Last updated on 10 /14 / 2001 at 9:50 a.m.
Ford started the factory race car wars in 1960. They invented the Super / Stock factory race engines. Until Ford brought out the famous Hi-Performance 352 cubic inch "FE" engines, Detroit had never produced a engine such as Fords new offering.
Ford sent a letter to the Automobile Manufactures Association (AMA) stating that they would no longer support the racing ban. Ford intended to build high performance cars. To prove this point they then sent a 360 horse power, 352 cubic inch Star liner to Daytona and ran it at 143 mph for about 40 laps. Ford was back in a big way!
Fords "FE" 352 cu. in. engine was
the first one built on a basic production engine that has been
given special carburetion, camshafts, exhaust, then the bottom end
was beef up to handle the extra stress. The idea of special
reinforced cylinder block, building high flow cylinder heads,
stronger connecting rods, improving the oiling system and heavy
duty valve springs were never considered. Such things were
considered expensive extras with little profit value.
As you can see this is not a original 1960 Ford Starliner.
Maybe if Ford had built a few like this one some would still be
around!
Ford changed all that in 1960. This was the year they cleared the way for things to come, that would last into the 1970's. Little did they know that the Super /Stock wars had begun, the pattern was set.
The first Factory Super /Stocker was the "352 Special". The "Special" was quite a surprise to the automotive world. In the spring of 1960 the "Special" was released with the engine rated at 360 horse power at 6,000 rpm. Ford had Chevy's beat by 10 horse power. The race was on.
The "352 Special" looked like a sure winner, but in real life it wasn't as neat as it appeared at first glance. The cylinder heads had the same valves as the standard 352. Ford did increase the port size a full 20%. The "Special" had a great new aluminum intake manifold that mounted a Holley 550 cfm carburetor. The "Special" got a very good camshaft. The specs were: 306 degree duration, .500 inch lift and solid lifters. This camshaft was very trick for it's time. Then Ford, being Ford, ruined the package by putting the same valve springs that the regular production engines used! They were junk! These valve springs had only 190 seat pressure and would get a valve stuck through a piston in nothing flat. A couple of weeks after the release of the "Special" Ford saw the errors of their ways and released a new set of valve springs and dampers with a seat pressure of 207 lbs.. With this new release Ford solved the valve train problems and allowed the 352's to pull 6,000 plus rpms as intended. Ford had a "Dealer" installed, 3 two barrel set-up or Tri-Power as it was later known as. Ford gave it part numbers and it was all legal with the National Hot Rod Association. No horse power figures were given at that time. Ford won 15 NASCAR races that year.
Ford had beefed up the engine block by using thicker cylinder walls, better hard bearings, a improved oil pump that could hold 55 psi.. They put in a forged steel connecting rods with longer rod bolts. Another part of the package was a beautiful exhaust system, it was very well thought out for the day.
Ford had finally begun to win races. Then the Chevy and Pontiac racers showed up with the over the counter or "Dealer Installed" Borg-Warner T-10 4-speed transmissions. The Ford boys got beat and beat again. All because they were stuck using a column-shifted 3-speed transmission. It was a frustrating time for Ford racers.
Curtis Walker has another site with a set of pictures of his 1960 model two door sedan. Though it is not stock, it is a whole lot stocker than the Pro Streeter above! Plus this site has the 1960 Ford specifications too.
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