Trying to ID 1960 Ford Starliner Hi Performance

[Guest Mark Rodgers]

I'm in Cleveland and I have located a 60 Ford Starliner that may be an HP car. I have the vin number but it does not come up on any vin search web sites. Marti Report can't help either. Any ideas ?

[West Peterson]

The 5th digit will tell you which engine. For the HP cars, it'll be a Y, representing a 352cid/360hp with 10.6:1 compression and a 4-bbl. carburetor. It will have a manual transmission.

Update: the 300hp is also a Y, and will be either an automatic or manual.

Edited August 16, 2011 by West Peterson (see edit history)

[West Peterson]

The 430cid engine would be a J, but I don't know if they used that in the Starliner. Tommy Nolen would know, and he comes on the forum once in a while.

[Guest Mark Rodgers]

It is a Y but the info I found says the Y is for all 352 motors and doesn't break out the HP motor.

[West Peterson]

No, not so. It represent the 352 with the 4-bbl carburetor only. X would be a 2-bb., and G would be an export car with a 4-bbl. And you[re right, the HP is not broken down based on the serial number.

[Guest Mark Rodgers]

Well then , so far so good. The owner thinks about 500 were built. Another tip I got was the fuel line location is different on the HP model.

[West Peterson]

If Tommy chimes in, I think he'll be a wealth of info for you. He has a '61 with an extremely rare engine in it, but I'm guessing he'd be able to give you some pointers on what to look for on the '60 as well.

[Guest Mark Rodgers]

DeCode this website is calling it a 352 4bbl 300 hp.

[West Peterson]

Based on what? The HP can't be figured based on the serial number???

[Guest Mark Rodgers]

I'm only going by what they say. I have no idea.

[real61ss]

I'm not really familar with the '60 Starliner but I'm thinking you should look for the same things that would identify a '61 Hipo.

(1) 3" drive shaft

(2) 3" front brakes

(3) 1 extra leaf in the rear springs (I'd have to count mine to see but I think it's 5 leaves verses 4 in the small motor cars

(4) 15" wheels

(5) 3/8" fuel lines

(6) the front brake lines are routed on the front x member under the radiator (the standard motor cars had the brake line attached to the x member under the motor. The Hipo exhaust manifolds required this because they were too close to the brake lines and heated them up.

(7) extra thick pad on the clutch pedal.

(8) electric windshield wiper motor

I'm not sure about the motor code in the VIN, on a '61 you can't identify a Hipo by the code, all 390's were Z codes except the 330 HP Police motor, that was a P code.

That's all that comes to mind now, hope that helps.

[NTX5467]

It's been a while since I thought of these things . . . like about 50 years, but I was thinking the 352/360 situation was a "dealer installed" option. An option which didn't show up in the "1960 Ford Buyers Guide" I have had since back then. As such, there should have been some tech information in the network (somewhere) which would detail installation instructions, which would have probably included the relocation of the brake lines due to those wonderful free-flowing cast iron exhaust manifolds (the pre-cursor of the later 427 cast iron headers). The fuel line would have been routed differently, I suspect, as the carburetor was a Holley rather than the normal Ford-issue 4bbl carb. This dealer-installed situation would explain why there is no specific VIN code. The 330 horsepower Police Interceptor motor was a factory assembly line production item, so it would have it's unique VIN engine code identifier.

Seems like I have a "Motor Trend" magazine from 1960 which talks about the "new" 352/360 engine? A one or two page article, with pictures.

Also seems like the cam in the 390/330 PI engine was the same as was in the 352/360 as it was a solid lifter camshaft.

According, again, to the "1960 Ford Buyers Guide", the Lincoln 430 V-8 was only available, optionally, in the Thunderbird. Same power as the normal Lincoln-spec engine.

The "Ford Buyers Guide" was a full-line Ford car "guide" for the particular model year. It started in about 1959 and went into the earlier 1960s. It had prices and options for all of the Ford cars. Trucks were mentioned, but not very much other than to acknowledge them. Additinally, there were many really good articles which played-up Ford products and their many features (optional extras and reasons to have them) and engineering advances for each model year.

IF you got a mail-out to send back in if you wanted one, you just had to stick a dime (yes, "one thin dime") into the appropriate holder and send it back in. I read those things so many times that it took the best Scotch tape to keep them together! I've still go them, somewhere.

The "Ford Times" magazine of those same general times was a very neat Ford-oriented magazine, too. The ones I have were went to the beauty shop my mother went to. I'd read them as I waited for her to get her hair done, after I got out of school. Those were some neat publications, too!

Ahhh, the memories!

NTX5467

[Guest Mark Rodgers]

It's a loooong drive to get to this car so I'm trying to nail it down before I pull the trigger. Does anyone know if the motor number would tell me if it is the 360 HP ?

[West Peterson]

No. just plant where it was built, year, month, day and nspector's i.d.

[Guest tysonlgrimes]

Yes, solid lifter blocks #s edc-b or edc-c. Heads, c0ae-d,intake coae-aa, aluminum take a magnet ! Tommy Nolans info is correct.300s and 360s both had Y codes,easy to clone, be careful ! Most cloners don't know about the brake lines or 5 leaf springs. If you find a Starliner that is Real let me know, all I have found are clones . 360s were factory not dealer. Good Luck !

[john2dameron]

Here is a quick rundown on Ford V-8's in the early '60. Base engine was a 292 with 185 hp; code W. The 352's included a base 352 with a 2-barrel and single exhaust with 220 hp. Next step up was 352 with 2-barrel and dual exhaust and 235 hp. I had one of those in a Sunliner. It was slow to get to speed but with a 2:90 rear it would fly when it got wound up. These 2 were the code X engines. Then came the code Y. 352, 300hp with one 4-barrel and dual exhaust and 360, still with 1 4-barrel and dual exhausts. All of these engines except for the 292 used hydraulic lifters; the 292 had solid lifters.

In 1961 they listed the 292 as the base V-8, the 352 Interceptor V-8 had 220 hp, the Thunderbird V-8 was 390 inches with 300 hp and Code Z, the Interceptor 390 V-8 was rated at 330 hp with hydraulic lifters, it was a Code Z or Code P for the police version, the Thunderbird Special 390 was rated at 375 hp with solid lifters, early ones were Code Z, later ones were Code Q and export models were Code R. The Thunderbird 6-V V-8 was rated at 401 hp and had solid lifters. Early cars were Code Z, later ones were Code Q. There was a Thunderbird Special 406 introduced in 1962 rated at 405 hp with 3-deuces and solid lifters. The Interceptor 390 was available in '62 with hydraulic lifters and 300 hp (Code Z) or with solid lifters and 330 hp, Code P. I bought a new '63 Galaxie 500 XL Sunliner with the 390/300 hp and a four-speed manual and it would float the lifters in a heartbeat. I often wished I had found a 390/330 solid lifter car instead of the hydraulic model. Standard Catalog doesn't list it but when Ford introduced the '63-1/2 model they offered a 427. At least 2 of my friends had those.

[Guest tysonlgrimes]

Good info, but the 360 H.P.s did have solid lifters .

[Dave Carney]

I believe another hint may be a blank axle code on the data plate. The original owner of a 1961 Sunliner passed away April of 2017. He was a close friend for 35+ years. He took delivery of the car in Long Beach, California around July of 1961. The Car was assembled in Long Beach (Code J) in June (02F) of 1961. It is a genuine high performance car. It was delivered with all of the equipment mentioned by areal61ss (it has 5 leaves) and john2dameron including the 3x2 induction and a 411 rear end. The data plate is a "Z"  engine code and my friend said that the high performance cars had a blank axle code,  as this car does. The first time I saw the car in 1984, it had 30,000 miles and the original tires were still installed (7.10X15). He installed chrome rims and radial tires when the sidewalls gave out in the late 80's. I still have the original tires and wheels. The car now has 45,000 miles and is still pretty much unrestored. The original 390 lost it's bottom end on a local freeway in 1965 and was replaced with a new 427,  which is in the car today. I am still hoping to find a build sheet, as I have not been lucky enough to find it yet.

[Laughing Coyote]

Dave, I found a perfect build sheet behind my pass side door panel.  There was one under the seat too.  I'm restoring a 1961 Mercury Meteor which came with the 352 2bbl  factory.  If the car is un-restored I would look there.  

[Dave Carney]

Thanks for giving me hope. No luck in easy places , seat bottoms, over glove box etc. I'll look further after probate clears. Keep workin' the Merc.  I'm still waiting for dry heat in Chandler, Az. Lots of monsoon

[Laughing Coyote]

I know the feeling.  The desert needs the rain, but I'm about Monssoned out.  Can't get much work done when it's always raining and you have to work outside.  The Sunliners are nice looking cars.    

Edited August 29, 2018 by Laughing Coyote (see edit history)

[Graham Man]

1960 Starliner

 

My Dad had a 61 Starliner, just like the looks of the 61 better...

[bobg1951chevy]

Although this '60 Starliner thread began EIGHT YEARS AGO, I have a cousin in Massillon, Ohio, now disabled , who is selling his 1960 Starliner.

It started life as a three on the tree V8, he had it converted to automatic to extend his driving days ....... but now its time to sell.

If there is any interest, I believe I can get pics and details.

Not a perfect car, by any stretch, but a solid car, needing paint job and partial assembly, as in bumpers, trim, etc.