The same can be done with 40 yr old Chevy tech. 283 punched .040 over, 1965 2.02/1.60 'Fuelie' heads aka double hump, ported, shaved and what ever else, Custom Isky cam with ridiculous duration and lift. This engine made over 460hp and ran mid 9's in a 62 Vette turning 9500 RPM as it crossed the traps. Ran nothing but this engine configuration from 1978 to 1989 (Many engines later). In 1990 my father inlaw and I built a 327 version of this engine and made just shy of 600hp on an engine dyno with a tunnel ram setup. Ran that engine for 2 yrs in a 3800lb all steel 1949 Chevy business coupe. I was always scared to push the RPM's because I thought it would blow up.
To be fair,.. the same guy who had the 62 Vette also had a 66 Mustang Fastback. He had a 289 make over 400hp and that car was running low 10's all motor during this same period. There were no aftermarket heads for Ford during that time. The best head available was from the 351 Cleveland. If you want to make a screaming 302 in a fox body with iron heads quit wasting time with the GT40's. The 4v Cleveland heads will give you much better results. They will require a bit more talent and machine work but I promise, if done right you wont regret it. That and most of the young guys at the track or on the street dont know much about them. Pop the hood and all they will see is a small block with heavy cast iron heads. East money.
Nascar Ford teams had been running versions of the small block with heads that use the Cleveland wedge design all through out the 80's, 90's and 00's making 700+ hp.
Clevor Engine - Mustang & Fords Magazine
I dont dislike Ford engines. I am open to try just about anything (As long as its an American V8 ). I've put a 390 into an 83 Fox and I have put a 455 Pontiac into an 84 Camaro. So just because I currently choose to use a Chevy engine in my 93 Fox doesnt mean I will never use Ford again (Still have a desire to do a carb'd 5.4 4v Navigator engine into a Fox body some day).
For me its not a matter of whats better,.. but whats easier to get going with the best bang for the buck. When all is said and done I will have less than $2000 out of pocket from start to finish in the LQ9 long block making an honest 400hp NA with the AC on. Then, if I want to make a race car its nothing to get better heads, switch to a larger open plenum intake, larger double pumper carb, a more aggressive cam, do a forged bottom and rpm the motor to make some real HP. As it stands I'm only planning to make 75hp over stock. Another 75 - 100hp would be easily attainable NA. I already have plans to use nitrous on it. So who knows where the bug will lead me. I might blow it up and go back to doing a 427 SBF. I bought the AJE k-member with the specific intention of being able to switch between Ford or Chevy power. The TKO I have is a Ford unit using an adapter bell to fit the LSx. So who knows? It wouldnt take much to put a Windsor back in there. But then Chevy motor mounts and tranny bolt patterns are universal,.. a 454/502 would bolt right in too. (Snicker)