[Billy Nees]

Originally Posted by Rory McNeil

Just to set the record straight, Brian Seaberg , Steve Horton, and a couple of other guys were racing the same 302 2 barrel Fords for years before NHRA reduced the HP ratings back to factory numbers. Seaburgs Comet was a P&Q/SA car at that time. In fact, I had considered building a 79 Fairmont 302 2 barrel 4 speed combo in the early 2000s, but at that time, NHRA had bumped pretty much all the 302-318 sized 2 barrel smogger engines to 200 HP, so building my 85 Mustang 302 4 barrel just made more sense. Over the recent past, NHRA dropped the 302 2 barrel engines down to 180, 170, and eventually 185HP, before reducing them down to their factory HP ratings, which varied from 129-145 depending on year and car model. Unlike many other more mainstream combos, at least these low HP Ford 302s are actually wearing their factory issued, correct part number heads, intake manifolds and carbs, not a bunch of NHRA approved, superceded "not worth a thing performancewise" aftermarket aluminum heads, intakes, and carburators.

Thanks Rory. good post.