hello....so im pretty new to this forum (i have normally stuck to motorcycle forums) but i have a '63 fairlane and this winter i will be working on it. it has the stock 260 and a three speed tranny that i plan to rebuild. i am not going to bore and stroke the engine but i do want to rebuild it better. by that i mean i want to put a hotter cam in it, better intake, and a four barrel carb on it. I also want to get rid of the stock generator and switch to the single wire gm alternator (any advice on that would be awesome). ill also be putting in a new gas tank and fuel lines....new oil pump...and i have already switched it to an electronic ignition. i am new to the whole performance aspect of rebuilding engines so i would like to hear some opinions about what would work the best. i want it to be turn key reliable but still have some get up and go. i have searched a few different forums and think this would give the best advice. here are some pics of the car. it is a four door and in running condition. body is straight with some dings in it but the rust is non existant. I bought it from an 18 year old who said the car was in his family since his grandparents bought it new in '63. so the car does have potential in my eyes.
Cool ride use to have three sports coupe including a "K" model. By the way I would introduce yourself at the top of the forums page before posting a tread. Were all kinda funny about that here on the Hamb.
What a great ride. Run that 260 as is until it quits. . Friend of mine had one in high school, 2 door, 3 on the tree. We had so much fun in that car. Enjoy the heck out of it. If and when you go to a larger engine remember you have a five bolt bell housing. Later engines had six so make sure you get everything you need for a swap.
You have a really unique car as-is and once you start down the altering path, the unique part can easily fade away (unless you have Ring Brothers resources). Its your car and if you start down that path, don't spend any resources on the 260 as was already mentioned. The original 164 Hp was rated at the time w/o any accessories. Also Ford didn't emphasize number matching (except their performance drivetrains) then, so there's not a lot of motivation from that aspect. Lots of of 302's w/ associated transmissions out there. A nice car....have fun.
Very nice Fairlane. I agree with a move to a 289 or 302. That opens up a whole new world of options and you can still make it look close to original.
the only reason that i would want to rebuild the stock 260 is because i do not really know what different engines and what years would be direct bolt ins. I do not really feel skilled enough in changing motor mounts....would a 289 from like a later fairlane be a bolt in? what years 302 would work? and then with a larger engine would i need an upgraded tranny?
The bolt patter on the back of the block of the 260 has five bolts. Later 289's and 302 have six. So in order for a motor to bolt up to what you have, it has to be a pre-65 289. They have 5 bolts, in 66 they went to 6. It might be hard to find a 5 bolt block, due to the mustang restorers want them. If you decide to change engine and trans your going to have to change shifters too.
Try www.critesperformanceparts.com. I have a 62 Fairlane with 460/c6. The 289/302 is a great fit and Crites should have the parts to make it easy.
^^^great site...thank you for the lead. well im still undecided with swapping in a completely different engine and tranny and am still wondering if anyone has just rebuilt a stock 260 with better components....like what performance parts work and are reliable? any good sites to check out for good prices? all the information that has been said in this thread has been very helpful and informative...thank you.
would getting a kit like this work well? or would it be cheaper to buy the parts seperatly? http://www.jegs.com/i/Edelbrock/350/2121PK/10002/-1 i am planing to port my heads as well.....maybe some headers...suggestions?
Nice car, reminds me of my Aunt's 64 Fairlane 4dr. w/ 260 and auto. I drove it a few times when I became old enough to drive and that 260 had good pep for a small v8. I would not be in rush to ditch just yet. Have fun building your mechanical skills. You have great driver. Jim
The Edelbrock parts are too much for a 260. If you feel you have to pep up the 260 try to find either a stock Ford or aftermarket aluminum 4 barrel intake and a 450-500 cfm carb. Also consider changing to a mild cam and add a set of tubular headers. This way if you step up to a 289 or 302 the intake, cam and headers can be used and all you will need is to either rejet the carb or find one slightly larger.
thanks for the replys....if i were to do the edelbrock 500 cfm carb with their performer intake and then just a milder cam wouldnt that work? or are the edelbrock parts just too much for the 260? i know holley has a performance carb that is 465 cfm....any suggestions for a milder cam?
I like the car as is,and I hate to even ask but isnt this one of those body style cars that could be converted into a 2 door with a couple of (2 door) doors and some quarter sections welded in? Just askin in case someone knows for sure, to give you more options on what to do to it,if you want. But like I said, I do like it as a 4 door but I would also like to know if this can be done to these as well out of curiousity myself.
bullshit - i have a 260 bored .030, 289 heads, tunnel ram, 2 - 450cfm holleys, lemans gt cam - runs like a wild banshee & reliable
well this thursday i start tearing into the car. ill pull the engine apart and go from there. i will be rebuilding a holly 600 cfm carb and when i do put it all back together i will most likely need to rejet it....the carb is free and it wouldnt hurt trying it out. i plan to go with a dual plane 4 barrel intake and a mild cam that has like a 292 duration. a few other little things here and there and i am hoping to get a little more pep out of the 260..... thanks everyone for the advice
well the engine is all apart. it is all original in there and in fine shape. the main and rod bearings are down to the copper. the valve springs will get replaced along with rollers. the cylinders will get honed and just new rings for the pistons...the cylinder sleeves are in good shape and are not marked or ruined. all in all the engine has wear and tear on it but nothing too bad for a 63. i plan to buy the rebuild stuff online somewhere and was wondering what are some good sites that are reliable? i have two catalogs....one from dearborn classics and macs auto parts....anyone use these two? any kick in the right direction would be much appreciated... thanks
well here are some pictures from the rebuild. i am still cleaning some parts but will have the engine back together shortly...hopefully. while the engine is out i will be attacking the engine compartment and trying to rebuild the front end. cleaning stuff is taking forever. this engine had oil and crud caked on it. i know most people have seen an engine rebuild but i figured i would at least post some pictures. I know i will be having questions about the front end rebuild later on down the road.... **i dont know how to make the pictures better but they are just in an album in my profile
There is something exciting about tearing down an engine and then putting it back together and hearing it run for the first time! I think it's cool you're building the 260
Consider yourself lucky for finding such a nice, straight, rust free classic! I have the same car and have one hell of alot of rust repair to do. Didnt help it came from new york/new jersey area. Running a 289/c4 combo in mine with the original rear. Runs out fine but if I had it to do over, I'd have my favorite motor in it....351 windsor. Enjoy the ride......nice car
Did you say front end rebuild? Be carefull if you try to remove the front springs they are deadly if you dont use good quality spring clamps. A side from that looks like your making good progress. Keep it up and dont be scared to ask questions.
i would like to make my front end tighter and have loosely looked at kits like these to get. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Ford-1962-1...pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&vxp=mtr but i am unsure with what ride height i want. both the front and rear sag and i am running the stock 13 inch rims but will be switching to 15 in time so that i can one day convert to discs up front. i know better springs and leafs would make the car handle better but i just dont know if i can shell out all that dough....suggests?
well this thread is very old but i figured that i would atleast post some pictures. i have rebuilt my engine....finally. i got a holly 600 cfm carb for free and rebuilt that and surprisingly it was in great shape and not worn out...it just had bad gas in it and the gaskets had gone super bad. i got a four barrel intake off of like a '66 289 for 50 bucks...it was a sweet score and all the stock linkages will hook up fairly easy. i found some mickey thompson valve covers that were in great shape. heads got ported and i did my own valve job....i was kinda doing a budget rebuild but am pleased to say the heads turned out great (new springs and umbrella seals). as for the cam i went with a mild crane cam.....it shouldnt be spitting out horsepower but should give the 260 some nice little pep. i plan to keep the stock air cleaner but just modify it a little bit. the generator is gone and will be converting it to an alternator which i am very excited about...the points have been gone for a while (i swapped to electronic ignition) so i am hopeful that the alternator will be a great addition. this was before i did a coat of primer.... and after the first coat of gold. it has a lot of light on it at the moment and looks to have almost too much sparkle in it but i wanted to paint it gold as if it just rolled off the line in '63. I will be adding the 289 HiPo headers....thinking about ceramic coating them white....and then doing dual glasspacks out in front of both rear tires. i think with the mild cam and short exhaust it should should pretty good.
i am currently finishing up rebuilding the front end and changing out gas tanks and fuel lines....so the engine will stay on the engine stand for a little bit longer... so....the two things right now that i need are a harmonic balancer....have yet to find one that fits. jegs sent me one but it was way too thick...and napa had nothing. and i want new motor mounts...just the rubber. both macs and dearborn had nothing. i spent 15 mins looking through napa's book for my mounts and found nothing.... so any points in the right direction would be greatly appreciated.
so....any fairlane geniuses out there that might now of some secret websites that might stock some parts?? the motor mounts im looking for have been impossible to find....
Looks great !!! Kanter Automotive may be able to help you with hard to get parts... They can be found with a google search... They are very reputable, and have a great tech dept....
Look up the Fairlane Club of America for info.. they are unbelievably helpful! Bob Mannel has more knowledge about the 63 models (like mine) than you can poke a stick at.. very knowledeable about all of the windsor engine as well.. so much so he has written a great book about them.. my bible for the small block Fords.
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