1963 FORD THUNDERBIRD 0 60 SERIES

The base engine came with 300 bhp, while a police version came with 330 bhp. Three versions of the 390 cid engine were available. The new for ’61 Starliner was smaller sized, but bigger engined. In 1960, Ford announced that it had withdrawn support for the Automobile Manufacturers Association’s (AMA) four year ban on stock car racing and promptly showed up at the Daytona Motor Speedway with a 360 bhp engined Galaxie Starliner that ran 40 laps at an average of 142 mph. 1961 Ford GalaxieĬomments: Ford got serious with performance for 1961, and released a new 390 cid V8 at the start of the year and a four-speed transmission at the end.

The engine’s impressive specifications included a Holley 540-cfm four-barrel carburetor, aluminum intake manifold, cast iron exhaust headers, cast nodular crank, solid lifters, and 10.6:1 compression ratio, which contributed to its performance. The engine was initially only paired with a Borg-Warner T-85 three-speed, with or without overdrive, and not the Cruise-O-Matic. Ford introduced the 352 cid Thunderbird Super V-8, also known as the Interceptor and Super Interceptor, which produced 360 bhp, and was available on any full-size 1960 model.

1963 FORD THUNDERBIRD 0 60 SERIES

The Galaxie Special series had two top models, the Starliner two-door hardtop and the Sunliner convertible, which came with either six or eight-cylinder engine options. The 1960 model featured a departure from the 1959 conservative design, with grille-mounted headlights and gull wing fins. The full-size Fords for 1960 were bigger than ever, with an increased wheelbase of 119 inches, overall length growing by 5.7 inches to 213.7 inches, and overall width increasing by 3.9 inches to 81.5 inches, exceeding federal highway standards by 1.5 inches. Despite this shift, Ford’s full-size car lineup still had limited engine options with the top-tier being a 352 V8, which had remained unchanged since 1958.

In 1960, a new era emerged in which performance was no longer considered a taboo.

1963 ford thunderbird 0 60