How can I tell a 260 from a 289 in a 1963 Galaxie?

I am looking at a 63 Galaxie parts car. It has a good running 2V small block. The engine looks original.

It is my understanding that Ford switched over from the 260 to the 289 at some point in the 1963 model year.

Is there an easy way to tell a 260 from a 289 without a tear down or crawling under the car (to see a block sode)?

Was there a specific date when Ford changed over to the 289? Did they change engine codes (I can only find codes for the 260 in 63)?

Thanks.
Carmak

 

You could always just pull off a valve cover and see if the head is stamped with "289"

 

I may be wrong, but I think the 260 is awful small and under-powered to have been put in the Galaxy. I've heard of 289's in Galaxys, but never a 260.

 

i may be wrong but i thought the 260 was a 5 bolt bellhousing and 289 has 6 bolts.

 

The fifth digit in the serial number is the engine code. If it is "F" the engine is a 260 and if it is "C" the engine is a 289.

 

Early 289 had 5 bolt.

Does it have the tag on the intake?

 

Most 260's in the '63 Galaxie had a 2-speed Fordomatic while the 289 was usually backed by a 3-speed Cruiseomatic.

 

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=297076

 

Kentuckian had the answer I was looking for. The code books I could find online all show the "F" code 260 but none show the "C" code for the 289.

I did a quick search and did find a couple "C" code 63 Fords said to be equiped with 289's.

Thanks!!
Carmak

 

I think 260's were blue and 289's gold..

 

If it feels like your dragging an anchor, it's a 289.....if it feels like your tied to the ship, it's more than likely a 260...hehehe

 

What he said

 

According to this, that year did not have the 260.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Galaxie#1960.E2.80.931964

Mid 1964 they switched from the 5 bolt block to the 6 bolt block. I am running a 5 bolt 289 in my F100. I had a 260 in a 1963 Mercury Meteor. The Falcon and Comet would have had the 260.

 

The 260 was never offered to the general public in a Ford Galaxie. The 289 was the base engine for the Galaxie from 1962-64.

 

'62s still used 292s as the base V8.

 

I don't care what the books say. My father has a 63 Galaxie boxtop with a 260 v-8 and three on the tree with overdrive. It was confirmed to be a 260 about 15 years ago when the head gaskets were changed.

 

True. I meant 1963-34 Galaxie. Oops. Typing to fast. Should have put my mind in gear before running my fingers on the keyboard.

 

Correct. First year for the 289s was '63, my brother bought a new Custom 300 2dr sedan in April that year with a 289, 3spd trans - he replaced the driveline with a 390/4spd shortly afterward.

 

My Dad bought a brand new 63 Galaxie from Molin Ford in Wayne PA and it had a 260 with a 3 speed auto. I was really stoked since he traded in a '60 Ford four door with a 6 and a 2 speed auto. To a car nut in junior high the upgrade to a V8 was a big deal.

 

I own a 63 with a 289 they were yellow/creme I've seen base models with 260's and yes they are blue my engine code shows the 5 digit as a "C". 65 was the changing year for 6 bolt bellhousings there was some 5 bolts that carried over though.

 

The 260 was standard early in the year, was dumped because it was a stone.
My Father bought a '63 new car in late 1962...we were used to our '48 Ford and '58 Ford 332. When we tested the new Ford, the salesman insisted on driving first...he revved it much more in first and second than one would for normal driving just to keep it moving. It was obvious that he wanted to do the driving because the car was damn near hopeless on hills. We then went off to see the much lighter '63 Plymouth, and I am pretty sure the 225 was faster than the v8 Ford...it certainly felt stronger. We bought a 318, which was like a rocketship compared to the others.
I suspect a 6 cylinder Ford would have felt better than the 8 because of probably better low speed torque.
Traditional Ford mistake...same general experience as the V860 and the 239 Y-block.
Ford did have engines capable of moving the car, but my Father was not interested in paying for upgrades beyond base V8.
The test ride was memorable, sitting in that barge feeling like the parking brake must surely have been left on as the salesman screamed up a hill in first...I think if he had shifted normally we would have rolled backwards.

 

The one I am looking at has creme valve covers and air cleaner.

Carmak
Riverside, Iowa

 

You are wrong, there is a 5 bolt 289 block as well, only came in early year galaxies, mine has that one and it is a 289.

 

If nothing has been changed the carb spacer at the rear of the carb has the engine size cast in it. You will have to rase up a tab on the gasket to see it.

 

all i know is that the 260 windsors had the oil filler in the top of the timing cover not in the rocker cover..
and 289 and 302 windsors that i have had the engine number is on top of the vally at the back.

 

This is what I know for sure: 260 and 289 look identical. I've had both side by side.
Ford Falcon cars used the 260 through 1964.
Mustang used 260 for the 1964 1/2 cars.
Mercury Comets got 289s for 1964.
All 221, 260 and pre-65 MY 289s were 5 bolt bellhousing.
'64 Mercury Comets had C4 3 speeders, with 5 bolt bell and narrow front band. This was the first year for C4 and Ford gave Merc the bonus for the little cars.
'64 Falcon had Ford-O-Matic.
Not 100% positive, but I believe Mustang never got Ford-O-Matics.
221 engines were usually painted red.

Cosmo

 

There should be a tag on the coil ,bolt that will tell what motor it is if a mechanic in the past had not left it off.

 

My beautiful, original white '63-1/2 Fastback has the letter 'C' code, a 289 with Cruis-o-matic. The rocker covers are creme, and it has a 2 barrel. It's coming outa there...

My 406 is not going in there, my 390 Mercury Marauder is. (with a C-6)

The 289 will go into 'stock', with some flatheads and blocks.

I had customers with Galaxies with 260s: One of them (a tudor Boxtop) had Swing-away steering! (like the T-Birds, only the slider was below the dash, not thru it)
Love to find a Swingaway for my Galaxie...

 

My dad bought a new 1962 Mercury Meteor after years of driving an old 1951 Merc with a 255 flathead. He figured the new car would be a little more powerful car than the old 51 since it had a larger displacement 260 with a somewhat smaller body form the the old bomb. He was sorely disappointed the first time he took some of his local buddies (four guys total) to a meeting in another town and he had a head wind in route. He found that the car was a slug going uphill against the wind. The old 51 Merc would run circles around that car. In 65 he traded it in on a new Gallaxy 500 with a 352. This was the first car he'd had that had more balls than the old Merc (not a whole lot more either). We kept the 51 and all the others were traded off.

 

the 260s were indeed available in Galaxies and with three speed automatics.





TRANSMISSIONS
Galaxie 500XLs were available with three transmission choices. A fully synchronized Borg Warner T-10 four-speed manual with positive reverse gear lockout was required with the 406 and 427 V-8s. It was optional on 352- and 390-cu.in. engines, and the ratios were 2.36:1, 1.78:1, 1.41:1 and 1:1; reverse was 2.42:1. An 11-inch semi-centrifugal clutch was used with the optional engines.


The two-speed Ford-O-matic Drive automatic was standard on 260-cu.in. V-8-equipped 500XLs, but the three-speed Cruise-O-Matic automatic was more commonly seen. That transmission used 2.40:1, 1.47:1, 1:1 and 2.00:1 reverse gearing, and no automatics were allowed with the top performance 406 or 427cu.in. V-8s. "Warner four-speeds are sturdy, and are the same basic transmission used in Buicks, Chevrolets, Pontiacs and Studebakers," says Mark Reynolds, director of the Ford Galaxie Club of America. "Automatics are fine as long as they aren't overloaded with power -later heavy-duty C6 transmissions are an easy swap on a 1963."

http://www.hemmings.com/mus/stories/2004/12/01/hmn_feature20.html

I have seen two ads for '64 Galaxies that claim to have factory 260s in 'em.