I picked this up today at an estate sale. It has no cast numbers other than the date code (61-Feb.-23). Someone wrote 61 375HP 390 in the pan but I thought they were 3x2 intakes. I was thinking about putting this on my 352 powered wagon but the writing inside has me wondering. Rare piece? Run of the mill? Thanks
It is probably what they said. The date code shows 1961. It is not peticularly rare or valuable, but is a very good manifold. I sold one several years ago for $350. Looks like it’s in very good shape! Very clear date code. Good score! Bones
According to my Motors manual... 1961 Ford 390 4 bbl 330 hp 9.6:1 4 bbl 375 hp 11.1:1 3 X 2 bbl 401 HP 11.1:1
Sold American! Since you live in another county you’ll have to pay an import tax. If I didn’t just reseal the 80lb intake on it now it would be a no brainer to put on the 352. Since the motor is stock except for headers I’m thinking it might not be a good match. I’ll hold on to it for now. Just curious what it might of been on etc.
Almost forgot how heavy the cast iron intakes are !!!, used to use the engine lift to remove and replace them LOL
IIRC there was a Police Interceptor 352 that had an aluminum intake, Holley and open element air cleaner. Seems like the valve covers and air cleaner were painted gold.
The only FE I ever had was a two barrel. I would say it’s a great score. I would put it on a stock 352,(or 360, or 390) in a heartbeat. A nice electric choke 600 of your choice, mine is Edelbrock, and your in business. What is the large, two bolt flange at the rear for? Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Yep, the 375 horse 390. Somewhat rare, but only really valuable to someone who's restoring one of those. IIRC, if you ordered the 401 HP tri-power option you got the 375 version, the tri-power came in the trunk and was installed by the dealer. So could have been a new car take-off. The traces of blue paint was added later, as Ford didn't paint their motors blue until '66. Perfectly good intake for a 352 or mild 390, I wouldn't hesitate to use it. A $400 manifold any day of the week, more to the right buyer. The hole at the back of the intake was for the road draft/PCV valve.
Don’t quote me on this but I believe it is for a breather. I came across it when trying to research the intake.
FE info motherlode here: https://www.diyford.com/category/ford-fe-engines-max-performance/ and references to the books the info comes from.
C3AE-9424-F 4v Aluminum Ports 2.14 " x 1.16" 1963 427 (410hp) Galaxies used LR dual plane intakes. C3AE-9424-E 427 LR 4V intake
That is we’re the road draft tube connected. Today most folks convert to PCV and utilize that for that job. There are several conversion devises that bolt there as well as a cap. Bones
I bought a 390 out of a 61 Starliner in the early 1980's that had this very intake on it from a junkyard. Be sure to measure the throttle bores and match your carburetor so the throttle plates open wide when floored. I didn't on mine and it took me several weeks to figure out why it would rev like mad to 4500rpm then stop dead in its tracks. Mine had smaller bores than the later cast iron Ford 4bbl intakes used. After I hogged the bores out that 390 pulled to 6500 rpm no problem. Great intake for a mild street engine.
I'm curious if the carb base for the '61 375hp engine is tilted or level. I "think" I have a '60 352 HiPo intake with level mounting base - worked great in my '63 T-bird before I got adventurous and put a correct-for-T-bird "M"-series tripower in its place with all 3 carbs at the same height vs. the Galaxie "stair-step" setup. For the uninitiated, Galaxie engines were tilted backward so they needed a tapered spacer to set the carb level in a T-bird.
I’m not saying it’s rare but just seeing a 60 or 61 Ford today IS definitely not the norm. I’m at a Saturday meet every weekend with over 100 cars and know one (1) guy with a 401-390 3 speed Starliner. If I had something to put it on I’d run it. If someone found out I had it and was restoring one with 375 hp, a stack of dead presidents would take it...it’s bad enough to have a dual quad y-block that’s not a bird and not an E code which they did not have in 1956.
When I was an apprentice (Mayfield's Garage, Santa Clara, CA) around 1961 we had a 352 Ford ('58) with an intake oil leak...removed the distributor, intake bolts, rocker covers...I was pretty 'buf', but when I grabbed that intake it came up 4", then pulled my lithe 140 lb. body over the fender in the clumsiest swan dive the boss ever saw! Right back in there... Yep. Cherry picker!
In 1966/67 I worked in a Ford dealer garage. Being low man on the totem pole, I was given all the ‘65 352 FE oil consumption re-ring jobs since warranty didn’t pay as well as customer work. That was reserved for the ‘senior’ guy. Lifting the FE manifolds, and heads, out of the engine bay, by myself, no shop crane, caused me some back issues from time to time. FE water pump changes were no fun either. Much preferred SBF engines. Ray
Great intake, if you run it though make sure to block the manifold heat crossover,the early factory aluminum intakes including the tripowers were bad about rotting out there,don't know if the walls were a little thin there or what but I've seen a lot with holes in that area,so clean it out best you can and keep exhaust gas out of there.
It looks almost identical to the manifold on my 67, 335 horse 390. There were at least two different designs, for the 390, one a low rise, and the other which is taller. I have the tall one. Bob
Great info, I’m always amazed at the knowledge from this forum. I never knew that there was a difference in tilt back between the two cars. @jimmy six, I also picked up a 3 speed trans. at the sale and went back and looked at it after reading your post. It has a late 60 date code. There was actually a nice 61 Starliner being auctioned off at the sale. I knew from talking to a gentleman that the owner had another Ford he was restoring but didn’t know what it was. The odds of a guy having two 61 Starliners seemed remote but maybe that was the case. I will post a few pics of the transmission later. Maybe someone will recognize the mount. Pretty obvious I’m not a Ford guy but I’m learning. Thanks for all the info guys.
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