What You May Not Know About Ford's 289

How the Ford 289 became one of the winning-est motors of the 1960s

[@markjurkovich7814]

The 289 was one of Fords best engines.

[@ronaldnorris2179]

I had one in a 66 Fairlane, loved that car.

[@TeddyRumble]

I'd love to get a Cobra with a 289.

[@user-yf9in9hb3o]

351 winsor in my truck , ford dependability sadly, will probably never be the same.

[@Huckleberry54]

I agree. I had one in a 1980 Chevy luv (yes you read that correctly) my dad built it and it would outrun any other factory vehicles on the road. My 289 was a factory 2 barrel and it would beat any mustang gt and Camaros on the road. It even beat a Grand Prix one time that had a 400ci. When I was racing it on weekends, it never was beaten off the line. It would hook up very well and beat anyone off the line. I sure do miss it.

[@ronaldnorris2179]

@@Huckleberry54 Ford engine in a Chevy? Now that’s definitely different 👍

[@darrellyoung9586]

While I was in Vietnam, my best friend built a 289/302 combination motor for my '64 Falcon. It was a monster. It showed 331 HP on a dyno. It redlined at 8,000 RPM. We took it to the drag strip a few times and never lost a race. My best time was 113 mph in 11.2 sec. What a great engine.

[@coolbreeze5561]

289 and 302 were the engines that hooked me on small blocks

[@knightonwarbeck1969]

We had a 1967, Mustang GT, British Racing Green, black vinyl roof, white sill stripes and.... 289 HiPo with 271 hp. 4 speed. Quite possibly the nicest car I will ever sit in a drive. Thank you for the awesome video.

[@plantfeeder6677]

Unless you actually painted your car BRG, the green color of your 1967 Mustang was Dark Moss Green.

[@tommywatterson5276]

The 289 v8 Ford was legendary. From the standard car v8 to the racing engine. It was a bulletproof engine. Ford should have kept the engine forever as an engine offering in their lineup throughout the years. No need ever to drop it for the 302.

[@9HighFlyer9]

my Dad has had a green K code 66 fastback for the last 30ish years. I believe that year it was called Ivy Green Metallic.

[@RollingRigTraction]

Got a '67 Cougar with original 2V 289 and lime frost green that someone sprayed candy apple red paint over which mostly just peeled off. I stripped the car down and painted it dark blue metallic and it almost looks black after all these years.

[@9HighFlyer9]

@@RollingRigTraction 67 cougar is underappreciated.

[@chuckselvage3157]

A 289 powered Ford Falcon GT from Australia competed at Bathurst touring car race and won in 1967.Always liked the 289s they were a sweet revving motor.

[@joshiek7839]

I’ve got an xr with a 289. People always talk about the revs. Std as they ran in the gt peak power was at 4800rpm. They had terrible cylinder heads. They take serious porting to get to 400hp

[@kimnielsenthewordyvikingett159]

Of course they were canted valves and evenly seperated and spaced headers??? A potentially fire breathing little monster 👹!!! Stick a 5-71 jimmy huffer on it and you've got yourself a sleeping little monster!!!!

[@kimnielsenthewordyvikingett159]

The combustion chamber design riveled by the 460-429-and chevy big block not to mention others!!!

[@joshiek7839]

@@kimnielsenthewordyvikingett159 289s are inline valve wedge chambers…

[@greyhairedphantom4038]

You beat me to it, it was Fords first attempt at a serious specific build for the race at Bathurst. It began the era of the Aussie performance vehicles that produced some awesome cars for that period by the then "Big 3," General Motors Holden, Ford, and Chrysler. A great time for motorsport in Ozz, that now has grown into the V8 Supercar class of today.

[@cujet]

Thanks for the wonderful 289 history lesson! Like so many other Ford fans, we spent plenty of time with these engines, trying all sorts of tricks to make more HP, especially with the valve train. In the end, they ran a solid 8000 RPM with adequate reliability. What people today tend not to understand is that 330+HP was plenty in a 2300 pound car and would provide superb acceleration, limited only by 4 speed transmissions and yesterday's tires of course. That's 60% the weight of today's Mustang GT, or about the same "Pull in a specific gear" as a modern Mustang GT with 550HP. Folks, don't be fooled, these things were plenty fast when set up properly.

[@ramblerdave1339]

Mustang more like 2650#, My '65 Comet Caliente hardtop 289, was 2781# (about the same as my Mustang II V6). 289 Cobra was about 2200#, 427, 2500#.

[@hombre1965]

Back in the late ‘60’s and into the ‘70’s this engine was legendary for durability.

[@bricefleckenstein9666]

260 even more so - and the 302 wasn't so bad itself. GREAT long-lasting engine series for their day.

[@busterdee8228]

I was ticked about something and held my '66 289 2+2 at over 8 grand. It didn't blow, so I apologized to it and never did that again. It was stolen and wrecked. I sold it to a racer who put it back together and used the 289 until his tunnel-port 302 was finished. It ran slower with the 302. My neighbor tore his 289 down after abusing the snot out of it. We were shocked to see copper on all the mains as it had been holding good oil pressure and had no low-end noises. The only 'down' side I recall was occassional burned exhaust valves.

[@cammontreuil7509]

In the later 70's, when the 289 got some miles on them, the unleaded fuel started to pound out the valve seats. Also it was common to find the engine with broken piston skirts or cracked ones. I know, I'm a retired engine builder.

[@cammontreuil7509]

​@@busterdee8228Stock valve springs won't support 8,000. RPM.

[@KimonSheri]

I found. No other engine that could take more punishment and never blow up. Even when pushing some nitro though it.

[@romemancer7905]

Heaven was driving my 289 powered 63 Futura and 4 speed to the country on weekends...what a sweet car...as a young guy growing up in the 80s...

[@bryanst.martin7134]

In '68 Ted Haywood was black flagged during Daytona time quals running a 289. He was turning laps speeds of 167.86 mph and back straight around 210. '67 GT350. They said no way, that's a 427 SCJ! Teched it and found it was legal 289. Ted guaranteed 502hp and it pulled 504 @ 9k. I love those tough little monsters.

[@sandasturner9529]

Interesting fact 😀

[@crazedgoldminner7384]

I just started driving about the time when the mustang went from the 260 V8 to the 289 and the four-speed oh what a wonderful combination I'm lucky to have survived it

[@user-hq4jz6lc9d]

Late '65?

[@thelorax7704]

Had a 289 in my 65 Fairlane 500. Loved that engine.

[@insane0477]

Me too! With a 3 on the tree!

[@thesupacoop4002]

In 1967, here in Australia, the new Ford Falcon GT was equipped with the 289 and 4 speed trans, and won that years Galleher 500 at the Mount Panorama circuit Bathurst. They finished first, second and fifth in this 500 mile race on debut. Top speed was 121 mph. These cars were 4 door sedan with complete interiors, minimal changes and running the stock single exhaust system !!

[@jBKht931]

I can see a fella telling his wife "I'm taking the kids for a ride, be back in a bit" strap the kids in the back with little helmets on and off we go to the races. 😂😂😂❤❤

[@johnking6252]

I've had from the 260 to the 351 , never had a problem with none of them 👍 back then built Ford tough meant something. 👍🇺🇲

[@jameshuffman835]

I still have a 221V8

[@johnking6252]

Built Ford tough 👍

[@johnmartin6854]

Fix or repair daily 😂😂😂

[@steveadams5190]

Too bad 1979 was the last year Ford built some tough. (The F series trucks) The 1963 Hi-Po 289 I had was DEFINITELY the best V8 from Ford I ever owned.

[@Loulovesspeed]

@@johnmartin6854- Jealous Chevy fans need not reply! LOL

[@351wmustanggt]

My first car was a 1966 Mustang coupe with a 289, loved that littl engine. It never let me down. I have had many "windsor" engines fro the 289, 302 and 351. I currently have a 393 stroker in my 1982 GT.

[@JC-gw3yo]

the small block Ford Windsor has to be the most successful engine of the ages. And with the 351 W version, it has an all new focus in strokers... The little Windsor is still with us today since 1962... What an amazing success story

[@threynolds2]

The 289s were stroked back in the day using 312 crankshafts. I think they were bumped up around 327 cid.

[@warrencollmer3077]

I own a 1965 Mercury Comet Caliente with a 289 4 speed. Don’t know the history of this engine but the data plate shows it came from the factory with a 2 barrel. A previous owner replaced the intake with an Edlebrock and it had a 60s era Holley 4 barrel which consistently ran rich (and rough) so I replaced it with a 600 CFM Edlebrock carb and I couldn’t be happier. The 289 has plenty of power, efficient, sounds great, and doesn’t burn or leak a drop of oil. Love this engine.

[@plantfeeder6677]

600 Holley was all you needed. 650 double-pumper if it was modified.

[@larrycole4438]

Had a 289 in my Mercury Comet a snail could run faster

[@James-cl5np]

Fuck yeah!!!!!!

[@mikemiller6684]

My 289high performance in my 65 Mustang fastback was truly an Amazing engine. Dad bought it new.

[@oneninerniner3427]

An old buddy had a 65 K code 4 speed GT Coupe when we were still in high school. It was quick! But anyway, he enlisted in the military after high school and when he came home on leave the car was gone. His Dad had sold it and told him he was gonna kill himself with it, that's why he sold it he said. Dude was pissed!

[@leewright7623]

@@oneninerniner3427K codes are pretty rare mate, very sought after now.

[@larrymitchell8464]

Like the video I have always like the small block ford I am now 77 years young and have 3 of them in restored cars . When I was younger I raced them and won my fare share . Never broke an rod or any big parts. These engines liked high RPM that were they make H.P. Thanks for the video .

[@bluecollarred6912]

My first car was an 89 mustang GT and that lil 5.0 ho would rev

[@plantfeeder6677]

Yes but we found out all about Pushrod Savers back then. Oh and fixing those pesky valve seals too.

[@sombra6153]

You made an excellent, accurate, and informative presentation. I remember reading Carroll Shelby saying the Shelby 289 road race motor was good for 380 horses without sacrificing reliability. That was the justification for the 427. I don’t know how potent the 289s in the GT350s were in B production, but would guess that no one liked to give real numbers. I also recall reading in a 1964-65 Popular Mechanics or similar doing a road test on a new 1965 Mustang with a 289 HiPo, 4-speed, and 4.11s. It was also reported to run a 14 flat. No mention of mods but it was a preproduction car. Despite the contentious relationship between Ford and Shelby, I think Ford learned a lot from road racing and that translated to the 289 - rest of the Windsor series all the way up thru the 95 5.0 HO being reliable, hard to kill motors.

[@jimstrict-998]

Not real sure about the accuracy. The GT 350s were running in B Production with the Corvette 283, Corvette 327s were in A Production. The Daytona Coupe won LeMans? Not to my knowledge. I once had a VERY good book, The Illustrated Racing History of Ford (1967), which discussed the disappointing efforts of Shelby and the Daytona Coupes in 1965 at LeMans.

[@sombra6153]

@@jimstrict-998 the Daytona won the GT class LeMans - 1965 I think when the GT40s that were the main event all quit throughout the race.

[@Wheelhouse812]

simeonemuseum.org/collection/1964-shelby-cobra-daytona-coupe/#:~:text=In%201964%2C%20Ferrari%20barely%20won,variety%20of%20other%20important%20races.

[@Wheelhouse812]

motorsportsmarket.com/racecars/1965-b-production-corvette/ I believe the 427 Vettes were put into production A with the 427 Cobras, 289 FIA Cobras, etc. The small block corvettes 283 and 327 were in production B with the GT350 mustangs

[@iansheppard9264]

I built my GT40 replica with a strong 351 C4v and was quite happy until i decided to build a peppy 289 for it. The differenc was nothing short of phenominal.. The weight alone conpletely transformed the handling of the car. I could carry possibly 20mph more into the bends and its willingness to rev really suits the lightweight car.. Its limited to 7500rpm and will drive like that all day and all night. It pulls like a train in all gears, will touch 200 mph if the track is long enough and sounds simply amazing.. So glad i decided to swap. Took me a few years to find a good 289 block being in the UK, but was worth the effort...

[@warrenpierce5542]

...289 also not a gas hog.

[@ngauruhoezodiac3143]

Those small blocks had reasonable economy. I had a 1965 Impala with a 283 engine, 3 on the tree and overdrive. It got 25mpg on the highway and 22 average.

[@ngauruhoezodiac3143]

The 289 was a great engine. Easy to tune and really reliable. And it would fit into any compact car without compromising balance and handling.

[@Kahuna54]

In high school in 1970 to 1972 I drove a 1966 Mustang 2+2 GT K code fastback with the hipo 289 and top loader 4 speed! That thing was super quick and fast!,

[@oh8wingman]

The Ford 289 is my favourite motor of all time. with my second being a Chevy 3.8 V6. The 289's were almost impossible to blow up and ran hard. One of the things I really liked about them was the front mount distributor. It made tune ups a lot easier and because it was at the front, unlike the Chevy, and your timing stayed right on when pushed hard because there was no camshaft twisting. Another thing was the Ford small block is 2" narrower that a Chev small block so it will fit a tighter engine bay easier. I had a 1966 Ford Galaxie where the engine was so worn out that at an idle the oil pressure light would come on and that old boat would still happily do a 100 miles per hour for long periods of time without mishap. I drove it to the auto wreckers and they rebuilt the engine and sold it to a customer they never heard from again. Back around 1976 I had a 1948 Pilothouse Fargo panel truck with a 289 K code high performance in it backed up by a 3 speed with overdrive. The diff gearing sucked but I didn't have the money at the time to change it out. One day I was going down the highway at about 60- 65 in third when a buddy of mine in a 1949 Stude pickup pulled up beside me. I looked over and he gave me the nod. So it was dump a cog and away we went. Came shift time we were still neck in neck. When we both peeked out I dropped it into overdrive and hammered it again. He heard my exhaust note change and he just folded while I kept going for a bit and then settled back down to highway speed. When we got into town I needed gas so I pulled into a station and my buddy soon pulled in to see what the hell I was running. Now his Stude pickup had a 454 smogger in it so he was pushing around 250 horse on a good day but it weighed a ton. My little 289 HP was pushing around 270 horse but his weight was negated because a Fargo Pilothouse has all the aerodynamics of a brick. He asked what I was running and I told him, "289 with a three speed manual on the floor." He called bullsh*t so I showed him. He told me, "You know, we were doing almost a 90 miles an hour when we changed into high and got to just over 100 when you shifted into third. That's when I backed off because I knew I was beat." I just nodded and didn't say anything more. You see, what he didn't realize was when he heard my side pipes bark when I picked up the last gear and he backed out, I was really going into overdrive. I couldn't go much faster but the fact that I had "another gear" was enough to psych him out so he quit. It was 20 years later before I told him my secret and all I got was, "Motherf*cker" and we both laughed. I should never have sold that Panel truck but getting married and having kids, well you know how that goes.

[@user-hq4jz6lc9d]

"My fenders was clickin' the guard-rail post, the guy beside me was white as a ghost......" 🙂

[@joehernandez8208]

Fords inline 6 was a legendary motor also. Durability, power, ease of working on. Should have never abandoned that platform.

[@TeddyRumble]

I had a '63 Econoline I used for construction work and camping in the mountains. 170 ci online six. Never had a bit of problem with that 6, but it was a dog in the mountains. Sold it about 19 years ago. Fun times in that thing.

[@dennis1954]

I had one that took a beating but would not die. Several others Ford sixes that were problem free. Best motor from that era. I had also had Chevy sixes but all had head valves and wrapped heads and most had distributor problems.

[@user-gl8qk2tq1e]

Now I know why my dad loved this motor so much, that was always his go to power plant, I miss him and all the old cars we had

[@SimonWallwork]

Nice video. I have a 289 in my Tiger- the early 5 bolt bellhousing block- so it went straight in. I popped a 302 crank in it and some GT-40X heads. Best engine I've ever done.

[@stevenblum2365]

My Dad had a 67 Ford Fairlane with a 289 and that little car was surprisingly quick, and brother had a 66 Fairlane with a 390 and that car was a beast.

[@eflanagan1921]

Either would be wort serious money today

[@irritablearchitect]

I've been a Ford guy and Mustang owner for almost 40 years, and in all of the shows I've ever been to, there have been a handful of cars that I've seen with a 260, in the flesh. Never have I seen an actual 221 under the hood.

[@romemancer7905]

Look for the 1962 Fairlane with the small chrome V8 badge on the front fender...the 221 had a really short production life...

[@graemeburr6463]

Here in NZ FOMOCO assembled Fairlaines in the 1960's all ex Wndsor Plant in Canada and only 4 doors. If it wasn't for Canada being a Commonwealth country like us we would have got no US based Fords because of tarriffs. The 62 through to 64 Fairlanes were real popular and commonly known here as a Ford "Compact" and were the right size for our roads. The 62 came with the 221engine while the 63 & 64 mainly got the 260.@@romemancer7905

[@sp-lc1fy]

I wrecked my first car an my cousin sold me ( for a dollar). It was a 1963 galaxie sedan with the 221.

[@colinnicols5387]

In the vancouver area ive seen a handful of the 221 and a fair number of the 260’s at car shows. In the ‘60’s there were quite a few local ford dealerships which may account for that.

[@BillyLintzenich-wf7sk]

I had a 64 1/2 mustang coupe that had the 260 in it. It didnt run when i bought the car and sold it shortly after.

[@thewatcher5271]

That Was Great! A Good History Lesson For Those Who Care. My First Car Was A '66 Mustang Fastback, 3-Speed, 289 & I Got It For $275. Thank You.

[@brucecowgill7672]

Great little engine, have one in my 65 comet. People that don't know much about it seem a bit disappointed when I say 289 and not something bigger but I just smile.

[@manny6113]

I am so happy to hear great things about the 289. My wife and I are proud owners of a 67 Mustang coupe. I bought it for her as a present, the car was a project and is coming along nice and should be drivable very soon. I rebuilt the original carburetor and transmission and the engine starts and idles so smooth. Can’t wait to drive it.

[@parkependleton6453]

Happy memories of my first car, a 289 cu. In. V8 equipped 1968 Ford Fairlane with three on the tree!

[@lars277]

I am a fan of the small block Windsor engine family. I am high on the 347 and 363 variants offered at Ford Racing. Those are incredible platforms for off the charts performance out of such a small package. Great video Mr. Wheelhouse. I loved it.

[@Charles53412]

My most favorite auto engine ever built!

[@elroyfudbucker6806]

An interesting story about the Sunbeam Tiger was that it started out as the Alpine with a 1.7 litre 4. It featured in the start of some of the episodes of Get Smart. Sunbeam was an old British company that was bought by the Rootes Group, a British version of America's big 3 in that they bought up several other car manufacturers in the UK. Amongst the other companies were Hillman, Humber & Commer trucks & vans. Carroll Shelby fitted (shoe horned) a Ford 260 into the engine bay of the Alpine to great success & followed it with the 289. A few years later, Chrysler bought the Rootes Group & discontinued the Tiger because of competitor Ford's engine, but didn't resurrect the Tiger with one of their own V8s, maybe because the smallest one wouldn't fit in the small engine bay of the Alpine without major chassis surgery & were probably too heavy anyway, compared to the 260 & 289. Even the Tiger needed a new transmission tunnel because of the bigger gearbox. Pity.

[@Loulovesspeed]

@elrofudbucker6806 - You're exactly right. The Chrysler 273 engine wouldn't fit without extensive mods so they dropped the Tiger. A high school friend of mine told me his Dad bought a Tiger II (289) and put a mild cam, bigger Holley and some headers on it. He could yank the front wheels a couple inches off the ground with a strong start! What a sleeper! 🤠

[@user-yk5kg7kd4r]

I used 289 heads on a 260 to great effect. 7000 redline and 300 hp. I had a few other tricks like a windage tray, Rhodes lifters and some head porting. Flow is the key to making power. Best results were with a single plane 4bbl using a 450CFM Holley. The 260 originally had small intake valves and ports but it pulled solid to 6700 RPM with 289 heads and the larger intake path.. I used a Crane dual pattern cam , don't recall the specs. I had one fast Falcon.

[@bernardmcmahon2383]

Been a mechanic for 37 years and this little donk is still my fav,302 windsor close,08 holdem amnd the Barra

[@bernardmcmahon2383]

308 holden sorry

[@jeffkerr4856]

I for one loved that little 289 Well balanced Fast revving little power house. @ 69 Yrs old I think they were one of the best motors ever made bar none. She's real fine my 289

[@thomasward4505]

The 1964 Falcon Sprint is one of my all-time favorite Ford cars. Only the Sprint has the shortened roof line which looks great

[@tomstevens6833]

I've always loved my 289 2bbl with a T 10 4Spd in my 65 mustang. Still the quickest reving engine I've found !

[@Porsche996driver]

Love this - learned a ton in just 15 minutes. Well done! 🏁

[@kevinknight470]

Had a 65 Fastback Mustang with a modified 289. Lot of fun to drive, had to be careful because they would swap ends easily. 289 was a great mid-sized engine, great video, thanx.😃

[@randallbates9020]

FoMoCo Baby!!!! I have owned and built several 302 engines. With the bigger valve springs and something so many people miss, ported and polished heads those things would scream, rev the booger out of them and they would come back for more. Mine were in Mercury cars, Comets and Montegos and left me with many smiles and great memories. I still drive a 351 almost daily but its in my 4x4 pickup as my street days are over. Thanks for a great video and some great toughts of yesterday.

[@BritIronRebel]

Great engines! May I offer that with a nice exhaust system, the 289 also had a glorious note. Among the best sounding engines ever. I once owned a little Griffith (TVR) 400 that had the 289 HiPo in an 1,200 lb fiberglass car. That thing scared me at times!

[@colinnicols5387]

Yes, quite a different exhaust note compared to the 351

[@michaelbyrne8860]

The Ford 289 and the Chevy 283 are both are underrated engines! Power vs Weight!

[@spaceghost8995]

I believe the 283 is quite a bit heavier than the 289 .

[@richdorak1547]

100% ! Both are in top 10 ALL TIME BEST small blocks !!!!!!

[@jamesglass4797]

Thanks, great video. I love hearing these great stories about the golden age of muscle cars.

[@stevefowler2112]

The problem the 289 had, besides only being a two bolt main (i have heard that the LeMans engined 289 GT40's came apart so much in testing that they tried block girdles but those didn't help much, and finally Ford made some specialized 4 bolt main castings for some of the factory sponsored 289's GT40's but have never been able to confirm if that was true or not) was the heads didn't breath very good...even the fabled HIPO heads had the same valve sizes as the C code/2 barrel heads. the head porting gurus at the speed shop in Burbank that were right beside Carol's original shop did wonders with porting and resizing the valves which resulted in the Shelby competition 289's dynoing in the mid/high 300 HP range with some over 400 HP. The final trick was running the chevy 1.92 intake valves (the 2.02's would not fit) with significant porting.

[@Wheelhouse812]

You are correct, and in a way, in my opinion, that's adds to the great story. The heads never did flow that much, and yet they still achieved so much! As I mentioned it was designed originally for economy. Pretty darn cool I think.

[@stevefowler2112]

@@Wheelhouse812 I agree it certainly was the little engine that could...i owned a '65 Hipo K code fastback mustang and I had a buddy in HS who had a i believe '63 comet with a 260 hipo that was a running car. I just never understood why Ford didn't match the Chevy SB in performance attributes: 4 bolt main engines and much better flowing heads, really until the Boss 302/Cleveland 351 engines.

[@colinnicols5387]

The 390 had the same problem. The chevy 396 was a much better breather which gave it a good edge.

[@gunsort3242]

My first car was a 1965 Mustang with a 289 V8. Since then and up until 2 years ago I had a 1969 Mustang Fastback with a 351W in it and a Shelby style suspension. It was sweet in the canyons! Those motors were bulletproof. I also had during some of that time an '88 GT 5ltr with a manual transmission. Made me anxious in LA traffic. It was a rocket.

[@seacube3]

Back in the 70’s my mother would occasionally drive my 65 coupe. Her favorite thing was blipping the throttle as she shut it down in the driveway. “Mom’s home!”

[@shadowulf]

I rebuilt 2 289s and loved them. One was in my 65 mustang and the other was in a 66 Bronco. Fun V8 to play with

[@Deucealive75]

I always wondered why so many guys with early Mustangs have a problem with them overheating?

[@shadowulf]

@@Deucealive75 My uncle, who was a Ford mechanic, warned me early on about them overheating in warmer climates. Used a 3 core radiator and a 180 degree thermostat. Never had issues

[@RS-of1om]

My dad had a 64 galaxy 500 4 door w a 289. Such a good engine. Never broke down.

[@XR6TgmSlayer]

Thanks for the history on the 289w. A few milestones from Australia you can add. Ford XR GT won Bathurst. Geoghegan's 1965 Mustang 289w is the most successful race car in Australia, it won 68 races from 74 race starts. He also followed up using the 289w at first but changed to a 302w in his 1967 Mustang GTA, not sure of races and wins for the 289w, I'm certain this car is the 3rd most successful race car in Australia with 89 wins from 144 starts, behind Allan Moffat's 69 Mustang Trans Am 302Boss 101 wins from 151 starts.

[@williamfairchild8119]

My 1968 289 mustang convertibles was a great car.even did route 66 back in the day

[@quinwatier4281]

The sound nothing beats the sound of a 289

[@jonnyindianajd]

My stepdad showed up with a 65 Hypo 289 in 1969. He worked fir Fairchild in Santa Clara. It had posi, 4 soeed, pony interior, tge front end was akreadu hammered in just 4 short years. Think he drove it hard in to the turns. We moved to Portland Me. a few tears later, he put a telephone pole mud way into the engine compartment coming home from drinking rolling along on Portland Me. winter ice. Loved it, my mom was scared of it, had tried to out ut in the garage in Maine, dug two wheel holes in our asphalt driveway cuz it had studded tires. Studded tires will do some work on old asphalt with a 289 271 hp.

[@larrybrashear4988]

My first car was a 1963 Fairlane with a 260 V8 and 3 on the tree. I never knew how great it was until years later.

[@akesha4138]

Well documented and superbly told story and reporting.

[@philbrown3944]

Regretfully spoiled by politics.

[@mitchstaff8281]

This spring the 289 goes back in my 67 coupe. Can't wait to drive like the old days with standard brakes and steering.

[@highonetoo]

Great job on this Podcast. This was a very informative show. I honestly wasn't aware of most of these 289's. That's an incredible little motor that has an amazing history. GREAT JOB!

[@edbaldwin8736]

I owned a 1967 Mercury 289 4 barrel. Was a super fun driver

[@aussietaipan8700]

Many years ago I had a compact Fairlane with a 289 and C4 trans, the engine had a Holley 600 4 barrel carby and headers tuned for low to mid range torque. This car would accelerate very quick off the mark and ran easily to 7000 rpm. Great little motor.

[@aasotih]

Ha. In 1969, running my '64 1/2 Mustang Convertible 289 and using Ford's Total Performance dual plane intake, hydraulic cam, springs, lifters, double pumper Holley, Mallory Dual Point and Hedman Headers, I ran a 13.79 at Dallas International (On slicks). Most of my runs were low 14's. Just hooked up that once. Still. You could buy those parts from a Ford Dealers parts counter. Even running low 14's I was faster than many GTO's and Road Runners.

[@kevinknight470]

13.79 is good time for that set up, thanx for sharing. 😃

[@rosstisbury1626]

thank you for helping to fill in my knowledge of engines from Back n the day

[@wgnation351]

I have been a Ford guy since the 70's, and never heard of a Windsor family of engines until the last 20 years or so. Back then only engine classed as a Windsor was the 351.

[@leitheparsons1186]

I had a 1964 Galaxie and Ford custom( really a 2 door post Galaxie) with standard 289s. It was suprising how well those cars moved those big cars, especially on the freeway.

[@piercer2]

I’m running a 10:1 331 in my Bronco. I consider it Fords 327 at 30 over. I get 15 mpg with a lead foot and that’s through a 9” rear with 3.73 gears on 35” mud terrains. Not a race car but it’s a manual and does 85 mph on freeway at 3100 rpm.

[@duradim1]

I picked up a few more tidbits here about Fords fantastic racing heritage.

[@steveadams5190]

My father bought a 1963 Ford County Squire station wagon, brand new, with a Hi-Po 289, 3 on the tree manual transmission with a overdrive. Fast forward to 1976. I ended up with the wagon and it only had 68k miles. I pulled the 289 and dropped it into a 6 cyl 66 Mustang I had picked up. That 289 was AWESOME compared to a huge amount of 302 Mustangs that I bought shortly after that first 66. It was like comparing apples to oranges. I miss that ol 66!!!

[@Flashman36175]

Wheelhouse, thank you very good video. Learned a lot from your video. The 289 was the engine of my youth, in the 70s. I got the old family 63 Galaxie 500 (it most of had one of the first ones in it) with one had great fun driving it to the beach and around town. My friend had a 260 in I think it was a Comet and it was great except when it took a hard left turn down hill. We learned a lot about auto repair and engine mods. Later when I went to College, my roommate raced Falcons with built 289s and had one he drove, they were wicked fast.

[@docaylsw]

I had a 289 in a 63 Galaxie wagon, a 64 Galaxie sedan, a 66 Mustang, and a 64 Fairlane 500 (High Pro). Loved that engine! My sisters neighbor had one in a sprint car!

[@randomworld75]

I had a 1984 gt350 fox body with a built 67 289 hi-po. I loved that motor. Carter carb, eldebrock torqer intake, Gt 40 heads, Keith Black piston set up, and lunati cam with a tremec 5spd. Man it was fast

[@KimonSheri]

Definitely. Had a 65 mustang. 289 twin electric fell pumps, 850 holly, 5000 foot pound clutch, 411 rear end, Trac bars, 3 quarter race cam offenhouser blueprints. Fiberglass in the right places. In short, nothing ever touched me, no big block could outrun it in the quarter. And those engines. Don't blow up, they run great. I'm old now, I'll never forget that sweet car. Looks like the future of the young, will be riding skate boards. Sad.

[@andrewwmacfadyen6958]

First the 260 then the 289 found a home in the Sunbeam Tiger ❤.

[@aussieausdeutschland4245]

The 289 won the Australian Touring Car Championship and the 1967 Bathurst 500 endurance race for production cars powering a 1965 Mustang GT-A and 1967 Falcon GT respectively.

[@tramptramp5401]

I am getting a Merc Cyclone together soon and have already built a 289 that should work out to be about 330hp. Plenty enough to go out and have serious fun and reliability, but still have enough uumpf to get the job done if you put the spurs to it. Really looking forward to it. Thanks for a well done and informative video.

[@barrymontgomery9860]

They also raced in England (Mann racing) and many were entered in the Tour de France automobile rally’s, among others! Great video!!!

[@lindeleasley]

The 289 is my favorite engine. I had one in my '64 Mercury Comet Caliente. The 4bbl version with 220 HP. I loved it, and it never failed me.

[@curtcalfee428]

great refresher about the history. Thanks.

[@Darknamja]

"It kicked some serious bootay". Haven't heard that one in a while. 😂😂

[@usmclee65]

Great vid new subscriber, I worked at DST also known as Dearborn Steel Tubing from 1968 to 1972 and we were building the performance intake manifolds for Ford, I built a few of 289s back then because we had access to all of the parts in the the Total Performance Catolog, sure was great back then and it is a great engine!

[@johnbraun1607]

In 1971, I was 6. My Dad had a blue Ford Station wagon with this little 289... Shift was on the steering column..... We were doing 110 on the side roads... No seat belts .. I remember saying, "Dad, do you always go this Fast?"

[@discerningmind]

I've owned over a hundred cars in my lifetime, thus far. At last count I was about midway in the one-hundred-teens. My point in saying that is, the one car that I would love having all over again, was my '66 Fairlane 500, 289/2 BBL with the Cruise-O-Matic trans. Yea, I know it wasn't a tire burner, but that 289 was thee smoothest engine I've ever had. It had to be smooth if I even noticed smoothness being 18-19 years old at the time. And that I remember it now, forty-eight years later. For me it was the perfect daily driver, spirited, and good on-ramp pick up. And it never was one of those cars having me question reality by saying--this thing needs gas again? You might think I was a dick, but I don't see how. I was/am a good backyard mechanic. And I've had the Trans-Am, the IROC, the Corvette, even a Duster 340, etcetera. Something else I loved about that '66 Fairlane 289, it had that true Ford sound of the 1960s. There's a particular sound made by all the Ford V-8s from the 1960s, and everybody that knows it or remembers it, loves it. It was a sound most notable during a second gear pull at about 2/3 on the accelerator. Think, on-ramp. Yea, I really would love having that car all over again.

[@user-tq5dt4hh9k]

Hey.. loved your video.. I had a 67 289 gt..hipo.. I rebuilt the motor when I bought the car in 86.. spent the whole summer picking cherries, digging ditches.. I had the heads polished, put in a iski cam, open headers, ditched the points ignition for a Mallory high fire electronic ignition . It had the c 4 tyranny, I put in a shift kit.. that car was a monster... it would beat big block chevelles, camaros.. . It got off the line so fast. I think it was making over 300 horsepower.. it doesn't seem like much, but my mustang was really light. Great video.

[@samphillips8322]

Back in 1967 we bought a Galaxie 2D hardtop with a 289 and economy rear end. Good friend who really knew his cars worked at the dealership and advised me on the configuration. We had a growing family and needed a daily driver with reasonable fuel economy and good performance for occasional trips. At first I was skeptical about the 289, in the era of all kinds of big engines, but the 289 proved to meet all our needs and gave us 11 years of reliable operation. We entered the era of fuel shortages and inflated prices with a full sized road car that gave us better mileage than any other big car on the road. Only part that had to be replaced was a water pump that started to weep. If there was a weak spot on the engine it was that water pump. Could be the pulley and belt required too much tension causing wear on the bushing. It took some long road trips, including one night time run from South Florida to Atlanta in under 8 hours.... It could move along just fine on the interstate.

[@Mike583]

I bought a '65 fastback, 289 hi-po,4 speed w/ 4.57 posi. in very early '70's. A good friend built the engine. It had headers,a Crower solid lift cam,w/ 320 degree duration & .538 lift. Edelbrock intake & a 600 Holley. The battery was relocated to the right rear of the trunk. 90/10 front shocks / 50/50 rears. No traction bars,just a pinion snubber mounted to the top of the 9" rear-end. Never had wheel hop,even though the car was launched at 7,000 on 7" cheater slicks. At the 1/8 mile strip,it ran 8.30 et, but they didn't give the mph. This was my daily driver/ racer. I had more fun with that car, than any car I ever owned! I owned a few cars back then, including a '67 Fairlane,factory drag car that couldn't be licensed for the street. A '69 Cyclone w/ a 428CJ w/ram air,along w/ a few others. I'm 71 now,haven't done any racing since the 80's. I've been a Ford fan for 55 years & will be,until my time is done. Fast Fords Forever!💙

[@timothygrant]

Good video. I currently have Four 302s in my my shop and a 327 chevy along with a Gen 3 Coyote. Two Gen 1 Broncos with a 306 and a 302. A 56 F100 ford pickup with a Coyote and 10R80 trans. Over the years had several Mustangs with 289s and 302s even a 347 stroker. You can do a lot with these little small blocks. Great engines. Making a lot good memory's.

[@chrisbaker2903]

Man oh man those clips of Riverside bring back some memories. I remember seeing a poster of a guy with the hood up on his Corvette and a Cobra in the background with lots of smoke coming out of the engine and the caption was "happiness is a Corvette owner seeing the only Cobra blow his engine in Saturday practice."

[@dwaynekalloch1732]

I remember an old joke saying the easiest way to get a Corvette on a trailer was to start a Cobra.

[@erbenton07]

I had a mustang with the 289 in it, it was a great motor!

[@adamrenissance3322]

My Uncle Charley had a 66 Mustang GT with a HiPo289 4 speed. It was a blast to drive. I had a 64 Fairlane with a 289 2 barrel. I loved that car and to this day I regret selling it.

[@TeddyRumble]

We all do. Back then, it was just another car. Mine was a '65 Mustang convertible, dark blue with a white top.

[@davidnorth3411]

What caught my eye in the HS parking lot through the last 2 years before graduating was a 69 Mach 1 , the owner I had never met but till later , what was striking about the car was the rather raw sound it was producing . A lift and duration you could hear from a distance . It was a built 302 with all the tricks , 351 heads , crazy cam that would smoke the tires at will . I was successful in buying the car , later to a complete restore , made a few more improvements and cleaned the vehicle to my minds vision .

[@huntermckinley593]

When I was a kid my dad had a 69 mach1 428 super cobrajet R-code with the 4 speed top loader and 4.30(I believe it was) rear gears. It was amazing. He kicks himself over selling it in the early 2000's for like 13k in great condition. Now that is one of the most rare ford built mustangs ever made and worth 100k+

[@jeffhopper3526]

My first car was a 63 Fairlane with a 221. Great car. Thanks for this video.

[@460mark8]

On the subject of a 289, let's not forget about Doug Nash's 289 bronco buster which ran a best of an 8.02 NA on nitro methane. From what I understand it was using a production Hipo block and crank with ported stock heads. Estimate HP in its prime was ~ 1000.

[@michaelwalsh3474]

I love the 289 and it definitely deserves more love than it gets.

[@lbrittainabrewer8241]

Wonderfully presented!

[@badcatt-the-cougar-guy-7219]

1967 Trans Am series, Mercury Cougars running Group 2 trim nearly wo the manufactures championship. Loosing out to Mustang when Dan Gurney got Black flagged due to a fuel leak. Both were running 289's Mercury's prepped my Bud Moore, Mustang by Shelby and others. Great little mills.

[@markhooper1352]

Have a 289 4bbl in my 66 Mustang Convertible. What a sweeet engine :)

[@ProjectFairmont]

Great to see some SBF love. Although I am a disciple or the 5.0 HO school of SBF, which created its own legend in the 80s. The 289 and 302 are the preferred race motor architecture of the SBF family IMO in terms of small mains, light weigh and short stroke.

[@johnpeters7316]

Great video, I have a ‘67 289 hipo mustang so this was right up my street. I recently did an engine rebuild and when I was tearing the engine down I discovered it had C6FE heads on it, which was a nice surprise. Looking forward to more videos.

[@stevefowler2112]

So your car has a K in the 5th position of the vin? If your engine is a hipo engine it should have been obvious due to the mechanical cam/lifters....you only need to start it once to hear the clatter of mechanical lifters vs hydraulic lifters.

[@johnpeters7316]

Yes it’s a K code 100%, that’s never been in doubt, what i was saying is when I stripped the motor to rebuild it I discovered the heads are C6FE-6090 which as you may know are GT40 heads. I’ve had the car over 40 years and could only see the casting numbers when stripping the engine down.

[@stevefowler2112]

@@johnpeters7316 oh, I misunderstood...I thought the c6fe were the hipo heads...for sure GT40 heads on a 289 will be a big improvement. Back in the day the trick was to port the hipo heads and install chevy 1.90 intake valves (the chevy 2.02 would not fit)...that would let you get up around 365 HP (more depending on compression ratio/internals) with the right intake and headers.

[@kermitefrog64]

I have a 292 in a Ford 1964 f250 and it's a great engine 😊