Ok I've got a problem and I thought I might get some opinions on what I might do. I've been working on getting my galaxie ready to paint now for a year and a half. So I got tired of not having a car to cruise in so last December in picked up a 60 t-bird that was really rough but ran. So I figured I would spend the winter fixing the things that needed it (tune up, rusty floors, and upolstery) then I would have something to drive this summer while I finished up my galaxie. well after messing with the motor for ever! We found out that it's going to need a complete rebuild! So here's the situation, the motor is a 390 fe which happens to be the same engine that's in my galaxie that actually runs good. so what would you guys do? I really don't Have the money to get the one rebuilt, and I'm not to keen on the idea of taking a good motor out of one project to put in another. So I'm thinking bout just trying to sell it for what I got in it. Then again I could do the swap and have a car to drive this summer, but I WOULD have to eventually take it back out and put it back in my galaxie. or maybe I could get a good used engine and put that in, but 390 re's are hard to come by round here. sorry for the long rant but just need some help with this decision, cause I'm really on the fence with this one.
Too many irons in the fire. I'd stick with the car you're getting ready to paint. I wouldn't have bought the other one at all. The roads not going anywhere. It'll be waiting for you. I'm having tranny issues because of be impatient. Lost money and time ain't worth being in a hurry to get driving.
Yea I know I shouldn't Have bought the bird. One of those cases of old car a.d.d. i got distracted by all the shiny things! Not the first time it's happened! Lol!
^ this guy knows his stuff. Just a few words to tell a l-o-n-g story.. ...you got bored with the Galaxie. ...you thought a "rough" 60 bird would be an easier project "just to have a driver". ...you were kind of wrong, and now that it also needs a motor as well as being rough...you may make triple work to swap the motors several times. ...for what? a rough (in your words) 60 bird, to drive a bit?
if it was me..... id pull the 390 out of the gal and put it in the bird and then JUST DRIVE the bird and FIX the GALAXIE then once the gal is done pull the 390 out of the bird clean it up and reinstall in in the galaxie .....or....... i sure could use some 60 bird parts just how far is iowa from ohio
A 60 bird ought to have a 352 in it... Unless its got a 430, in which case you can laugh and cry at the same time as MELs are awe inspiring engines but cost a fortune to fix. Soooo... We have a so-so 60 Bird with a worn out incorrect engine (assuming its a 390). When you say needs a complete rebuild does that mean its knocking or that it just smokes and is tired? If that's the case, hell, drive it. My 54 Ford has a tired and smokey engine and I drive it everywhere. If its knocking, well. That changes things. How far along is the Galaxie? Is it paint it, buff it, put trim on and drive or is it a major project? If it is a major project I do kinda like the idea of borrowing the galaxies 390 and using the bird till the Galaxie is done. Just my thoughts... I don't make much sense or do the intelligent thing very often
so, how far off is the Galaxie from being a driver, not finished, just a driver? you pull the engine out of one for another and that will pretty much kill that project because the driver will always need more time & $$
depends how motivated you are. the benifits to pull the motor on the galaxie and, put it in the bomb to drive for the summer are; it's always good to run a motor, instead of having it sit around. you will have something to cruise, it will give you the opportunity to clean up the engine compartment on the galaxie. it will also give you a chance to reseal the engine,[like the oil pan which if i remember you can't get off with out a lot of grief]. again it depends on how motivated you are.
if the galaxie is still a way off paint, and both cars are definately 390's .... Put the Galaxie motor in the 'bird so you have a driver then when you've painted the Galaxie rebuild the 390 out of the 'bird and fit that into the Galaxie . That way the fresh car gets the fresh engine and you're not pulling an engine 3 times ! .
Let me ask around. I'll bet I can find you a low buck running FE. I'm just south of Iowa City so it's not a bad trip. If your 60 is anything like my 63 bird you can pull the engine without the trans but you can't get it back in that way. Carmak Riverside, Iowa
put the motor in the 'bird, drive it. Get the galaxie looking great, painted. etc. Swap the motor again, sell the 'bird.
well it depends on how good you want to galaxie to look. every car we paint either doesnt have a engine or if it does we pull it so we can paint the firewall, inner fenders etc.so if it were mine id pull the engine no matter,id then put it in the bird to drive while i painted the galaxie. but when the girl got painted id pull the engine back out of the bird and get it ready tp go thru or at least re gasket it.and put it back where it belongs. and i have known a lot of guys who tried to pull a engine to use just for awhile and then the donor never gets its engine back. it usually ends up just sitting or getting sold. so watch out for that little thing also.
You could always buy a third car to work on, so you have something to drive while you work on the Tbird you bought to have something to drive while you work on your Galaxie. And if that doesn't work, buy a fourth car etc. Believe it or not I actually did that when I was young and stupid. Now that I am old and stupid I still own multiple cars but don't kid myself they will be easy to fix. I suggest you figure out what you really want. Is it the Galaxie? The Tbird? or is it something else? When you figure out what you want, go for it. Sell the rest of the junk and do the one car and keep it for the rest of your life. That is another thing. I notice the guys who always have a cool car to drive, have had the same one for 5, 10, 20 years. They keep working on it, and it keeps getting better. But it does not cost near as much or take near as much of their time, as the guys who keep trading cars.
Questions that ran through my head reading down the line include: How long would it take to swap the motors? What kind of shape is the T-Bird in? Does it need other stuff done to be road worthy? Find a cheap altrenative to put in the T-Bird. Or any number of other questions. If I was facing the same delima I would swap the motors and drive the T-Bird till the Galaxie was ready for it. Being able to go to some cruise nights or a few shows might be some good motivation to get the Galaxie done. Just my 2 cents.
I"m with RDP. If there's a chance the T-Bird is still in your plans, maybe you should take a really close look at how far it is from the road. Rusty floors on a unit body car are a structural defect and if the sills and quarters are rusty too... Check out mechanical stuff so there aren't any nasty surprises. Pull a couple of drums and see how the brakes look. Brake lines rusty? How much play is in the steering wheel? Has it been a while since the front end was done? Are the tires decent? Is the exhaust system intact, or turning into swiss cheese? What kind of shape is the wiring in? If you look at the Thunderbird's teeth and jot down the cost of everything it needs besides the engine, tally everything up and the figure doesn't take your breath away, maybe you should pull the 390 for it.
Thanks for all the opinions guys. Well here's the deal, as far as how far along the galaxie is, I figure ive got at LEAST another year or more before it'll be ready for the road. Cause I'm doing all the work and I'm slow as molasses in January! and as for the t-bird, other than the motor and the driver side window motor, its pretty much ready for the road. Cause I'm not gunman worry about the body, and I spent most of the winter fixing the rusty floors and trunk! Since im going on vacation in June, here's what I think I'm gunna do..... 1. List the t-bird for sale at a set price 2. Keep looking for a good running 390 fe motor to buy (might need your help with that one! 3. If nothing comes from any of the two above by June, then I'll probably end up robbing Peter to pay Paul. (Unless I come to my sences by then! Thanks again guys, Ken
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