430 Lincoln Engines

[T-85]

Last night I was looking on the internet for information regarding the MEL engines that had been hot rodded and I ran across a story of Jon Maase's 473 cu.in. 473 hp, 695 ft. lb. Lincoln engine, I couldn't sleep for thinking about the 430 powered vehicles I've had over the years, starting in the mid 1960's while in the Air Force stationed at McCord Field in Tacoma Washington I spent my off hours working in a paint and body shop in south Tacoma, while working there an Army guy came in and asked about installing a 430 engine in his 1949 Ford Coupe, I did some measuring and told him it could be done, anyway I got it in for him and built some headers that collected in ammo cans, which did not fare well and I had to weld the lids on. One other bad idea he had was that he never looked for a good strong tranny, he kept blowing up rectangular side cover Ford three speeds on the other hand when they would hold together the car was pretty awesome, sometimes when he would put the pedal to the metal the engine would hesitate just a bit and when it would recover, occasionally he'd pull a wheelie. As time went on I think he got tired of breaking trannies and bought a Mercury Comet Callienta that had a 225 hp 289 and 4 speed that ran pretty good and later ended up buying a 1965 AC Cobra with a 271 hp 289, $5,000 in those days, who knew just how valuable they would get. He would take the Cobra to the drags and I would tune the engine, he bought a P&G Valve Gapper for setting the valve gaps, that and a new set of spark plugs and that engine would go well over the red line and I saw more than a few guys running Corvettes come to tears loosing to his Cobra. Meanwhile, my vehicle was a 1939 Chevy Coupe that I bought from my Air Force room mate, at that time it had a Pontiac 287 cu.in. V-8 that always ran crappy, came to find out later that the engine had been overheated so many times that the compression rings were all cracked and I had gotten ahold of a 389 Pontiac to change to but while rebuilding the engine my Army friend sold me his 430 Merauder engine, I don't remember where I got a T-85 three speed but I installed the 430 in my 39 coupe, proceeded to break the universal flange on the Pontiac reared, went to a salvage yard and got a hold of a Lincoln 1949-51 rear end which was a Spicer 70 with a 4:10 to 1 gear ratio, sadly my 3 speed T-85 wasn't overdrive, as those low gears were not fun on the freeway. Sorry for cramming so much info in one post but I have an excuse, I'm 81 and don't have a lot of computer smarts. But I'm not through with my 430 stories, so I'll do another post soon.

[T-85]

Auto correct is the pits, it wasn't Jon Maase it's Jon Kaase.

[Walter R. Malik]

Last night I was looking on the internet for information regarding the MEL engines that had been hot rodded and I ran across a story of Jon Maase's 473 cu.in. 473 hp, 695 ft. lb. Lincoln engine, I couldn't sleep for thinking about the 430 powered vehicles I've had over the years, starting in the mid 1960's while in the Air Force stationed at McCord Field in Tacoma Washington I spent my off hours working in a paint and body shop in south Tacoma, while working there an Army guy came in and asked about installing a 430 engine in his 1949 Ford Coupe, I did some measuring and told him it could be done, anyway I got it in for him and built some headers that collected in ammo cans, which did not fare well and I had to weld the lids on. One other bad idea he had was that he never looked for a good strong tranny, he kept blowing up rectangular side cover Ford three speeds on the other hand when they would hold together the car was pretty awesome, sometimes when he would put the pedal to the metal the engine would hesitate just a bit and when it would recover, occasionally he'd pull a wheelie. As time went on I think he got tired of breaking trannies and bought a Mercury Comet Callienta that had a 225 hp 289 and 4 speed that ran pretty good and later ended up buying a 1965 AC Cobra with a 271 hp 289, $5,000 in those days, who knew just how valuable they would get. He would take the Cobra to the drags and I would tune the engine, he bought a P&G Valve Gapper for setting the valve gaps, that and a new set of spark plugs and that engine would go well over the red line and I saw more than a few guys running Corvettes come to tears loosing to his Cobra. Meanwhile, my vehicle was a 1939 Chevy Coupe that I bought from my Air Force room mate, at that time it had a Pontiac 287 cu.in. V-8 that always ran crappy, came to find out later that the engine had been overheated so many times that the compression rings were all cracked and I had gotten ahold of a 389 Pontiac to change to but while rebuilding the engine my Army friend sold me his 430 Merauder engine, I don't remember where I got a T-85 three speed but I installed the 430 in my 39 coupe, proceeded to break the universal flange on the Pontiac reared, went to a salvage yard and got a hold of a Lincoln 1949-51 rear end which was a Spicer 70 with a 4:10 to 1 gear ratio, sadly my 3 speed T-85 wasn't overdrive, as those low gears were not fun on the freeway. Sorry for cramming so much info in one post but I have an excuse, I'm 81 and don't have a lot of computer smarts. But I'm not through with my 430 stories, so I'll do another post soon.

Punctuated into paragraphs would make it much easier to read, if you want answers ... personally, I stopped about half way down.

[frnkeore]

I never got to hot rod my 410 MEL (Edsel). I had wanted to put it in my '60 Ford Galaxie but, the motor mounts were completely different so, I bought a 300 hp, 352 instead but, used the MEL, large case FX trans, behind it.

I had planned to install it in a '30 something, Ford and bought a 6 x 2 intake for it, as well as 2 sets of Chev, 348 tri power carbs but, sometime after I got drafted, in '65, my dad had the 410, hauled away.

The intake ports, were the largest that I had ever seen but, they were heavy engines and had a brief hay day, in the early '60's, in dragsters and A/Gas.

BTW, Kaase also did a 462 based MEL (don't remember the cid), for the EMC Challenge that put out way North of 800 hp. The current owner of that engine, may be along to comment on it.

[Kingbee]

Thanks for the stories T-85. Keep them coming if you'd like!

Yes, paragraphs would be nice but at age 81 your not from the generation that was born with a keyboard in your hands so no harm, no foul.

[Walter R. Malik]

Thanks for the stories T-85. Keep them coming if you'd like!

Yes, paragraphs would be nice but at age 81 your not from the generation that was born with a keyboard in your hands so no harm, no foul.

You're not giving us old farts enough credit ... personally, I took typing class in 1966 ... LOL.

[frnkeore]

When I was in HS (Class of '62) only girls took typing. LOL

Got my first computer, in '94 and still type, using only my index finger.

[Kingbee]

Thanks for the stories T-85. Keep them coming if you'd like!

Yes, paragraphs would be nice but at age 81 your not from the generation that was born with a keyboard in your hands so no harm, no foul.

You're not giving us old farts enough credit ... personally, I took typing class in 1966 ... LOL.

LOL! understood Walter! I took required typing in 1978 and fortunately for me a gal named Monica sat next to me and could hammer out 120 some words a minute. I didn't learn much but she helped me get my assignments in on time