First off, I've never built a Ford before, and have done very little with Ford engines. So I could use some guidance on what are pros/cons of different setups.

A year or so ago I picked up a solid '63 Unibody, and I've finally hauled it to my house and am starting to build a plan for it. I've got a good idea on what I plan to do paint wise (thinking gun smoke grey above the body line, and black below) and will probably make some changes to the ride height, but I'm up in the air on what to do for an engine/tranny.

My first thought is go big. I've got a line on a 460 with 30k on a rebuild that I can get for almost nothing. I'll probably have to have it gone through again (sat outside for about a year), but I'd keep it fairly mild.

Another idea is to go the 4.6 route, but I've never done much with them. I assume they need the ECM and all of that fun stuff? Is there a good kit to use here?

Whatever I end up going with, I'd like to be able to find an aftermarket motor mount kit. I could fab it myself, but honestly, in the little bit of research I've done, spending $100 on a kit seems a lot simpler and smarter than fabbing my own.

With this project, I don't intend to keep it for long. I've got a '52 Hudson Hornet that I'd like to get started on, but am lacking the cash to do so. My goal with this is to build a solid, reliable truck and sell it. I plan to go through the entire thing, new brake system, new wiring harness, etc, but the engine option is where I'm scratching my head.

So anyways, that's it. What would you do? Got another suggestion?

 

Only way to make unis run fast.

Steve's twin turbo F100 - 1000 HP Douhnut - YouTube


1000 horses of big block chevrolet........

Garbz

 

The first Pinks All Out show a 62 short box Uni took home first prize money! with a lady drivin

 

And it was powered by a big block chevy!

Garbz

 

I would just put something cheap and reliable in it. If you are planning to sell it, you aren't going to be making much money if you go top of the line everything. By the time you get done with it you might not make anything at all.

 

Any engine combo other than the original is going to require fabricating mounts. It isn't like putting a Ford 9" in an early Camaro. There hasn't been as much need to do such swaps, thus not so much market. The original Y-Block V8s had a mount under the crank pulley to the front crossmember, and mounts off the sides of the bellhousing to the crossmember under it. Very different from most later V8s and sixes. I recently sold off the Advance Adapters crossmember mount I bought for my 61 in the 70s when I was putting a 390 in it. I wound up not using it because it got in the way of the pan and added a crossmember to the frame right on top of the front axle that it interfered with.There might be something out there these days, but I've not run across it.