Technical Educate me on ford engines

So, i'm a gm guy i dont know jack about ford. Im looking at a 59 fairlane with a straight 6 though and if i got it id want to swap in a v8. What are my options for for ford engines? Anything i should avoid? I'd want to swap out the 3 speed as well. Thanks!


What'cha got in there, kid?

 

FORD

Found On Road Dead
First On Race Day
F'd Over Rebuilt Dodge



Sorry could not resist. I own more than one.

 

Lots of ways to go
292 , 312 fit the 59.
or go to a 460. exhaust is a problem on steering side.
The straight 6 had the 8 inch rear.
What is wrong with the 6
What ever you do keep it Ford

 

Now days you can put in pretty much any motor or tranny in that car if you have the money and time.
Depends on your budget what the end result you want.

 

Blown EFI Cammer with a 6 speed ?

 

If you dont like the six that car came with a 292 Y block V-8 or a 352 FE V-8.The FEs iirc came as 332,352,360,390,406,427 and 428 CI.Any of them will fit in your 59.I would keep the six or build a Y block for it but I am pretty odd.Since you dont want to keep the 3 speed are you going 4 or 5 speed or auto?

 

At the risk of sounding like a broken record (second thread in a row I've made this recommendation) I'd go with an FE. Your transmission options (without spending $$) are limited to three-speeds though.

 

not traditional but a 5.0 from an explorer is a roller motor with gt40 heads, swap a carb intake and distributor and go
and bolt up a non-electronic od auto or 5 spd
a yblock would be very easy but cost more

or do this to the 6

 

Over the years I have saw Winsors /Clevlands/ many from the MEL family of big blocks/ and my favorite is a FE all these Ford products will work well ...........

 

I'd find a late model crown vic or mustang with ho 302 and over drive auto to rob the motor and trans from. You can use 292 frame mounts and 64 65 comet/falcon motor mounts on the motor. you'll have to fab up trans mount and a floor shifter would be easiest install.

 

Show car, or driver?

 

Alright so if i wanna keep it hamb friendly probably go with a fe or a y block then. Was the 289 a pre 64 thing? I was thinking maybe a 289 but i dont wanna pollute the car with possible mustang parts. About the tranny i'd like an auto just for it to be easy to drive but something is almost telling me to keep the 3 on the tree. What would have been done back in the day? And my plans for the car would be to basically just make it a fun driver for the warmer months and worry about how it looks later. Its original 2 tone blue and white so not a bad color combo to begin with.


What'cha got in there, kid?

 

The six cylinder 3 speed trans would get eaten by the torque of an FE,you would want to hunt down a T-85 or for better cruising a T85 Overdrive to keep a 3 speed both may be hard to find. Both the Y-block and the FE are going to cost you more in the wallet to build than the SBF actually the 289 you spoke of began as a 221 in November of 1961 there are plenty of guys running later SBF's here on the H.A.M.B. most practical and easiest is the 5.0 aka 302 with an AOD swap which is in my '54 we had one member just do a 700 mile cruise and got 24 MPG doing it,so it will depend on your budget in the long run.

 

Good advice. I'll have to keep a 302 in mind just because since i'm really just a kid i'm not going to have money to pour into a 60 year old engine especially these next 4 years in college.


What'cha got in there, kid?

 

If you want to keep the 3 on the tree shifting, and you pick a 289 or 302 from the 1960's, you can use the Ford 303 series three speed trans that came with those motors. This was a fully synchronized trans that was strong. With the correct matching flywheel and bell housing, it would easily fit and connect to the shifter linkage with very minor modifications. Look for a 1965-70 full size or mid size Ford or Mercury and grab all the bolt on stuff (shifter linkage, clutch equalizer shaft & bracket, etc).

 

I'm partial to 351w's with AOD transmissions, better power weight ratio for the 59, JMTC.

 

So you are still in school. GOOD for you!!!

Now step back and think about the engine swap you are thinking about. Even if money is no problem, time is. You will need all you are able to find just to survive. That little inline six did a good job in 1959, and can be made to do much better. Cheaper and easier than ANY swap. A piece at a time. I am not up on exactly what is available, someone else will chime in. The WOW factor when someone looks under the hood ? Priceless.

See my avatar? I want a little more performance. I could have elected a V8 of some sort. Instead I am building another straight eight to replace that one. BE DIFFERENT! Anyone can do a swap.

Ben

 

If you want to keep it a 6cyl you could grab a 300 6cyl out of a van or f-series truck. Torque monsters that will blow the doors off most 302's. Trans from a van will have a short tailshaft so it won't work. One from a f-series should work.

 

Alright ill also have to think about keeping the 6. My thinking is if im putting money into the 6, why not spend a little more and get a v8? Also what trans would be traditional? Would it have been a 3 on the column or on the floor? Automatic?


What'cha got in there, kid?

 

" I was thinking maybe a 289 but i dont wanna pollute the car with possible mustang parts."
I don't think you "pollute" a Ford with Mustang parts.
All of the above mentioned options would be good for your 59.
I have a 428 C-6 combo in my 58. I had the engine and got the C 6 cheap but rebuilding both and getting them in the car were not low buck exercises.

 

You spend more than you think swapping from a 6 to v8 unless you find a donor car.
Look for a Torino, Maverick, Granada or something along that line for all the small parts your
going to need to complete the swap.

All 59 Fords were column shift.............unless its a pickup.

 

How about an FE?
They came out in 1958.
Cubic inches-
332
352
360 Edsel/light truck
361 Medium heavy truck
390
391 Medium heavy truck
406
410
427
428

You could also look for a 262 Ford heavy truck 6 the same family as the 223 car 6 in your car

 

I wouldn't spend money building a 6. I WOULD say that if the 6 is in good shape, leave it in there and drive it till you finish school.
You dont seem to have any clear performance goals in mind as far as the finished product. What do you want from it? Cool cruiser that keeps up with traffic? Street/strip ripper? "Period" cruiser? Comfortable easy driving highway long hauler? What are you after?
In terms of the popular mid/late fifties overheads, Y-block parts seem to be cheaper and easier to find than olds, cad or hemi parts, and a well built one will have no problem keeping up with traffic. But if you are planning on dragging from light to light on cruise nights, you will be getting your ass handed to you pretty frequently.
If horsepower/torque are a high priority, I would probably put an FE in it. Probably cost about the same as a Y-block.
If your main priority is comfortable highway cruising, I would probably do an EFI 5.0 and T-5 from a late model ford. Cheaper than an FE or Y-block, good FE will whup its ass, it will outrun a typical Y-block pretty handily. 351W is also a good choice, but neither of the last two fit with "period cruiser" if that is important.
The point is, until you have a CLEAR idea of what your GOALS are with this car, there is NO right choice, theres just a bunch of guys telling you what THEY THINK is "cool", which is a total waste of bandwidth.

 

As far as automatics go on FE's, you only really have two options: 1. Stock C6 (three-speed) 2. Custom AOD (About $2800). There are adapter plates available to put a stock AOD behind an FE (about $800), but I wouldn't trust a stock AOD behind a warmed-over FE. If you want a stick with OD that will live behind an FE, you're looking at a TKO (about $2500) or a T-56 ($1000+ for the transmission, $700 for the bellhousing). So if you want to be strictly traditional, you're looking at spending the $$ for the FE, finding a Y-block, or keeping the six. If you want to be "traditional-ish," and save some money, the 302 is a great choice. As has been mentioned above, they're in junkyards for a dime a dozen and an AOD transmission will bolt right up. Shifter is your preference, Limeworks makes kits to convert a column manual shifter to an automatic or you can always go floor shift.

 

Just a couple of things... The 223 six got the same rear end as the 292 & 352 V8 engines. Gear ratios might be different. The 300 six will put the intake and exhaust on the other side of the engine compared to the 223. As George said above if the six is in good working order keep it for now and swap it out when you have your engine of choice ready to go.
-Dave

 

There is a harsh reality here, and it has nothing to do with you or your car.

Engine swaps very often creep over-budget in both dollars and time, due to unforeseen circumstances.

My best advice, based on your current situation, being off to college, is to get a handful of period-correct go-fast goodies to increase the cool factor, put them on, and enjoy the ride. Or leave it stock, and enjoy the ride. It is already a cool car. What's under the hood won't diminish that.

Education first. Rods and customs second.

 

The 221/260/289 SBF were out by '64. Get a 302/5.0 from a later car & get early valve covers & air cleaner & put a 289 decal on it. Cheapest way to go. But if short of $, as was mentioned, keep the 6 till you get a job & income.

 

The traditional engine swap for a Ford is a small block Chev!

 

Well i think if i end up with the car i'll probably just keep the 6 for the next few years. The thing is, since its a ford i'm not looking to keep it more than 5 years or so, i'll want to get a gm instead.


What'cha got in there, kid?

 

Lol i would do that but i just cant bring myself to swap in a chev


What'cha got in there, kid?