Where are the others?

[drowndrat]

Hello,All!

I just joined this site,in hopes of finding out more about my new prize. It's a '61 Ranchero "Linemans truck".(I'll post pics,as soon as I can.)

According the the previous owner,a good friend,there was only 300 made for '61.I'm looking for all I can get on it,info wise,starting with the powertrain,and going into the right color combo.

Currenty,it sports a 289,(I know,not original.Possibly a 260,or I-6.) auto,and needs a lot of help in the cosmetics.

Any help with this project will be greatly appreciated. Thanks! Robert

[pbrown]

Welcome to the club. Your Ranchero probably came with a 144 L6. The 260 was first made available, in the Falcon (and variants), in 63.

Post some photos.

[Luva65wagon]

Robert,

You can measure across center-to-center between the top two bolts of the bell-housing to determine whether this is either an early 260/289 or a later 289/302. I'm spacing out what the distances are between each type, but as soon as you post what it actually is I can measure one of the 3 blocks I have here to see if they agree. I do know the older block style was wider across the top between these bolts than the later block style. It's important to know what you have, since transmission change choices are fewer and farther between if you have the early block.

Also, do you have 4-lug or 5-lug front and rear wheels? If 4, then it came with a 6-cyl, if 5, then maybe this was, in fact, a real rare bird... unless it's seen a lot of modification.

[drowndrat]

Thank you for the info.It DOES have a 5-bolt wheel pattern,and "289" badging on the front fenders.I was always under the impression the 289 wasn't available until '65,or '66.If this is true,someone has gone through a lot of hassle to put this truck together.I will be posting pics,in two weeks.

just an aside,This same owner has a couple of more Falcons,and a Ranchero he might want to get rid of.One is a "Gasser" style '63 2-door sedan with a big block 440,and 4-speed...........

[Luva65wagon]

They didn't make a 289 in '61. The 221 and 260, which have the same size and shape were a 62/63 motor (the 260 came out the same year as the 221), so I suppose it is possible they built this car with a small-block and someone upped it to a 289 at some point, which would have been pretty easy to do. Badges are easy to install as well.

;)

There are two models of 289 (early and late) and the early has the bell-housing bolt pattern of the 221/260 and the later is what all small-block's and 6's had for years to follow.

I think the thing to do would be to do a VIN research on the car and see what that ciphers out as... though it may be a really special order thing that may not turn up in a VIN search.