1960 TBird Conv on eBay- Motor?

[Brendaninpa]

eBay Item number: 261070883458
Hi everyone... I'm very puzzled by this car and I don't think the seller knows what it is either. Is it possible this car actually came from the factory with a HiPo 352? It's a manual 3-Speed car and has the super-cool cast short header pipes and open air cleaner which I think is correct for a HIPo 360 motor. I read on this site Ford never put a HiPo 352 in a T-Bird (they only offered them in full-size Fords in 1960 and only with a 3-speed manual) but this is at least the second 1960 T-Bird in the last fews years offered for sale which had what looked like a HiPo 352 with a 3-Speed manual. My best guess is someone put the HiPo parts on this car?
Does anyone know this car? Trying to get answers from the seller as well, thanks!

[jopizz]

It's certainly not a 430 that's for sure. Shame that he didn't post a picture of the data plate. That would've told alot.

[YellowRose]

1960 TBird Conv on eBay- Motor?

Here is what I found out about the 352 HiPo engine. I found this on the Jalopy Journal Forum.

The 1960 360 HP was actually a 352, not a 390. The 390 didn't come out until 1961. It was a one year option, and that thing ran like a scalded cat. I believe that it was also the 1st American engine to be rated at over 1 hp per cubic inch. Ford dropped it for 1961 because they didn't want the 352 to be rated higher than the 330 hp 390. The new 390 had 4V 375 hp and 3x2 401 hp options.

Here are some pix that I collected of 352 HiPo engine. It looks to me that the ebay Bird has a 352 HiPo engine in it. As John said, it certainly is not a 430, as the expansion tank is turned the wrong way, for one thing. The 352 HiPo engine has the expansion tank parallel to the radiator just as the regular 352 has. Also, from what I read, back then, Ford did not code the 352HiPo with a special code on the data plate. Also from what I read, the gold air cleaner you see in these pix was the official air cleaner for this engine so that they matched the valve covers.

[Brendaninpa]

Thanks Ray for the pictures, the air cleaner is really unique. Looks like a UFO! I'll try to find out more about this car if I can get the seller to reply to my questions. Guess it would really be something if this Bird came came from the factory with this setup.

[YellowRose]

1960 TBird Conv on eBay- Motor?

Hi Brendan, There was quite a discussion regarding another Tbird with a 352 HiPo 360hp engine in it a couple of years ago. I wish I had saved that link. I doubt that Tbird came from the factory with that engine in it, unless it was a special order. The engine was, supposedly, only available for that one year. Here is some more information about it from Wikipedia.

In 1960 Ford created A High Performance version of the 352 rated at 360 horsepower (270 kW) it featured an aluminum 4bbl intake manifold, A Holley 4150 Carburetor, cast iron "header" style exhaust manifolds, 10.5:1 compression ratio and A solid lifter valve train.

Here is what the VTCI Official Factory Specifications (OFS) has to say about this engine, as compiled by Alan Tast, "Fuz" Johnson and others who create the OFS. I will post an explanation regarding this engine.

[Brendaninpa]

Thanks again Ray! Great article and information.Guess that sorta clears up the speculation I have about this car. "No documented T-Birds ever came with the HiPo 360". I've read solid lifters can be a challenge as well... I'm still going to try to find out who built this car, how and with what parts and I will let you know what I find out.

[Jimz Bird]

It is in Fenton, MI.

Anyone close to there? Dave D.?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1960-Ford-Thunderbird-Tbird-Convertible-/261070883458?pt=US_Cars_Trucks&hash=item3cc9098a82

[Brendaninpa]

Update on this T-Bird
Seller just updated the his ad tonight with more pictures and data plate. They are representing it as an all original 27K car, read below:

1960 Ford Thunderbird Convertible

The engine is a 352 Hi-Po with 360hp. Holley 4-barrel carb. Dual point distributor. Aluminum intake. All factory.
This car is very rare. And very collectible. It was a limited production with the 352 Hi-Po with manual trans, and no a/c.
Is a 3-speed with overdrive transmission.
Vehicle has been stored in a climate controlled facility the last 25 yrs.
All chrome is very nice.
New radial tires.
New brakes.
White convertible top with a new rear window.
This is a 3rd owner vehicle.
Comes with original glovebox manuals.

This car is truly beautiful.

(My understanding that only 17 were built with these specs.)

Buyer is responsible for any shipping arrangements.



Wish I lived closer and could go inspect this car in person, could it be true? A HiPo 360 in a Thunderbird from the factory?

[YellowRose]

1960 TBird Conv on eBay- Motor?

Someone needs to tell him that according to the Official Factory Specifications that Ford did NOT install the 352 HiPo 360hp engine in ANY Squarebird, for the reasons cited in my post below. I would suspect that sometime between the 1st owner and the 3rd owner, someone got a hold of a 352 HiPo and put it in place of the regular 352. He is gonna have to come up with a ROT/Build Sheet or other paper work that states that the car left the production line with a 352 HiPo 360HP engine in it...

[GTE427]

Same car that was for sale two years ago in Florida.

http://www.squarebirds.org/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=8801

The window sticker and ROT sheet are posted in the previous thread.

[YellowRose]

1960 TBird Conv on eBay- Motor?

Thanks for posting that link, Ken! I thought this Tbird was familiar! Now I know why. I don't see anything on the Data Plate, the ROT Sheet, or the window sticker that says anything about this engine being a 352 HiPo, just a 352. I don't know where he got that idea about there being 17 of these cars produced.

[tbird430]

Just a 3rd owner trying to sell a "rare" car IMO.

The more things he can say (erroroneously) are rare, the more money his car can fetch so to speak....

That's not to say the engine ALONE isn't worth some money though.

-Jon R.