Projects Ford 300 l6 Good,Bad or just plain Ugly

I was looking for some thoughts on a Ford 300 straight 6. I am thinking of puting one in a 1940 ford pickup and running without a hood. I have always liked a straight 6 I like the sound, the look so on and so on. I want a Ford 6 because I am kinda a stickler as far as keeping a ford motor in a ford car and chevy motor in a chevy. So is this a good bad or just an ugly idea. Lets hear what you have to say.

 

If ya want it, do it. Good strong engine with lots of grunt.

 

Best engine Turd ever made. Also the longest. You'll probably need to notch the firewall to get it in there. Make some measurements before you spend any money...

 

I say go for it - beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and quite frankly, I am always amazed at the power some people can coax out of a straight 6.

 

And theres a great after market selection for them clifford builds a nice four barrel intake and header set for them and cams hell go for it .

 

I love the 300 Ford! I'm not sure what you're going to have to do to get it to fit though? It is a very long engine and the engine compartment of the 40 may be a bit cramped? I'd do some measuring before diving into the project head first! Clifford makes some speed equipment, I think??? Building the 6 will be more than a small Chevy though!

 

The 300 I6 can be good motor for dependable driving and good torque, just don't expect alot of horsepower. We have one with nearly 300K miles on it and it still runs good, I just wish the transmission could last that long.

For a good compromise I went with a 302 in the '56. Good torque and horsepower in a small package, and parts are 350 chevy cheap.

 

Great engines, that are strong and reliable but I don't think it is the right thing to put in a 40 pickup with no hood. If you go ohv a Y block would be the best looking just for appearances sake and a 302 or 351 would probably be the best fit for reliable performance.

Sometimes having an engine sitting in a rusty old Pickup out behind the shed isn't always the best reason to put it in certain vehicles.

 

www.fordsix.com

 

Ak Millar sure liked 'em. His ran a turbo and used propane.

Like has been said, gonna be a tight fit.

 

With just basic bolt-ons it's a pretty peppy motor and can give a 302 a run for it's money if it's geared right. If you want to spend quite a bit more and do some homework you can build a 300 like the one I did years ago that I shifted at 7000 RPM and had a full roller valve train in it.

You CAN do pretty cool stuff with a 300. I got the biggest kick out of beating guys with built V8's. It was worth the price to be the freakshow on the street to me, but it may not be to you.

The biggest hurdle is that cylinder head. Start looking at larger valves, and if you run a high lift cam and need higher valve spring pressure, you'll need to install screw in studs to keep from pulling them out. They're pressed in from the factory. PM me if you want build details or tips on how to build a strong 300. I've built several of them at different performance levels.

Best of luck, and BTW my daily driver is a '95 F150 SWB Reg Cab with the 300-6 and an M50D 5 speed with 3.73's. I pulled home a '67 MGB GT at 80mph in overdrive with the A/C on max with a bed full of parts and got 13mpg this Saturday. The truck has 233,000 original miles on it and has never had the transmission replaced, or the valvecover/oilpan removed from the engine. 300's are stout.

 

Why no hood??? Great engine. I got a ticket in Atascadero Ca. for no hood on my 52 ford 2 door in 1959. Was showing off my newly installed 303 olds.

 

I hear what your saying. A Y block would be cool I was just trying to think out of the box (but there may be a reason why it is not in the box) And there is not a old rusty pick up behind the shed I was looking at buying a rebuilt one. Like I said I like straight 6's but I wanted to stay with a ford motor. I will probably get shot for this but there is a rebuilt 58 371 olds in it now with a zepher trans. I was planning on pulling and using in something esle. I was thinking of using it but I do not think this is the right motor either.

 

Never used one in a rod, but had plenty in trucks. Great motors.

 

You know, I do not know. When I look at the truck in my minds eye that is how I see it. I usually do not like no hoods either. But I am just going with it. I can always put it back on.

 

Bulletproof motors with tons of low end grunt. Doesn't the frenchtown flyer run one?

 

Haha! The French Town Flyer sounds like a crazy sexual postion!

 

Agree with that. I put mine back on after that ticket. I am amased how
much people get away with now as in example no fenders open exaust
no hoods. I used to get nailed in the 50s and 60s all the time for that.
Wouldn't mind that 371 olds. Had a 40 ford pickup with a olds once.

 

And guys with 426 hemi's, boss 429's, and other V8's didn't want to race against Ak's 300 6!

 

And you want to hear a really cool exhaust note? Boy, that thing howled!!!

 

Ran one in an H/G 51 Anglia back in the early 70s. Forged F600 crank & rods, Kay Sissell head, Holman/Moody 4 barrel intake with 600 Holley. You can use a late F150 injected one with real nice factory manifolds like headers. A 302 bellhousing bolts right up for a 4 speed. Just not sure it would look right in your application. Bulletproof motors though. Not fast by todays standards but it ran 11.60s back then. Hybrid V8 heads ruined the class

 

I have a freshly rebuilt one in my 1985 Bronco (2000 mi in the past 2 months) they run great but on upgrades I have to downshift guite a bit more than I would do with a V-8.

 

jus do it!

 

My buddy has a Comp. Eliminator "Wally Trophy" in his living room won with a 300 six. His did have a homemade Boss 302 V8 hybrid head. As I recall it ran in the 8.6 range in his altered roadster in the late 60's. One would be a tight fit in a '40 PU I think. They are one tough engine though.

 

Do it, I had a 240 in an f100 and I think it was the best motor I have ever had.

 

First Thank You for keeping a Ford in a Ford !
They are great , strong running engines ! I am sure there are some good speed parts for them also ! The best straight 6 Cly I know of .
Just remember they are very long so measure to make sure it will fit first .

So what are your intentions with the Ford 300 ?

 

I wouldn't say too modern ...but just way different !

A SBF would be a lot easier ! Just a thought !

 

Came out in 65 in, of course, pick-um-ups... They're TOUGH, I had a couple friends in high school that beat the livin' shit outta some nice bodied 80's F150s. My old man had one in a late model F150, 2x4 short cab long bed, and it was sorta weezy I thought. But thats in the southern PA/northern WV mountains, and I'm used to the 4-cam 5.4L in my Lincoln lumberin' merrily along in OD.

<i>EDIT: Oh yeah, interesting 300 trivia, they rolled off the lines at the Cleveland engine plant... You can say you have a Cleveland (I have/had numerious 351Cs, thats how I know this... Just saying "I've got a Cleveland" gets some respect, you don't even have to say the size )

 

Heres the one in my roadster, good engine and really dosn't look out of place.