the original cast iron lining specs. Sure it's expensive, but maybe cheaper if you get one from Oz and it turns out to be a 40thou-over-junker!

For what it's worth...weren't Clevelands manufactured in Mexico too. I remember some petrol-heads talking up Mexican Blocks!

Keep us informed...would love to hear how you're progressing!

Ah, my mistake OverheadCam, I guess they're made wherever DART has their foundry:
http://www.ausfordparts.com/dartie.html
Neat site BTW! If I ever win the lottery...
And I'm not building one BTW, just reminiscing about my old (possibly Mexican) 351c.
I did a quick and dirty garage floor rebuild on it. Reamed the ridges, hone the bores, add rings, bearings/plastigage, torqued to whatever, shoved in a huge cam, 750 Holley, slapped it in the car kind of thing. Hooked it to a Borg Warner T10/ford 9", 6"slicks.
Lasted a few good blasts. Really hard on U-joints. Blew it up somewhere above 7000 on a missed shift.
In front of my friends.
What a screamer she was though.

I would suspect that the Mexican block myth is perpetuated by the same people that ask me if my XB appearing XA Falcon came from Canada since the steering wheel is on the wrong side!

I live 15 minutes from the Cleveland Ford site and my Father inlaw worked there as a shipping clerk. He knew where everything went and where everything came from and where else anything was. He never mentioned the Cleveland being built in Mexico but I'll ask him. If someone wants more than that my wife works there now and I can have her ask one of the old timers.

Steve