Hey /o/
I have a slow-as-fuck old Galaxie with a 289 in it. Its numbers all match, so I don't want to swap it, but I want more power out of it. Any suggestions?
Pic semi-related. Not my car, but similar.
>>14811045
nitrous plate, headers, intake, different heads, cam, valve springs, rear gears, manual tranny...
you can throw the kitchen sink at it if you want.
>>14811062
How much money are we looking at here? It currently has a 3-speed automatic. I don't want to race it or anything, I just want to get it fast enough to get up to highway speeds easily.
What are your thoughts on an aftermarket overdrive on the back of the transmission?
keep the old engine somewhere and swap in a LS
>>14811077
you're going to have to look at external overdrives yourself, ive had no experience with them
the simplest and most basic thing you can do for more powah without taking out the engine would be headers + performance carb (350-600 Holley or some Edelbrock) and intake manifold to suit, a service such as points, leads, sparkplugs, airfilter, oil change etc.
>>14811077
aftermarket o/d is pretty expensive, I think around 3-4k. for the unit itself, before even considering installation or anything. as for the engine work, anything from 2k to infinite, you can blow as much as you want. how many barrels is your 289?
>>14811085
If I'm going to swap, I'd do the whole driveline and drop in a 390 and a 5-speed.
>>14811106
I saw an external overdrive for sale in this magazine I got when I bought a new wiring loom for my car. They also had a small supercharger in there. I need to get the heads redone anyways so I can stop buying lead additive, so I might as well rebuild them while I'm at it. I had to put in an entirely new distributor when I bought the car because the old one was fried, so I put in new plugs and wires etc. at the same time. I have a new dual exhaust system on there that my uncle gave me. I don't know what model, but they're Flowmasters. I also had to get a new carb because the idiot I bought it from spray painted the carb, so I got a 2bbl Rochester junkyard special for $30 and slapped it on there. The jets were destroyed, but my uncle had some lying around that he gave me. They're a bit smaller, but they work for now until I get some more money. I'd like to replace my carb and intake, and I want headers.
>>14811156
>If I'm going to swap, I'd do the whole driveline and drop in a 390 and a 5-speed.
would be better than building a 289 for such a heavy car
needs a top loader and not a 5 speed tho
>>14811260
>not wanting overdrive
>>14811156
your stock heads, if they're 2 barrel heads, aren't worth a damn. look for some aftermarket aluminum units.
>>14811267
Id take a close ratio 4 speed and 10 mpg over a 5 and 15
I like my period correctness mayne
>>14811267
What's the difference between 2bbl and 4bbl heads?
>>14811260
I'm not exactly sure that the Galaxie is that heavy. My 71 fury wieghs in at around 3600 pounds, which by today's standards is pretty light. Especially considering it's a full size.
Anyway OP, the easiest things you could do right now is convert it to a dual exhuast. Aim for around 2.25-2.5 inches, and slap on a 4bbl carb
>>14811301
I have a dual exhaust at 2.25"
>>14811301
theyre 3500-4000 lbs
it has an engine that made 150 when new
the 289 is fine for a Falcon but not a Galaxie
>>14811319
The manual says it made 200hp and 295ft-lbs
>>14811338
thats gross hp
its not exact but the net output is usually around 75% of that
I wouldnt be surprised to learn that thing makes 120-130 hp at the wheels
>>14811278
Me too, but it's a 289 car it doesn't matter.
>>14811297
Better flow, better valve train and a better factory intake. Honestly that engine combo isn't worth keeping it numbers matching, it doesn't matter with that one. An engine swap might actually gain you money
>>14811391
I've been wondering if it would be worth it to keep for while
>>14811554
Not really much. You can call an expert but odds are if you swapped to a 390 or 427 you would increase the value
>>14811045
>Its numbers all match
Can't leave it as is and enjoy it as vanilla?
>>14811576
It's just too slow. It takes a solid 15 seconds to get to 60
>>14811592
Performance parts are everywhere for a 289, it's basically a 302, I'm sure you could find cams, headers, intake, and a better performing carb
If mpg is not a concern, you could try regearing the rear end. But a new carb, intake, and exhaust system should help a bit.
I'm looking into old cars as a DD, and I really don't care about acceleration and top speed, but how does it handle the highway speeds right now and current mpg?
>>14811045
>Its numbers all match, so I don't want to swap it
If you have to ask then you are just going to spanner it like an amateur and cause irreparable damage which will result in it dying and requiring a swap anyway.
Swap it and keep the original, then swap it back without any additional mileage in the future when its work anything.
>>14811661
Mpg is about 12, and highway is okay. I'm wanting to regear the rear end to make the highway easier
>>14811697
Then when it comes to things like this car...
Speed
MPG
Without dumping a modern engine and transmission, pick 1.
I want to get a 70-72 monte carlo, but since they're all 350/th350 combos, im gonna sacrifice speed for MPGs by regearing the rear end.
the 289 can be pretty awesome, n/a set up to rev up to 8000- 8300 revs they can go higher but i assume you want some amount of streetablility.
that engine stock can handle about 200hp shots of nitrous, I suggest going wet for safely. also gear ratio can make more difference then most engine mods.
Without tearing into the engine you can get 3.73 or 4.11 rear end gears with a posi unit, a higher stall torque converter, and a shift kit, will totally transform how the car feels
>>14811045
budget?
you could do anything with enough money.
New crank, conrods, pistons, heads, cam, intake, exhaust, carb/efi, forced induction.
you could go crazy, drop 10-15k on the engine alone not counting a new gearbox.
if its in good shape ypu are a retard to mod it. investment car. sit on it or sell to a collector for $25 k and buy a play car
>>14813863
no one is paying that much for a bog standard 289 Galaxie unless its got 5 miles on it
he might get 1/4 of that
>>14813941
sounds about right. if it was a hipo 289 that might be different but it isn't.
I seriously wouldn't bother unless you are doing Heads. The stock heads on these things are shit.
Get a set of AFR 165's with the 58 cc chamber, a decent dual plane manifold, small cam (.500 lift with 218 duration @ .050), 600 CFM carb, and headers (1 5/8" primary preferrably), and it will turn 200-250hp at the rears. This combo can be run with stock converter, stock gears, and has plenty of poke. Peak power will be near 5500RPM.
If you're concerned about matching numbers, don't go swapping out parts on the engine.
Just pull that 289 out, keep it tucked away and maintained, and build a 390 or 460 to drop in.
>>14814505
bbf has a different bolt pattern than sbf
>>14814519
My gf keeps texting me about how she wants to try a big block chevy, but she doesn't even own a car that could be swapped into. I'm really confused.
>>14814505
BBF's are shit. No aftermarket, and designed for trucks. Windsor or Cleveland if you want to make power.
>>14814652
>implying the FE doesn't have a large aftermarket, it is just expensive as sin
>windsor though
windsor is neat. 5.0 with a good exhaust soudns excellent.
>>14814668
I had two mates simultanerously building an engine each. One a 390, the other a 351 Clevo. Both had head work, decent intake and carbs. The clevo pulled more torque and 100 more HP than the 390. My 302 Wheezor slams the 390 in a straight line in a similar car.
>>14814681
you're probably right honestly. you can make big power out of an FE, but it is not even close to cheap. that 427 tho pham.
>>14814681
The 351C is one of my favorite Ford engines, but for some reason I feel like it only belongs in early 70s Mustangs and Torinos. Maybe a Marauder.
>>14814692
they weren't made for very long but the heads are wonderful. 385 series are also excellent. you can make some serious power out of a 460 or a 429
>>14814692
It has almost identical dimensions to a 351 Windsor. Both support displacements up to about ~420 cubes. The Clevo just has a better set up for revvs.
>>14814709
They were run for over 20 years in Australia. We even developed our own heads for them.
>>14814724
sucks y'all never got the good engines though, no big blocks. barra is neat, but no replacement for displacement.
>like the engine in grandfather's stang
>>14814715
better heads, better boreXstroke, but rarer and more expensive aftermarket.
Despite the size of the car the 429/460 is not a good fit for a Galaxie due to the crossmember location. It can be done but compromises must be made with the headers. Either crimp them really badly or route two tubes in front of and then under the crossmember severely reducing ground clearance. Pic related
>>14814792
do they make conversion crossmembers aftermarket?
I recommend replacing drive train with 390 + 4 speed, with 3.23 gears. If you had the cash you could even go either a second hand 428 or a brand new 428 crate engine, either way, theres plenty of aftermarket options for those engines and it gives a good starting base for power upgrades. Nothing sexier than a 7 litre 4 speed and the classic dual pipe glasspack rumble
The 289 was more of a cruising engine or otherwise something to basically power the car, in a big car like the Galaxie it was never going to take advantage of the engines potential.
>>14814904
the auto is fine, but a 428 or 427 isn't cheap and that is a whole drivetrain swap. I (and I am doing this when I replace the 300 in my truck) would recommend getting a 351w or 302w. all you have to do is swap the engine, easy as pie compared to going to a big block.
>>14814912
thats why i said if you had the cash
but sure, the australians managed to get a shit load of power from a 302 or 351 for some reason, that would be a relatively cheap and easy swap.
>>14814826
They're not like the unibody cars with a removable crossmember, it's integral to the frame. Pic related
>>14814954
oh so it is some serious custom fabbing. that blows.
>>14814933
we do as well, that's why you see so many consistent naturally aspirated 10 second foxbodies.
