I'm trying to talk a neighbor into parting with a 62-63 Falcon Ranchero. It has a 144 and a three on the tree. I'm interested in hearing anyone's experience with them. The small displacement engine intrigues me. Any potential for joy, pleasure, and love with these?
Go to the source. www.fordsix.com They look cool with a couple carbs, split headers, and finned VC's. I WANT a roundbody Falcon with a tricked out six, slammed.
The 144 is a good, dependable motor, but is quite gutless. You could swap in a later 200 with little to no mods, and have much more go power. 200 parts are easier to get than 144 stuff too.
The 144's are weak engines. If you want to keep a six, bolt in a 200, it goes right in and is a stronger engine. The 200 has more main bearings than the 144 and 170 and take a lot more abuse and rpm's. The 200 has 7 mains and the 144 and 170 have 5 mains. They really look bad ass when dressed up.
What you want is an Aussie 250 with a 2 V head. Getting a little hard to find now but the horsepower is up there with the big guns. http://users.senet.com.au/~pakay/xy_falcon.htm#_250-2V_engine
the 144 has the intake "manifold" cast in one piece whith the head,not easy to "carburate"I had a ´60 falcon 4dr a couple of years ago,and I can´t say I liked the 144 or the 3 speed behind it,and don´t get me started on the frontsuspension and brakes,yuck!
I had one of those in an early econoline. I abused that thing horribly. Seldom changed the oil, Wound it up full speed for extended periods of time. Being from Montana, there was a 5 mile downhill secton of interstate called Cardwell hill. I'd start at the top and put my foot in it. Once I reached 88 MPH ! This is an econoloine van, remember,and as aerodynamic as 3 sheets of plywood. It did great till the crosswind hit it as I came out of the canyon..Wadda mess. It NEVER failed or cost me anything other than a waterpump in 7 years. I've got a soft spot for them. a small , dependable, easy to work on engine. I've always had in the back of my mind that I'd like to see how much power you could produce.
if it costs you more than "free" you paid too much! really, ford sixs are so cheap and available, that i would move up to a bigger six, i have a falcon i'm doing, yanked the 144 for a 250 from a maverick, just a little longer and wider, but looks more or less the same.
Mmmmm! Those Aussie sixes are very interesting. Chaz, that was sort of my take on the 144. It is so Lilliputen (tiny) it sort of challanges me to see what I could wring out of it. Plus think of the milage!!!! However it has some serious shortcommings.
My daily driver, '62 Comet has a 144, and three speed. No complaints here. It's no barn burner, but it gets the job done. Never let me down either.
The Aussie heads have pretty much dried up. But, the much better Argentenian Special Performance heads have just been reproduced. New Argy SP Heads
I have a 200 with headers and triple carbs on the log- once you get them to breath they really rev nice. I don't know. . . to me any engine that is built to it own full potential is kind of cool. A 200 will never be a 454, but a haelthy 200 is still pretty cool.
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