Technical Early K code 289 thoughts

I personally know of MORE than one Hertz Mustang 289/271hp,4 sp, that were rented in a big city and brought to our town, after the weekend , went back to rental company with 260/4 sp trans, it was in 1965, Was the sprint this engine/trans came out of a Blue Hardtop?

 

The best way to get a figure is to go to the best demographic for your sale. Hit a mustang forum with pictures and numbers. You'll probably get offers without you even having to ask for one. Those Mustang guys are usually not shy with money, especially for numbers matching/period perfect stuff.

 

There's probably some poor ******* out there who thinks the Hertz cars were seriously over-rated after renting one

 

So how did the get around the 5 bolt 260 vs 6 bolt (1965 and up) issue?

 

No idea. This was before my time... when my Dad was a teenager.

 

More info. The block is C3AE-6015N which, according to several guys over at vintagemustang, is correct for a '63 Hi-Po. Additionally, carb and dual point distributor appear to be #ed for a 1963 Fairlane(C30F).

 

When I was a teenager there was a fellow here locally that ordered a Fairlane Sport Coupe with a HiPo 289 in '63. It was a 4-speed car and it really sounded good. I don't know if it was fast or if he ever raced anyone, never heard. But that solid lifter cam sure sounded mean idling thru town.

 

My neighbor got a new red and white 271hp 1963 1/2 Fairlane It had gold colored valve covers and open aircleaner and dual point distributor no vacuum advance and upgraded exhaust manifolds. In 64 engine was available in Fairlanes, Mustangs and Comets

 

Back in WWNAM....
Ok , now we know where the block came from... does the top half of the engine match the bottom half?

 

Things to do -
First look at the block next to the pan - there will be a series of numbers C40E - 6015 C3 is 63 C4 is 64 EtcEtc
Next look at the bell housing - Is it a 5 bolt or a 6 bolt. 5 bolt is 63 early 64 6 bolt is late 64 and up.
289 4V were 225 HP HiPo was 271. Heads were basically the same except HiPo heads had pockets for the valve springs.

 

What has always been my understanding is that the K-Code 289 appeared in 1964, with parts that were cast ahead of the model-line introduction, so they have 1963 casting numbers.

I should go dig out the original head for the original engine on my early 1960 Falcon 144. It has a part number that starts with a B, not a C.

 

I have no idea, didn't run with that group,
Just watched them race most Friday/Saturday nights.

 

Again, take casting numbers with a grain of salt. That casting number COULD be a hi-po, but could just as easily be a '63 Galaxie. The block castings were all the same, the difference is the hi-po was machined with slightly beefier main caps. Look for the valve spring pockets on the heads, 3/8 rod bolts instead of 5/16, and the special damper. There should also be a counter-weighted spacer on the crankshaft snout inside the timing cover.

The hi-po was never available in the '64 Comet, or any of the later ones either. Mercury did build a dozen hi-po 289 '64 Caliente hardtops for an advertising promotion (100,000 Miles At 100 MPH!) but these weren't sold to the general public after the promotion was finished; you had to know someone. A few of these still exist...

 

So basically what I'm hearing is that the only way to be ***ured that the bottom end is an honest to goodness hi-po is to pull the pan and check these, correct?

 

That's it... Ford casting numbers on blocks are notoriously unreliable. They'll get you in the ballpark, but you have to check other stuff to pin things down in many cases. Some are obvious (anything with 4-bolt mains) but many of the rest aren't always as clear-cut...

 

Before someone gets a Goll Darn Arianism.... would ya pull the pan and valve covers already!?

 

The 1963 Falcons were equipped with 260 CI engines.

The special ralley version of the Falcon and Comet and early AC Cobras were preformance version of the 260ci with higher compression, hotter camshaft timing, and a four-barrel carburetor. This engine was rated (SAE gross) 260 hp (194 kW) @ 5800 rpm and 269 lb·ft (365 N·m) @ 4800 rpm. This engine was termed the HP-260 by Ford and was specifically made for Carroll Shelby – approximately 100 were made.HRP

 

The thing to remember is Ford didn't build that many '63 hi-po motors; 200 that went in the production Fairlanes, and maybe that many again that went to 'other' users like Shelby and Holman-Moody as well as some handfuls that were sold over the counter. Lots of 'standard' 289s were more-or-less converted to 'hi-po' status once people knew the parts existed. And a lot of those dual-point distributors got removed from actual street cars because they were real mileage killers in normal use, then got sold to other hot rodders.

 

Any chance the engine is a 260 hp 260? According to Cobra info I have, these were installed in the first 75 or so Cobras until the HiPo 289s came out in mid '63. They were also supposed to be available in '63 Fairlanes.

 

50 posts and not a single photo of the engine that's in your possession? This was an interesting thread............ but I may need to start watching election results.
C'mon! Post some photos.

 

Linky no worky.

 

Pulled a valve cove and the oil pan this evening to get some pics. Also pulled the flywheel and steel plate and found an "HP" marking on the back of the block.

 

Looks mostly correct other than the distributor to me. The carb should have a 1.12 on the side and I can't make out the tag number on it


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Yep, right long block, wrong distributor and carb (should be manual choke). Might have been an over the counter sale; Ford would reduce the price on stuff that wasn't 'current' to clear out their warehouses. I remember in the early '70s you could buy a NOS SOHC for about $2200, and Boss 302 for about $900.

You're still stuck with that 5-bolt bell though.... I'd ask $5500 as a starting point for what you have and sell it to a restorer.

 

The '63 and early '64 carburetors were not manual chokes. It wasn't until the C4OF-AL carb appeared that they went to manual choke if my memory is correct


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What leads you to the conclusion that the distributor is incorrect? Just curious. I will try to get a better pic of the distributor at some point. At first glance it appears to be a vacuum advance unit(which I ***ume is why you are saying it's wrong). But instead of a ****** for a vacuum hose, it seems to have a slotted plug about the size of a dime. What's that about?
BTW. Both the distributor and the carb tag are stamped with the same beginning info "C3OF"

 

I'm pretty torn on what to do with it. On one hand, I know I can likely build a 289 with more horsepower for less than the value of this engine. As well as the fact that this is not really a practical street engine. On the other hand, it does have some history(growing up I heard lots of stories about this engine and the '62 Meteor it was dropped into) and it is just a pretty bad*** little engine.
If I decide to turn it loose, do you have any suggestions where to begin marketing it?

 

"I can likely build a 289 with more horsepower"... If that is the deciding factor... you can buy a 351 Windsor crate motor or a 347 stroker 302 for that matter and still get the look you want. But being the pack rats we are... most of use would keep that just because we are kinda" genetically and emotionally attached " to such fine relics!

 

Is it dual point?