I'm with you boxhead, a nice 289 with downdrafts would be great...maybe even use wire wheels.
A mate and I were having this ford chev convo some time back. We both agreed that had ford developed the windsor as did chev with their small block, ie alloy block, good heads, better intakes etc., to comply with modern pollution requirments then they would have been much better off than useing the ohc mod engine range.
There is no doubt that the windsor is a great engine....just a shame that ford elected to not develop it further.