Out With The Old In With The New 61 Starliner

congrats., the starliner is one of my favorite cars.

-W

 

I think it goes like this. Most Fe's are 352 blocks even if it's a 390, 427.

 

Nice Starliner, that's a great find!

 

What are the casting numbers on the intake and the heads? The head numbers are on the center of the head between the spark plugs.

 

According to my refs the '61s should have a C1, or C2 begining, you may have an earlier engine.Maybe EDG6015? 58-59 352?

 

Thanks for the help. The block could be EDG6015 or EDC6015, its kind of hard to tell, with a tag that says 705 if i remember correctly above it. The heads have EDG cast with 6090 or 0609 next to them. The intake is cast 79y with EDE9425D below that. I am reading that the blocks are nearly the same with the bore being .05 different and having a shorter stroke. I would really like to positively identify what motor it currently has in it.

 

I'm thinking you have a 1958 332 fe in there. The casting numbers would be right and the 332 has a 3.30 stroke.

 

Hmm alright thats really interesting. By chance do you have horsepower torque and compression ratings for this? It sounds like it could just be a dog motor that I should stay away from?

 

This is a two year only motor;
1958 4v, 265 hp, 330 ft. pd. torque, 9.5/1
1959 2v, 225 hp, 325 ft. pd. torque, 8.9/1
Solid lifters in 1958
Both years had a machined combustion chamber, probably 60cc chamber
If it's the 4v motor it's the first year and I would say has some desirability to restoration guys. If it was mine I'd keep an eye out for an early 390, preferably a 1961 to drop in there, and see if there is any interest in your engine. Always loved the Starliner, Good luck with it.

 

Sweet, you have one of the coolest ever there. ~sololobo~

 

hey, if you think that was a 390/ 375hp car originaly, many of the suspinsion parts are special to that car. i bought one new in 61 and it came w/special list of suspincion part #'s. i still have the papers if you need a copy if it is a 375hp car, had parts used for NASCAR.,handled like a sports car.nose sat real low.... funny, when i got married in 62 i sold the motor and put in a 58 330 ci. no p/s or auto trans on orig hi po eng.

 

One of the few Fords I want. Good for you.

 

Thank you rustynutz that is very helpful. I agree that it has some of the neatest lines I have seen and a low profile that just works. Boo I am not totally sure if this thing did have the 390 375 hp but I think its possible from the z code. If you do have any paperwork on it I would really appreciate it.

 

good one!!! polley a FX ******

 

Nice find! The '61s were under-appreciated, with the '60 getting all the attention.

Trying to identify FE blocks by casting numbers is an exercise in futility. All that I ever saw had '352' cast into them, even the 427 blocks. At least those you could spot by the cross-bolted mains... But the early blocks (pre-66 I think) didn't use the 'thinwall' casting method that Ford used on the early small blocks (and all later motors) so there's plenty of meat there for overboring. These you could punch out to the 4.13" bore size of the 428 if you wanted.

The trans should be a cruisimatic, which morphed into the FMX. Expensive to rebuild, better choice would be a later FE-version C6.

 

I'm pretty sure the 375 or 401 hp 390 was not available with an automatic.

 

Would it only have been available with the 4spd manual?

Block casting

Head casting

Intake casting

 

You clearly have an early '58 332. ***uming the turquoise paint is original, that is the ID color used for the 332 for '58. Casting dates are from 1957 (the '7' in the date code): intake EDE9425D was cast in September '57, block EDC6015C has date of May '57 if that's a '5' in between the '7' and 'Q'. Last character in the date code corresponds with date of month, starting with "A" for 1st and skips "I" and "O" to go through "Z" then turns "A" thorugh "F" upside down for last days of month. The one dot at the end means it was cast on the first shift, two dots at the end mean it was cast in the second shift.

I have a '64 390 sitting in my pole barn outside of Omaha needing to be transferred into something - since I've been lusting after a '61 Starliner for over 40 years (my father had a more-door Fairlane 500 with a 223 I6 and OD when I was real young in the mid-late '60s)...oh hell, who am I kidding?

 

A t85 warner 3 speed or 3 speed overdrive was what was available. There is some disagreement as to a t10 4 speed being available very late in the year.

 

The guy I purchased the car from had a starliner just like this one with a factory 4 speed manual in it. The other car didnt have power brakes or steering however.

 

I'm usually a Chevy guy but I would take a Starliner over any Impala

 

Fresh brakes all around including lines as of today as well as interior completely removed. Time to start on the rust repairs. I must say I am a little bit curious as to the 332 in the car. I am interested in going with a 5.0 as far as gas millage and driveability but I had never really heard about the engine and think it could be mildly fun to build. As it is smaller then the 390 is it possible to get over 15 mpg tuned properly and such? or is it something thats better to just leave alone?

 

I think I would sell the 332 to a restorer, personally. But there is no way I'd put a small-block in there either. I've never heard anything good about 289 Galaxies - not enough torque.

How about a 430 MEL?

Oh wait, you wanted gas mileage. How about a 300 six dressed like a '61 223?

 

Yes I am figuring that the 5.0 might be a little undercl***ed in there with the weight of the car but I am not looking to race either. the 300 I6 is an interesting option as I do have one laying around and I am sure they put out some pretty good torque but the problem I have encountereed with them is just the fact that a 6cyl really devalues a cl***ic car for what ever reason as people always want the 8cyls.

 

If you want a small block, use a warm 351 Windsor. That should have enough torque to move it.
Nice car.
r

 

The 351W would be my next choice after the 300 (third choice after a 390-428). Dress it like a Y-block.

If resale is your aim, I think an FE is all around the best choice. That's what people are expecting in a full-size early sixties Ford.

 

For all you interested, the person I bought this car from is getting ready to sell his other starliner. The other car is a 4 speed but otherwise base model with out power steering or power brakes. It runs but the engine needs to be rebuilt.

 

Pix-pix-pix!

 

ALright I will try and get pictures of the other starliner. So quick question I have been doing a lot of reading about the 332 and have been playing around with the idea of using it in conjunciton with megasquirt to get desired efficiency. My question is, from what I understand the 332 block is not drilled for hydraulic lifters. Were I to use this engine and semi build it I would like to update cam and such which there are more options available for hydraulic cams. Can these blocks have oil p***ages drilled in them? and if so what all might be involved in that?

 

Hell yea!