picked up this fairlane a while back thought it would be a quick turn....first ford i ever bought i think its a bad ass ride but it wont sell so im thinking of swaping the 223 out for a 327/t350 ? has any one ever done that to one of these 60's ford's if so any thoughts on what and where to start ?? rear end swap ? chevy disc in front ? how would i put power steering in? the front end set up is odd to say the least im thinkin just fab some mounts and let it ride ... thanks victor
Please not another Chevy in a Ford. I don't have a problem with it... but why switch rather than fixing what's in there? Especially if you're just going to turn around and sell it? If it was a 'keeper' then I'd say go ahead and put anything you want into it. I think it'll be worth more to you and potential buyer if you keep it Ford. You'll at least have a larger base of people who would be interested in the car. A Ford guy isn't going to call you and buy it once he finds out there's a Chevy motor in it. It would be different if it were some kind of an Orphan car or something, but a Chevy in a Ford will just get you frustrated when you try and sell. Just my thoughts.
do want you want you would find buyers with a chevy or ford in it but i would keep it ford why waste a good sbc
why in the hell waste a good chevy motor . Its a ford , keep it a ford . Someday you ford people will get it right.
I'm a staunch sbc fan, but that shit ain't right. Keep it in the family. There are plenty of 289 and 302 sb fords out there looking for a home. Besides, changing a sbc to a front sump is a pain in the butt and they never seem to work quite right.
the 223 runs strong just dont have freeway speed and i would like to drive it . iv been tring to sell it no takers or offers of 500$ with the kicker its a ford good luck ? so my thought is to make it user friendly and put a chevy motor in her ive been looking for a ford v8 there way over priced for a good set up . man ?
Your Fairlane is a full size car,your best bet would be a 390 FE block which is a drop in and loads more torque than a SBC,put 390 Ford in search in the San Diego craigslist there is one for $150.Power steering was an option in '61 so you might find the setup used.
Why waste the time trying to find a Mustang to part out. There are all manner of Town Cars, LTDs, Grand Marquis and Crown Victorias out there for the taking. Your entire drivetrain ready to go and two tonnes of scrap to help recoupe. Maybe even a newer one with a 4.6. That'd be cool. Or a Cougar http://sandiego.craigslist.org/nsd/cto/2085926055.html Or an FE http://sandiego.craigslist.org/csd/pts/2082892367.html http://sandiego.craigslist.org/csd/pts/2080776528.html Or a Mustang that is already being parted out http://sandiego.craigslist.org/csd/pts/2080275796.html
im realy likeing the car looking at these hoped up 223's trips me out very cool.. still would like to sell it have a 53 buick keeper ... the fords going to be my test run for my first candy,lace, flake job on the roof ....5.0 5sp sleeper man that would turn some tires....
i've got a '62 with a 302/c4, and it will move. the biggest obsticle with the ford transmissions is that they shift so quick. your best bet is a lower gear in the rear for highway driving, I wouldn't take mine on the highway for long, it will do 65-70 and be wound up pretty high.
It probably has a 9 inch rear in it, worth its weight all by itself, maybe a gear change to make it more driver friendly?
To start with you are absolutey right to loose the 223. They weren't worth much even back then. The GM swap is going to be a pain to say the least. Aside from the front sump pan you will also need to put a divot in the firewall for dizzy clearance. I'm not sure about the tunnel without giving it a look see but I would imagine that clearance the tunnel for the 350 Turbohydro is also going to be a must. That said whay not? I would think that any of the small block Ford motors would be a better choice. Maybe better isn't the correct word, and easier choice. I wouldn't even rule out the 260 if I had one. But the easiest and cheapest route would be a 289/302. Or if you want it to look really full a Cleavland Hamster would be the bomb. The GM is doable but it'll just be more work.
so, you picked it for a quick turn around sale, and it won't sell. wonder why you got a deal on it? give more details like overall condition and # of doors. if it does not do good on the freeway why not just change rear gears? sounds like you are planning to spend a lot of time and money on something that you don't want. likely not going to get your investment back anyway. how long have you had it up For Sale? how have you been advertising it?
'65-72? You will need to use the 65 up tranny. But a C-4 is a good choice anyway. You will need to use V-8 motor mounts and you'll probably have to fab up some sort of tail shaft support. Trans dapt is a good place to look for anything that may be oddball like the tail shaft support.
JJ, i dig the car it's a cool ride asking 2500$ had it posted for a month or two.pics below . i have other projects taking up my time but as i research what can be done with the 61 and if i come by the right eng trans set up ill swap it out and burn some tires ....
Can't be certain given that '62 was the first year of the "small" fairlane. Mine was originally a 260 V8 car, so the mounts would have been the same given that the 260 is in the same engine family as the 289/302. Consequently this would have been a direct engine swap. I didn't do the swap so I an't give you first hand info. Betting that the 260 was an option for '61 as well, I would imagine that a set of small block mounts should find their place on those frame rails without much trouble, probably even holes already drilled to accecpt them. I would be highly suprised if FoMoCo used differing frame rails for their I6 cars than their V8 cars. The small 289/302 route would be your best bet, and if highway running is one of your biggest concerns, a lower geared rear; something in the high 2's to low 3's would be your best bet. Mine is 3.55 and its still a little too tall for the highway given my set up. Otherwise, you could go the 4 or 5 speed manual route.
I go to allot of car shows. What I see makes me want to puke at times. Chevy engines in everything from VW's to Volvos to Caddys, to Everything Else. I always ask " Why did you put that thing in there?" Answer always is "EASY TO FIND PARTS...CHEAP TO BUILD" I hate Chevy's just for that reason. 383 Chevy a Wanna Be MOPAR I walk up to a real nice ride, I mean nice enough, it draws me to it. Then I look under the hood & see what? you got it a Chevy engine. Its to the point now I look under the hood first, if I see a Chevy I just walk away. But who am I to talk? I put a Mopar in my ride. I could of rebuilt 3 Chevy engines for the cost of 1 Mopar. But I also have a engine that will last 10 times longer LOL.
I would rebuild the frontend and do a disc/spindle swap from a big 70's Ford, (easy) FE motor/C6 or small block/C4 No reason to stray outside the make in these cars. They came with FE's and Y-blocks, so mounts and everything are available, you woudn't even have to fab anything.
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