Thursday, April 26, 2007

1963 1/2 Ford Galaxie codes indentified

There certainly is no shortage of under-hood offerings from Ford. While the 260-cu.in. engine had been available at the beginning of the 1963 model year, it had been replaced by the 289-cu.in., 195hp block equipped with a two-barrel carburetor, or C-code engine. The 220hp X-code 352-cu.in. engine is just the tip of the iceberg for optional offerings. The 352 contains a 4.00 x 3.50-inch bore and stroke, with a 8.9:1 compression ratio topped by a two-barrel carburetor.
If neither of these whets your appetite, try locating a Fastback with one of the 390-cu.in. engines installed, the first being the Z-code 300hp version. The P-code 330hp version is also equipped with a four-barrel. Both 390 blocks feature a 4.05 x 3.78-inch bore and stroke with a compression ratio of 9.60:1 and a torque rating of 427-lbs.ft. at 2,800 and 3,200 rpm, respectively.
Next up is a pair of 406-cu.in. engines, each with the same 4.13 x 3.78-inch bore and stoke and 11.40:1 compression ratio; however, horsepower and torque rating differed, as well as carburetors. The B-code block sports a four-barrel carburetor resulting in 385hp and 444-lbs.ft. of torque, while the G-code edition bangs out 405hp and 448-lbs.ft. of torque thanks to three two-barrel carburetors.
The mid-year inclusion of the new 427-cu.in. powerhouses is what really sets collectors hearts on fire. With a 4.23 x 3.78-inch bore and stroke and an 11.5:1 compression ratio, a 427 equipped with a four-barrel thumps out 410hp and 476-lbs.ft. of torque (Q-code), while dual four-barrels result in a teeth-clenching 425hp and 480-lbs.ft. of torque (R-code). This last example was installed in only 3,857 vehicles, according to Reynolds.


1,038 Q-code models; that's a 410hp 427 monster