in 1965 they called that color Caribbean Turquoise. its a great color on a truck.
in 1965 they called that color Caribbean Turquoise. its a great color on a truck.
In reply to 44Dwarf:
That wasnt the original color on this car. The original was a light metallic green, which was still present in the jambs, trunk, etc. I debated for awhile about going back to the original color or using the dark green.
Adrian_Thompson wrote: Huh, my 85 Econoline Conversion van with the same 351W and C6 got 14 mpg no matter what.
...and that's also why the 351W (small block) replaced the 351M (big block). Not the same motor. The big block motors are pigs. Gobs of torque and great for moving heavy lumps of steel, but dirty, fuel guzzling pigs. My truck was also a 4x4 and one of the last of the non-catalyst trucks. A guy I knew with a 2WD truck with the same engine said it was no better. The larger 400M motor was even worse.
Just for the sake of clarity, the Windsor V8s preceded the Cleveland family of which the 351M and 400M were members. When the Cleveland family of motors was finished off in 1982, the Windsor V8 continued. The 351M replaced the 351 Cleveland in the mid 70s because Ford killed the 351 Cleveland and the 351W didn't have the torque for light trucks. The 400M was intended to replace the FE Ford engines, the 390 and 428.
My dad bought a '72 with the 400M. This was a heavy car but that 400 did get the car moving OK. I'd bet that's why the 400 did not have that much more HP. I think it was rated at either 175 or 200 HP It would however have much better torque. Huge trunk on these cars as well.
My dad claimed 20 MPG when driven on the interstate at the speed limit. Back then that was 55 mph.
I swear the 400M in our '75 LTD was rated at 153HP in factory form. At, you know, 12 RPM.
this is so awesome.
How is the MPG?
Actually, the 400M doesn't exist. The correct name for it was simply 400. The 351M used a 400 block with a destroked crank and really long pistons. This doesn't apply to the 400 because it was a 400 to start with.
Flight Service wrote: this is so awesome. How is the MPG?
Man I really don't know. It seems decent for such a big car, maybe mid teens, but I just need to check it. I've been commuting in it some recently, so next time I fill it up I'll check the mileage.
Cotton wrote:Flight Service wrote: this is so awesome. How is the MPG?Man I really don't know. It seems decent for such a big car, maybe mid teens, but I just need to check it. I've been commuting in it some recently, so next time I fill it up I'll check the mileage.
I remember dad had a 79 F100 with the 351M/400 in it. If he was real nice on the throttle it would get 19 on the highway. In town closer to 9.
In reply to Cotton:
One of these would likely get better mileage...
Seriously, that engine is a great deal for what you get.
Just to clear things up, FoMoCo had 3 different 351 CI engines.
The 351 Windsor, based on the common 289/302 SBF with a taller deck height. These were first available in cars in '68 or '69, I don't know when they were in trucks.
Next there is the 351 Cleavland, its physically larger than a Windsor, but not as big as a big block, Ford did call them small blocks. I don't think that they are descended from any earlier engines. I think they were first available in '69.
Last is the 351 Modified, based on the Cleavland, with some modifications (duh). They came out in '75.
I'm not a big fan of the 351C/M engines. It seems that when they are right, they are really right, but most often they are far from right.
BTW, the Aussies spent a lot more effort developing their version of the Cleavland. I hear that the Aussie heads are the ones to have.
351 M[edit] Engine dimensions 351M/400 351C Nominal main bearing size 3.000 in (76.2 mm) 2.750 in (69.8 mm) Rod length 6.58 in (167.1 mm) 5.78 in (146.8 mm) Deck height 10.297 in (261.5 mm) 9.206 in (233.8 mm) When the 351 Cleveland was discontinued after the 1974 model year, Ford needed another engine in that size range, since production of the 351 Windsor was not sufficient and the 390 FE was also being retired. To replace the 390, Ford took the 400 engine's tall-deck block and de-stroked it with the shorter-throw crankshaft from the 351 Windsor, and taller pistons, to produce a 351 cubic inch (5.8 L) engine whose components were largely compatible with the 400. 351M block castings were modified to prevent cracks in the lifter area; additionally, the 351M casting contains X marks cast next to each lifter bore.
351M production began in 1975 in the Michigan Casting Center, and continued until mid-year 1978, when manufacture was transferred to the Cleveland Foundry/Cleveland Casting Plant.
The M-block, as it became known, was the last pushrod V8 block designed by Ford. The M-block also shares some elements with the Windsor engine family: bore spacing, cylinder head bolt-patterns and crankshaft journal dimensions
I would love a set of aussie heads, but they seem to bring decent money.
Bravenrace if I had unlimited funds I'd absolutely drop a sweet crate engine in this thing!
In reply to Cotton:
Its been many years since I watched White Lightning, but didn't he have a really hot engine in that LTD?
yeah it was supposed to be modified for running shine. Sure looked like stock suspension though based on how much it leaned. Mine leans so much in a hard corner sometimes it feels like my door handles are going to scrape the ground. 
Cotton,
On your tires, here's a pic of my customer's '71 LTD convertible right after we put the new Magnum 500's and tires on it. Tires are 235/70-15's. They fill the wheel wells nice and have a good footprint.
Rob_Mopar wrote: Cotton, On your tires, here's a pic of my customer's '71 LTD convertible right after we put the new Magnum 500's and tires on it. Tires are 235/70-15's. They fill the wheel wells nice and have a good footprint.
Sweet!
Cotton wrote: yeah it was supposed to be modified for running shine. Sure looked like stock suspension though based on how much it leaned. Mine leans so much in a hard corner sometimes it feels like my door handles are going to scrape the ground.
I know exactly what you mean. I learned to drive in a '71 country squire!
In reply to Rob_Mopar:
Those 235s look great. I think that's the route I'll take. Now I just need to find some wider steel wheels and a set of poverty caps.
bravenrace wrote: In reply to Cotton: Its been many years since I watched White Lightning, but didn't he have a really hot engine in that LTD?
429 dual carburetors based on when the other shine runner or the mechanic guy was looking at the engine. Love that movie.
Those are some damn impressive numbers!
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