Any one know of any other E-475 powered hot rods?

Here is a shot of the E-475 in my Model A "R.P.U." Has anyone ever seen one in anything other than an Edsel? I never have and am just curious.

I wonder what the Hot rodders of the day thought of them. I just assume they didn't because they were Edsel motors. But They are MEL motors such as the Merc and Lincoln and they no doubt recognized the potential of those. So who knows anything about it?

I have searched and searched and found nothing myself.

 

I'd contact Uncle scooby. I imagine he can tell you as much as anyone. It's a good looking motor. He had a bunch of speed parts for them I believe.

 

Hey thanks. Uncle Scooby? A fellow hamber?

 

yep. It's one word..(his name)

 

Thanks, I found it and sent a pm.

 

52GM, That E475 was a 410 cu in (4.203 x 3.7) version of the 430 Lincoln (4.3 x 3.7) engine and seems to have ben offered only in the "big E" in the first year.The 475 referred to the torque rating which was @ 2900 rpm.This engine was like the Chevy "W" engine in that it had the combustion chamber in the block with the deck at an angle other than 90 deg to the bore requiring an angle plate to bore them with a deck mounted boring bar.I believe the smaller 368 cu in engine was the same design.In 1957 or 1958 Caroll Miller (spelling?) used one of these to power a dragster and took top eliminator honors at the NHRA nationals.Hot Rod had some good articles on his development of this engine as he had to damn near make everything for its enhancement.Had a crank driven blower out front and I remember he used a dummy engine block on the bench and powered the valve train with a Briggs & Stratton while using a strobe light to analize the valve train at higher RPMs.If that torque rating seems high, the 364 Buick in Roadmaster and Century was claiming 400 @ 3200 and the Chrysler 300C 420 @4000.

 

This makes me happy. God Bless you Citizen!!!

 

I knew some of that already. Learned some too. Thanks alot, I would love to see a picture of that drag car. Guess I'll go do some searchimg!

 

I found that moter still in the 58 Edsel with 53,000 original miles on it. The car was junk from sitting too long. but the engine runs like a dream. Still going to rebuild it in the near future.

Oh yeah I paid 400.00 for the motor and trans complete!

Unclescooby, what was the cfm on that factory carb? I can't find a rating just that it was a Holley four barrel, whitch I already knew.

 

Is it an FE engine? I've never heard of one of these. It looks like an FE, but all of the spark plugs are sticking up straight. The ones on my 66 352 enter the head at angles.

 

AFIK its a MEL motor...

 

the griest brothers in 1961 had a A/G willy's national record holder powered by a edsel motor no sure if 410 or 361 fe
ted cyr [of cyr and hopper fame]won the 58 or 59 nationals with a 430 linc powered dragster
and yes karol miller tuned a blown 430 dragster john

59 ranchero
34 ford 5 w powered by 57 368 linc

 

It looks nothing like a FE. The FE intake goes under the valver covers, the MEL does not. Maybe to the untrained eye they are the same.

 

The 58 Edsels were decent cars but poorly recieved.


One thing was for sure. They were ffffastttt.

 

I couldn't make out that distinction in the picture. So is this an engine that wasn't a 292/312 Y block or an FE? I didn't realize there were any Ford V8's besides those during that time.

 

It is a Mel motor. Heads, intakes... are interchangable with the Lincoln and Merc motors such as the .430.


Thanks for the info guys. Keep it coming!

 

There are a few MEL fans on the HAMB. Gasserkid has an evil groundpounding all Isky 430 in his rod with six deuces and a Joe Hunt Magneto. It's cool.

I think Hotrodchassis is gonna take the plunge too.

I know of a survivor 55 Ford Showcar with a Algon injected 430 but can't seem to find the pictures. It's white with red and white striped tuck and roll and was in a lot of magazines if anyone has a picture?

There is a kick ass 59 Ranchero that's slammed with no hood that should be running my old 8x2 setup right now on the east coast.

There is an Algon injected 64 Continental (I kid you not) in Washington that the guy is planning to run at Bonneville someday.

I've got the stroker motor I'm working on now plus the new parts coming out. I think there should be more of these. They're still pretty cheap, plentiful, and make gobs of power. The downside is that they are huge and heavy and speed parts have been next to non-existent in the past few years.

I'm tracking a Latham supercharged 430 right now so I'll let you know if it pans out but there is an MEL kit in my Latham catalog.

The Y-block Lincoln 368 is a sweet motor too but again, speed parts are uncommon but are out there. Check out Royce's Mermaid....

 

The old 8x2. I've got another one that is a long tube cross ram 8x2 that's a one off. It's crazy. I'll get pictures up when I get it all together.

 

Unclescooby hooked me up with my 430, for my 29 roadster. I guy named Charlie Robinson races what he calls the worlds fastest edsel a 59 with a 11.83@112
http://www.geocities.com/motorcity/downs/4031/robinson_edsel/charlie.html
These bad boys are still out there.

 

Several yrs ago I had a 3 carb intake for the MEL. eng. took it in trade, and didn't know what it was. enormous factory ports. Powered by ford in orlando fl ended up with it. they have more.

 

On gasoline I would bet the MEL series engine is superior to any American V8 produced in the 50's in terms of power potential. They were a skirted Y-block design with a bore spacing of 4.90". With a stroker crank a 530" is easily within reach, plus the cylinder heads are capable of feeding that monster. Like all modern Ford engines there is a good cam to crank distance that will enable those big strokers to work without fancy and expensive reduced base circle cams.

If you want to know the truth I think hotrodders AND FoMoCo left a lot of power potential on the table with the MEL's being underutilized. They did not have the big sexy hemi cylinder heads nor were they available in lighter cars like the sbc in the `55 Chev. Couple that with the infamous AMA racing ban that everyone but Chevy and Pontiac adhered to in the late `50's and you have the potential for a underestimated and forgotten beast like the MEL's.

I'd love to see a PHR "Engine Masters" style dyno challenge that was comprised of only 1950's or earlier produced V8's. In the displacement they came with from the factory (so the 500+" MEL's would not vave an unfair advantage) and the actual cylinder head castings they came with to eliminate the AJE hemi and Brodix Chevy aftermarket heads that were dreamed up years later. I think the MEL would fair very well in such a contest and might even surprise a few.

 

I ran a MEL (Mercury-Edsel-Lincoln) engine in our dragsters and AAG & F comp coupe back in the 60's. The Mercury had a 383CI, the Edsel was a 410CI and the Lincoln came in at 430CI and later at 462CI. Some late 58 and 59 T-birds also had the 430 as did the 58-59 Mercury Turnpike Cruiser, some Convertibles and some station wagons. The edsel 475 (410CI) was only produced in 1958 and was very limited in production. To my knowledge, no other Ford cars came with a 475. You have an extremely rare engine, I would think that there was less than 500 ever made. Mercury dropped the MEL sometime around 1960 or 61, but Lincoln kept them through 1965. The MEL's were kin to the FE and many parts will swap, but they were not FE's. As with the FE's they were y-blocks.

There are several of us on the HAMB whom are building or have built these torque monsters and they are really easy to get huge quantities of HP and torque from. However, DO NOT EVER think that you can spin one beyond about 5500 on a regular basis and never beyond 6000. They don't have the oiling system for it and the bottom end (crank, rods,etc) is way too heavy. I puked a many a crankshaft out on the track trying to do so.

Unclescooby will have some good input also and blownolds has some cams for them. They are NOS Isky cams.

I will give you $100.00 for the E-475 valve covers and give you my Lincoln ones in return. The difference is that the Lincolns do not have anything stamped into them.

Beep

 

Thanks alot guys for the replies, pictures and advice. I really didn't expect to get much of a response. This is great.

 

I don't think the E-475 is as rare as everyone thinks it is. It was standard equipment for the larger Edsels (Corsair & Citation). I went to Edsel.com and found production numbers for both models in all styles and the total cars produced in 58 between the two models was 17,766. The breakdown is as follows:

Citation 2dr Hardtop: 2532
Citation 4dr Hardtop: 5112
Citation 2dr Convertible: 930
Corsair 2dr Hardtop: 3312
Corsair 4dr Hardtop: 5880

Just thought this may shed some light on how many 410cu in E-475s were out there at one point in time.

 

I've seen those #'s there too. I wasn't implying it was a super rare mill. I was just curious about it's use in Hot rods of the period. I think that is the rarity here.

Just simple curiousity, thats all.

 

Oh, sorry about the misunderstanding, I thought you were just talkin straight up numbers. Hey, I'll give props to anyone who runs one in a hot rod. I've got plans someday for a "model E" but I had decided on the E400 since parts are easier to come by for the FE than the MEL, this thread has taught me not to give up hope and that there are speed parts out there for the MELs of the world!

 

If you don't know already Unclescooby is making intakes for them. Also valve covers, header flanges and valley pans. Maybe more I'm not sure. I found this one on accident.

I deliver propane and asked a customer what he was doing with the Edsel. He said "I was going to put the engine in my hot rod" He saw the look on my face and said "I'ts got a .475 in it you know" Of course he didn't know the E-475 was not the displacement. Niether did I for that matter until I went home and looked it up. So once I found out you could get a rebuild kit ect. I imediatly had to have it.

A guy came around a couple days after I bought the engine and tranny and bought the rest of the car. Said he almost cried when he told him the engine was going in a hotrod!

I like that. "Model E" I think I might borrow that if you don't mind.

 

Bermuda wagons had the 475 too, Didn't they??

2 58 Edsels just went up at auction here recently,
A bermuda wagon just sold at auction in June. Went for cheap. was in reasonable shape less motor. The guy put it on E-pay the next day and sold it for $2500 US thru the buy it now option. The other was a 4 door and was running with the e-475 engine but body was too far gone.

Anybody have production Numbers on the Bermuda (2 door) wagon??? It was low
They tell me that these are the most sought after Edsels of all.

 

Acording to Edsel.com

Model Number: 59A
Total Production: 963
Original Base Price: $2,841
Curb Weight (lbs): 3,761
Wheelbase (in.): 116.0
Length (in.): 205.4
Width (in.): 77.1
Height (in.): 58.8

 

Here's a pic of a Bermuda sitting along the road. John B sent this to me after the Columbus Goodguys this year, he says its in Ohio off of Rte 23 south of columubs. I've not driven that way in years, but they're out there!