MatthewXD302c

Yeah, timing chain on a stocky is a Morse chain, (multi link) and the gears are coated with a synthetic fibre, made for maximum quiet. 
Grab a rollmaster , JP or a Crow as Thom said, they will bolt straight onto a 351. Same as intake manifold, heads, ignition, exhaust etc......
 
Think your interior is Dove grey.  My FC was the same, Dan @SLO247 would know, he's got the same colour.  Cant beat the Fairmont Ghia in silver (IMHO.) 
 

Maybe later down the track when I get off my apprenticeship I'll chuck a 351 in it bear.

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Dont want to risk a canary, red P Plates are a cop magnet let alone a XD that turns heads with an exhaust leak and a fucked up paint job. Well the paint ain't to bad I must admit. This is mine 
 

What extractors do you recommend because I heard not to worry about extractors at all.

If it still has a standard timing set replacing it with an aftermarket unit will liven it up (the stock timing sets in pollution era clevo moved the cam timing and turned them into duds) that, a good tune and an exhaust is all I would bother with on a 302 especially if later down the track you want to build a 351 for it, but also if that is the plan you can buy things for the 302 you can use on the 351 later on (things like intake/ carb/extractors and ignition system) also there are good bargains to be had buying second hand, like extractors and such can be had many hundreds of dollars cheaper

Yes, it would.
That's probably the exact exhaust system, I'd fit to a V8 XD sedan.

I agree with the boys, decent tuned carb goes along way to a nice driving and performing car.

I still have to say the best bang for buck performance upgrade is diff gears for that stop start acceleration, and yeah the trade off is that you will rev higher on the open road.

When I put the 3:45 XG diff in my XD back when it had a stock 302c and C4, it could keep up with a stock VT LS SS until about 80-90kmh.

I would worry about a stall converter if the motor is stock.

Camshaft, as the boys have said don’t go too big or it will be a pig, unless it’s all built to match.

Plenty of us have done the E series/XG diff swaps and can help with advice.


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Dont want to risk a canary, red P Plates are a cop magnet let alone a XD that turns heads with an exhaust leak and a fucked up paint job. Well the paint ain't to bad I must admit. This is mine 
 

Diff dumpers... I prefer to call them "the reverse street sweeper"

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That is sweeeet...........  don't change a thing. (Just respray and 351.) Beautiful car.

Alloy Head badges on the front guards?
 
If it's still a crossflow, why not make that go fast?
One of our other club members. has a very weathered silver XD Ghia, with a pretty stout Crossflow in it.

This is pretty much the sound to expect, from a true dual exhaust on a worn 302...
 
Settlement Rd exhausts in Thomastown, do pre-fabricated exhausts to suit classic Fords/Holdens.
 
 

Manifolds will simplify things a lot, but they are a shit shape for performance. Extractors come into effect the more you play with cams, get it breathing better, etc. You might see a 5% increase by bolting on a set, but you need to ask yourself if that's worth the money and headache of fitting them and living with the extra heat under the bonnet.

As Dean said, any exhaust shop should be able to bend up a mild steel system easily, possibly using as much of what's already there as possible. If you look at what size exhaust manufacturers use, say on a BA 6, they put out roughly the power yours would realistically make so that size single would suffice. Twins are nice but hard to package in a XD-E-F sedan.

If a lopey idle and good mid-range is what you want, a cam with a 108 lobe centre and around 220 degrees @ 0.050" would do that. Pretty much what I suggested before.

Carby would need adapting from square (600) to spreadbore (stock manifold). Adaptors are available, but get a 4-hole or split one, not open. If you know someone who knows how to reco the thermoqad, go for it, but they're getting pretty thin on the ground now, both usable carbies and people who know them. Great carby once sorted. Rated at 780 CFM, plenty big for most street engines.

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Agree with Dean, don't spend money on the 302. Drive it, enjoy it, marvel at it's dinosaur technology, and sit in the shed listening to it idle.
Stock manifolds into a twin system, shotgun pipes out the drivers side, ring a cam company like Crow or Crane, they will help you.
They also do a budget version of their stuff, like Megatork and Blue Racer, using the same billet parts, but in a brown paper bag.
If you have spare cash, fit a 2,500 stally, and 3.45 - 3.55 rear end, that should keep you happy. Wait until you've done your sentence.......err......I meant apprenticeship, and while you're working, buy a part or two every month, and stick them in the cupboard. Edelbrock do a similar carby (Thermoquad) for around $500 from Summit, or stick with the 600 Holley, Dont go bigger.
 
The 302C was a dog of an engine, destroked from it's Father the almighty 351, to appease the 'law makers' of the '70's. Sure, they can be made to go fast, but not on a tight budget.
 
Keep the heads..!  

definitelty take photos, and videos of anything you do, do a walk around. start a youtube channel. 
always good to go back and look at what you've done. and to share issues and fault finding. plus entertain us also
 

i couldn't tell you about cam for lopey idle, but what i'd do is contact CROW CAMS and ask them if they have one or will make one that idles like a beast on a stock engine..

Marks XD ute idles awesome.. @XTREME KARTS XF
its stuffed lol.. sounds like that because it's down on compression on a couple of cyls, blown head gaskets
has twin exhausts no balance pipe. 
 
 

personally, just drive it.. 
keep a look out for someone selling a 351 etc cheap second hand.. playing cars while an apprentice will just mean you'll be walking more.. keep it on the road

i'll bet the timing chain is worn.. to replace that, you're in the engine enough you could change the cam to a lumpier one(a lumpier idling cam will make a 302 even more gutless on take off)
if it was Me, i'd probably change the timing chain and get a dyno tune.. and call it done. 
 
if you want it to idle lumpy it's going to be slower on take off with a bigger cam..,
 
dyno tuner may be able to get the carby working(they are equivalently bigger than a 600 holley not a restriction)
a 2.5" exhaust will make it sound nice with a straight through muffler.  keep the manifolds, be cheaper and they will be fine.

that will probably cost best part of $1000- $1500 alone
 

i've been in a manual HYPONL concord NL fairlane that was quick, that runs low 14 second quarters from memory.. (XY GT speed)
 
My fresh reco stock 351 got chopped (car length to 100kmh) by an auto EL falcon that was near new back in the day .. flat 16 second 1/4 mile time..

keep it stock, "cruiser"  buy a manual mitsubishi 380  and chop V8 commodores 
 
 

what 4cyl cars do your mates have? some are damn quick
 
 
just sayin
 

what do you intend to use the car for? 
 
i agree with gerg, and chestnut for that matter.. when i had a 302 clevo, i bought a 351 crank and rods, and the head joint did a trade on My 302 heads for 351 recos for bugger all extra, these days most head mobs can relieve the chambers of the 302 head easy for 351 conversion. 
 
if i was on a budget though i'd keep it a 302, and depending how worn, pretty much do what Chestnutxe does, new rings and bearings(getting crank and oil pump checked by reco machinist, could take block in just as easy also)
 
new timing chain, cam and lifters, seals rings and bearings, reco the worn out dizzy, new leads(good ones)  keep the thermoquad if it works(they are great when they work) 2.5" single exhaust from the manifolds back(cant see them being a restriction on a 302) you'll probably still see most of the $4000 gone especially if you paying mechanics for any of it.. get it dyno tuned by someone who knows what they are doing for $500 and you'll get more from that than most other mods. 

just get in your head that it's a dinosaur V8.. a V6 camry will be quicker if you are racing..  
enjoy the V8 sound and cruise it in My opinion .. it will sound fast if you arn't next to anything new to visualise the slowness(like My gemini wagon, seems fast.. almost any new car will keep up with it if they wanted to)

Carb
 
Cam
 
Extractors.

Yeah spot on there.


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revs at 100kmh would be about 2850 ish with 3.45 ratio.. 
so depends what sort of driving/cruising you do and whether you can live with the extra noise/fuel use

My XD many moons ago had a stock 302c, 600 Holley, headers and a std stall C4 with 2.92 gears.
The best bang for buck was the 3:45 XG xr6 ute diff, made a good improvement and could smoke both wheels.




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