I have the opportunity to buy a complete 289hipo motor with c 4 transmission for my 65 f100....running in good shape. granted I know this engine isnt a Truck engine.... It is an aggressive motor.

I also have a few other floating options such as a 1984 302w out of a ford truck...not running. needs some work.

or a

351w dont know any information other than it was rebuilt by joyco and never installed...so no idea if it runs? Been sitting up for awhile.

a 460 in a 70's ltd that is claimed to be in excellent shape. and running...not seen or heard.. just talked to the guy.

These are my options... im personally leaning more towards the 302 or 289 hipo... just for the simple fact that im building a cruiser..not a drag racer.
and i have the original drum brakes not disc so stopping a 460 would be interesting...as well as the wieght issue.

what do you think??? I would like to go with the 289 especially since it already has a tranny that goes with it. But!! I dont know jack about the 289 hipo! and if it will push the truck good. The guy laughed and said once I hear it ..I can make my own judgement...so I get the idea that it is a stout engine.

Thanks..any input is good input!

 

The 289 hipo is a good engine with lots of torque...300 ft lbs IIRR- with proper gearing you will do fine.

The 302- while they were also used as truck engines, very gutless (lack of hp & tq) when compared to the HiPo 298

351- not a bad engine, moderate hp/tq, but likes to drink gas- expect 15 mpg avg

460- a torque monster with about the same mpg as the 351.

My recommendations- either the 289 hipo or the 460.

 

289 hipo fairly rare. I would opt for it also,but is it a hipo? No vacuum on dist,large damper on crank pulley. Large cast iron headers, Solid lifters. Should be lot more money than other engines listed.

 

Just a note, the 289 may be built for higher rpm HP and would need steep gears to move a truck. I'd upgrade your brakes before anything though.

 

When you say it's going in a cruiser, I assume you don't plan to be standing on it all the time. I'd think a moderately built 351 would be your best choice. The 289HP is a solid lifter engine designed to rev and used in Mustangs/Fairlanes. If you're going to run 4.11 or higher gears you might be alright, but there's a reason Ford didn't use them in trucks.

 

Vote is to get the 302 and rebuildit to your liking and to what the truck will be tailored for. And they aren't as gutless as some folks say with the proper head/cam/intake combo.......

 

In another thread, the OP says his truck currently has a 390 in it with a cracked block. I advised him to stay with the FE engine, as it will be far cheaper to get another and rebuild it. This will eliminate the headaches and expense associated with engine swaps, not to mention all the time and effort it will take to locate all the necessary bits and pieces including the correct transmission and driveshaft to make whatever other engine fit.

 

To me, if you are going to rebuild a 302, it is much cheaper to get a 302 crate engine (gofastparts.com) are an excellent resource for crate engines (all makes) and typically saves about $1500 when comparing to a conventional rebuild.

The 302 is not a bad engine, just choked up on small head ports, depending on the year, your hp rating will be about 150-175 and tq about 250 to 300. Given the weight of the fairlines/mustangs (about 2800-3200 lbs), your truck is not that much heavier (about 3500) which the 289 hipo will have no trouble handling especially considering the fairlanes/mustangs typically had 3:55 to 3:89 gears in the rear ends (standard had 2:70's). The reason for myrecommendation for the 460 as compared to the 351..both really good truck engines but a lot more power with the 460 and same mpg.

 

Listen to the man----------he knows exactly what he's talking about here. For what you'll spend on an engine swap, you can build a 390 to put em all to shame. And it'll bolt right into place. More torque than the 289, 302 , or 351, even more than the 460. And it'll keep up right along with the 460.

 

390.....for sure...it's all ready there........or the 351W

that 289 will die in a truck....hipo or not.

 

Well my 390 is shot...huge crack in the block just inside the liftervalley about 5 inches long. Cant find a decent replacement that cost less than 2grand(except from autozone!). Sooo.. I went looking for other alternatives. Last night I bought a running 302 that just needs some freshning up. I have a friend with a 63 that had a 302 and his machine would haul tail. So my plans are to swap out the cam, intake, and hedders. Pair it with a TCI c6 manumatic with a custom "toploader" style shifter from lokar. Gotta find some good engine paint and some nice valve covers! and Engine mounts.

** This engine cost me 175 bucks....the old guy was clearing out some old trucks and cars from his yard cause his old lady told him it was her or them.
fisty old lady. He wanted 400 for it. I think I got a deal. I told him I was going to go look at a couple other motors. and he said make me an offer and its yours. I said 150 he said 175 I said sold. He even gave me a bill of sale with allllllll the details on the motor and that it was in good working order.

 

Where are you that you can't find a good 390 block ? Crap, I just sold a good 500 mile short block for $350 that I'd been trying to move for three years. Got another bare 64 block to move too. 390's are not exactly plentiful as they once were, but they're still lots out there for the taking (free) sometimes. You may think your buddies truck moves with a 302, but you've undoubtably never driven one with a 390.

 

I have actually...call me crazy ( crazy ) But I think I like the feel of the 302 better.... i know i know no replacement for displacement.

I live in central Arkansas...not that I cant find one...I have fooound plenty...they are all junk tho... rusted out. locked up or ragged out. and they all wanted like 300 or 400 .. one guy has a 360 out of a school bus.... it has been rode hard and put away wet. 2 diff heads. no pulleys. rust in the cylinders. and caked in tar. not oil. tar...how i dont know. it was interesting. Has been rebuilt 2 times.

So...thats my story. Ive been looking for awhile now...and I found a many engines. I even had a thought about putting a chevy in...but 2 sec later was over that. After all the looking I found this 302 and it is a strong donor... never rebuilt. under 100k miles.
was an older guy that owned it... was in an f150 truck. Kept records of oil changes. reciepts for slick 50 ....says he has used it since he bought it. Dont know much about that.

Though not a 390...I will be happy with it. Im doing my homework on some aftermarket build ups. looking at intakes, cam, heads, hedders, carb, and exhaust.
my issues are with the EGR system. it isnt hooked up. says he unhooked it long long time ago. I want to omit the EGR system if at all possible. no big deal if I cant.