History and Reason for the 60 hp v8 engine
 

What is the history/development of the ford 60 hp v8 engine.
Early on with the first v8 engine which was rated at 65 hp the hp increasing to about 85. Then ford began developing a "smaller" v8 at 60 hp which was used for quite a time. Was this for economy? What king of performance did this 60 hp car have? Highway speeds?

This engine sure sound nice!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-KzRLNGjIw

Re: History and Reason for the 60 hp v8 engine
 

I read an article back a few years ago that offered an idea of the thinking in the Ford engineering departments. This had to do with foreign as well as domestic markets, to offer better economy. However the small V8 was not mentioned, it might have been one of Henry's better ideas.

Re: History and Reason for the 60 hp v8 engine
 

It was called the thrifty 60.

Re: History and Reason for the 60 hp v8 engine
 

Well, remember it was sold in England and Europe first, in '35-36. Gas was high there, and taxes punished owners of big engines. It was a significant success there, and remained in production in various forms for a LONG time. Over there, Ford England developed a slightly smaller Ford for the engine, the Model 62, a very good move, and later on Europeans put it into even smaller cars.
They also resisted stupid uses of the 60...after trying the thing in trucks, as Ford wanted them to, the British simply kept the Model B engine in production for that use.
We sold the engine entirely in full size vehicles too heavy for it, in a country where gas was cheap...interest died out fast here!

"What king of performance did this 60 hp car have?" In full size Fords, NONE.

Re: History and Reason for the 60 hp v8 engine
 

The need for a smaller engine was evident in Europe and other countries, but Henry hated six cylinder engines ever since his bad experience with one back about '06. At Henry's insistence, a V 8 small engine was designed and built. After 4 years of very modest success in full size cars in this country, a straight six was developed for 1941. I read somewhere that the six developed more horse power that the V 8 and the engineers who were dynoing the six, wisely limited the rpms to make it seem as not to exceed the V 8 in horse power.

Re: History and Reason for the 60 hp v8 engine
 

My dad drove a 39 (I think) with a 60 in it. He was always talking about having to get a running start to try and get over a hill with it. And this was Kansas! Also heard him talk about having to back up some inclines because reverse was a lower gear

Re: History and Reason for the 60 hp v8 engine
 

The earliest 60's (built here, used in England and Europe only) '35-6 were STRANGE.
Four main bearings, two siamesed exhaust ports on each side and totally different spacing on intake ports, and electric fuel pumps.
I saw one of these blocks in a French junkyard around 1970, and I had trouble believing my eyes! I could tell it was a Ford from its general engineering, but the features noted above absolutely did not compute in my mind. Kind of like finding a candy apple Zebra with antlers...
I only found documentation on those things many years later, helping me to pretend I wasn't crazy when I saw the lump.

Re: History and Reason for the 60 hp v8 engine
 

Funny

Re: History and Reason for the 60 hp v8 engine
 

The 60 is different to drive, top speed about 74 mph- properly rebuilt no problem running the parkway at 70, if it slowed down on "hills" to40 the best fuel economy was to downshift to 2nd then-- no low end torque have to keep it spun up
At 40 it got almost 30 mpg
At 60 it got about 25 mpg
Above 70 about20 mpg

Re: History and Reason for the 60 hp v8 engine
 

don't forget the model "Y" the 8hp model Y saved ford in England and Europe.

Re: History and Reason for the 60 hp v8 engine
 

My Granddad bought a V8 60 in 37, a tudor sedan. He drove it about a month or two and took it back and traded it in on a 85. This was in Tampa FL and as my Granddad said "It wouldn't even move out of its own way!"

Re: History and Reason for the 60 hp v8 engine
 

Very Funny..

Re: History and Reason for the 60 hp v8 engine
 

British road tax was based on an antiquated formula that took only the bore, rather than the capacity into account. The 85hp engine was rated as "30hp" by the formula for tax purposes and the V860 was rated as "22hp". We had a small bore version of the Model B 4 cylinder too, rated at 14.9hp. The small fords came in the 8hp and 10hp bracket. The little Austin 7 was a 7 because it worked out to 7hp by the tax formula.

Mart.

Re: History and Reason for the 60 hp v8 engine
 

Could Ford's development of the 60 for European markets have anything to do with the taxable horsepower scheme so prevalent?

Guess Mart beat me to it.

Re: History and Reason for the 60 hp v8 engine
 

They look cool with a V8 60 squeezed in. Only seen one, would do it to mine if I had a 60 to plop in. If you think a 60 looks small, you should have a look at the 8 hp Model Y engine or the latter 8 and 10 hp, some of they smart phones are bigger.
Martin.

Re: History and Reason for the 60 hp v8 engine
 

EARLY Cosworth formula were ov cam 60"s, some were said to make 600 hp?

Re: History and Reason for the 60 hp v8 engine
 

We installed a Ford 60 in a Crosley a few years back for a customer. It did pretty well in that very small car, but the extra weight on the front end did cause concerns.

Re: History and Reason for the 60 hp v8 engine
 

When I was a kid one of the first engines I ever messed with was a Crosley. They are SMALL!

Re: History and Reason for the 60 hp v8 engine
 

The V860 was king of the midgets that weighed about 900#s soaking wet, until the small Offy came along. But that didn't stop Bobby Meeks and Vic Edelbrock who were able to beat the Offy with the 60 with expert engine work, and a little help from nitro.

Re: History and Reason for the 60 hp v8 engine
 

Thank god for the 60, made midget race cars go. I still run a 60 in my Kurtis midget And I keep up with the big boys:)