I`m doing a trade for a 53 F100 and it already has a 390FE/C6 in it with homeade mounts. I`m thinking of doing a front suspension upgrade but I`m not sure if I want to leave the 390 in there or go with a 302 or other sbf motor. I`ve been looking for FE motor mount kits but all I can find is a set up for the stock I beam suspension. Also, I`ve always been a chevy guy so I don`t know if the 390 is even worth building. I had a 89 mustang for a few months and i liked the way it ran so i was thinking of doin a mustang drivetrain swap but if the 390 is worth building and i can get or make some decent mounts for it, i would probably just build it. thanks guys.
small block chevys are common but reliable, not to mention cost efficient. I like your idea of swapping the late model mustang drivetrain. Sounds like another relatively cheap way to do it. As for the motor mounts avoid bolt-in kits, they never work. For my 52 chevy pickup I used the heidts tubular kit and it worked great. It utilizes a pete and jakes style bushing not a stock motor mount pad. They were also relatively cheap. These are made for sbc's and can be had for about 100 bucks.
my first plan was to go with a sbc motor and it`s still a possibility. I just wanted to do something different for me with this one. I`ve never built a ford motor. i would like to reuse the 390 if possible. I was told it was from a mid 70`s truck so I have no idea if the motor is a good candadate for a performance build. The heads might not be worth a crap as far as performance goes and I don`t have the money for aftermarket heads. I do have a running 327 chevy I could put in there but I don`t know if thats what I want to do but it would be very cheap to do and get it running. I just wanted to get your opinions. Thanks.
keep the 390 and make your own mounts i think youll be happy with it lots of power i had a 390 in a ranchero and i loved it wish i still had the car
can you tell me more about your set up? what mounts are you using? do you have the stock frontend? are you running headers? what fits? Thanks.
Fitting the headers varies with steering box location limitations. One of the many great things about '53-'56 F-100s is the huge engine compartment. That, along with the flat firewall, allow you to put pretty much any engine you want in there. In my '56 panel truck, I have a 454 that seems like a good way to go. The main concerns are weight over the front axle, the need to box the stock frame to prevent body flex, and fuel economy. There are several people whose opinions I respect who tell me that a 327 is all it needs. Dave http://www.roadsters.com/
This truck spent almost every weekend ( in racing season) on the road with trailer intow in a five state area. Atleast 2 summers were with a 305 sbc the reast of the time was a 350 sbc. Mpg were around 15 with trailer.
Thanks Dave. Funny, I actually have a running 327 I could put in. I`m still not too sure what I`m going to do but it wil be fun regardless of what drivetrain I end up with. Thanks guys.
I dropped a 390 in my '54 many moons ago. Loved it. There are ups n downs to the FE. The 390 can be made to make a lot of zot, but like any big block it ain't cheap. The do make lots of torque stock out of the box and even a stock 390 is a fun mill in an old F truck. If the mill is up to par I'd keep it if it needs to be gone through then its a matter of decideing what you want to spend. If low buck is you game then you'll need to off the FE. If you want stump pulling power and the cool factor of the FE then its a no brainer go trough it. I doubt that anyone makes a lot of over the counter bolt in pieces to go with a later suspension and cross member package and your FE power plant. But that rodding you drag out the torch and some metal and build your own. it can be done it isn't rocket science.
I finally heard back from no limit and they sell a trim to fit mount that they said will work with either the MII or camaro clip so that sounds promising. I can also make a set of mounts but I don`t have acces to fab tool to do it so if I can find something thats close and maybe jst needs a trim here or there then great. I don`t know what condition this motor is in or what the hp rating was on it but I`ll be looking into it. I`ve done some pricing and the rebuild cost isn`t too bad compared to a chevy. We`ll see. Thanks.
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