Best Ford 390 engine

[Perspect Scale Modelworks]

What would be the best kit to source a Ford 390? This will be for a '67 Galaxie converted to an LTD.

[BubbaBrown]

I'm not a ford guy , but I always liked the 1960 ford. depending on what issue one had two engines in it.

[espo]

What would be the best kit to source a Ford 390? This will be for a '67 Galaxie converted to an LTD.

I think you might find the best Ford FE block engine in the AMT '60 Ford Starliner. In the kit its is presented as a 352 cu in I believe. The 390 engine would look the same, and the '60 kit offers several different carb. set ups.  

[Fat Brian]

The best 390 around is in the AMT 67 Mercury Comet kit, it also has an option of automatic or manual transmission. Revell 428s from their 69 Mustang kits are pretty good too.

[Snake45]

The best 390 around is in the AMT 67 Mercury Comet kit, it also has an option of automatic or manual transmission.

That makes sense. Is the same engine in the '66 Fairlane, too?

[Perspect Scale Modelworks]

The best 390 around is in the AMT 67 Mercury Comet kit, it also has an option of automatic or manual transmission. Revell 428s from their 69 Mustang kits are pretty good too.

I see this one is available. It's from the AMT 67 Comet Cyclone & looks pretty detailed. I think I'll go with that. Thanks Brian.

[Mark]

For a '67, you'll want the Fairlane/Cyclone kit piece.  Both kits include two transmissions (C-6 and four-speed).  The intake manifold has an oil filler tube; I'm not sure if the '66 would have had that because there's also a filler cap on one valve cover.

[Fat Brian]

That makes sense. Is the same engine in the '66 Fairlane, too?

I think it is even though it shouldn't be but I've not sat down and actually compared the two. The 390/428 and 427 had different blocks and lots of other parts but I'm not sure what the kits look like.

[Kris Morgan]

The 66 Fairlane and 67 Comet are the way to go.

[Snake45]

I think it is even though it shouldn't be but I've not sat down and actually compared the two. The 390/428 and 427 had different blocks and lots of other parts but I'm not sure what the kits look like.

The '66 Fairlane has been issued twice*--once as a common 390 GT and once as a factory 427. I have both kits (unbuilt) but have never compared the engines to see if they're the same.

*Not counting the original annual, of course.

[Rodent]

You are going to need the "Powered By Ford" valve covers from the Revell '68 CJ Mustang or '69 Mach 1 to make an accurate '67 FE engine. The stock LTD air cleaner will be a problem too. You may have to scratch build one or modify something to replicate it.

[timc]

The 67 Cyclone kit has,the powered by ford valve covers in it. The 66 fairlane kits have two completely different engines. The gta has the 390, the 427 has a 427 engine. Im pretty sure that the engine blocks are the only thing they share.the fairlane 390 also has the pbf valve covers.

[Perspect Scale Modelworks]

You are going to need the "Powered By Ford" valve covers from the Revell '68 CJ Mustang or '69 Mach 1 to make an accurate '67 FE engine. The stock LTD air cleaner will be a problem too. You may have to scratch build one or modify something to replicate it.

The valve covers are not stock on my dad's car and it looks the air cleaner is the same in the Cyclone kit. Here's a picture of a picture of his engine. 

[Rodent]

The 67 Cyclone kit has,the powered by ford valve covers in it. The 66 fairlane kits have two completely different engines. The gta has the 390, the 427 has a 427 engine. Im pretty sure that the engine blocks are the only thing they share.the fairlane 390 also has the pbf valve covers.

You are correct. My foggy memory was picturing the slightly older style with the sharper peaks. Odd thing is that the valve covers aren't plated in the GT/GTA kit.

[Force]

All FE engines except the 427 SOHC looks pretty much the same regardless of displacement as they all are from the same basic design.
The thing that are different for the late 1963 406 and all 427 engine blocks from the 332-352-360 (Truck)-361 (Edsel)-390-428 blocks are the cross bolted mains...and the 1965 forward 427's was "side oilers" with casted in outside oil gallery on the drivers side of the block ...otherwise they pretty much looks the same except for valve covers, intake systems and air cleaners.
The 427 had a variety of cylinder heads, low, medium and high riser wich is the shape of the intake runners, and intake manifolds for them, there was also a tunnel port version but they are very rare, the low and medium differences are barely noticable but the high riser are quite higher...and of course the SOHC Hemi wich looks totally different as it only shares the engine block design with the others.

The engines in the AMT 60 Ford Galaxie Starliner kits represents an early pre 1965 version of the FE and can if you have the 2 'n 1 kit be built as a bone stock 352 or 390 with single 4bbl carburator, a 390 or 406 with 3X2 bbl or a 427 with 2X4 bbl, there are two sets of cast iron race headers, short for for the 406 and long for the 427.
The first stock only version kit only has the 352 1X4 bbl wich also could go as a 390, the custom kit has the other two versions the 390 or 406 3X2 bbl or 427 2 X 4 bbl, and the 2 'n 1 kit has all three versions and you get two complete engines with this kit...in my opinion these kits has the best FE done in kit form so far, and this kit also has the best 9" rear end I have seen.
The AMT 66-67 Fairlane/Cyclone engine are later versions of the FE with different valve covers and intake systems and the 427 version of the 66 Fairlane has 2X4 bbl, these engines are also quite good.
The AMT 62 Thunderbird also has a decent 390 FE. 
The Revell 428 engines in the 69-70 Mustangs are also not bad and you can find a nice high riser 427 in the 64 Thunderbolt kits.

Edited July 8, 2016 by Force