How many years on original engine?

[Mustangaroo]

Yes we just pulled the engine to my son's 1965 Mustang, we found it three years ago when I ran across this little old lady (80) that had to sell her Mustang that she Brought new! I was looking for something to get my son more interested in learning how to work on a engine, as their are very few Auto Shop classes out he in California! Well any way too the point, we pulled the engine only to find that after 37 years and 122,000 miles on the odometer the motor had never been rebuilt! Factory pistions and other signs showing factory parts. We thought it strange a year or so ago that when we pulled the exhaust manifold there was no gasket (none were installed from the factory) and this engine still had the metal head gasket, out of producton for many years! Well anyway to make a long story short it's been a very tight engine and was still running strong when we pulled her for this performance rebuild and yes we are installing an Aussie 2V AND a ISKY 256 Cam, we would have went larger but this is going to be a daily driver!

Anyone else buy one, and find after over 37 years the engine was still running strong?

In fact I hate to say this but after I rebuilt (stock,stock!) this old Mustang tore my 1968 Mustang up! SO what else was a father to do? But buy an Aussie 2V!

 

[Anonymous]

But the son get's smart and builds the entire engine including an OZ 2v.

I think one of the previous owners rebuilt the engine in '90. I only have reciepts for parts not labor. BTW, is it normal to have 3 pistons cleaned and add 3 news ones?!! O well, we'll fix that!
I guess 24 years isn't too bad considering I've seen non-wrecked late-80's early 90's cars sitting at the salvage yard.

 

[Anonymous]

We just had the engine rebuilt in our 1964 EH Holden Premier (OZ GM) and it had done 215,000 miles. It wasn't blowing smoke but it was gutless and the oil fumes from the blowby were getting excessive! My great aunt had it before us and she used to go on caravanning trips around Australia. The OZ GM 179-186ci were very sweet inlines - good rod ratio!

 

[MandarinaRacing]

Well Ben you beat me by 8 years, when I rebuilt my engine in 1994 it had the stock FoMoCo pistons and everything. God only knows how many miles there were on that thing it smoked like a crop duster and two cylinders couldn't hold compression anymore......but that was then, this is now

Alex

 

[Anlushac11]

8)

The engine in my 1980 Stang was original so it is 23 years old and had 80,000 miles on it. I think it blew a head gasket in October.

 

[Rustang Racer]

210,000 miles, compression in all cylinders within 10% of each other, almost no smoke,still runs strong. Gonna rebuild soon though. I'm putting on a ported D3 head, 264 cam. Not rebuilding would just be asking for trouble. Plus the rear main leaks oil all over the clutch and makes it slip.

 

[Anonymous]

132,000 miles on the original thrashed 170 in my Falcon... Still ran decent when pulled but low compression and smoking.

 

[XFlow_Fairlane]

I got 41 years on mine still. I rebuilt the head last year do to sticking valves. with the nead milled it runs fine but runs out of steam at 75mph. but I have 3.50 rear gears so it is spinning pretty fast for the holley 1908 carb and tiny log head.the blow by isn't too bad but the road draft tube makes it hell. I nee to find the setup off a PCV car to convert it this spring. I put 7k on it the first year I drove it (may-dec). gets about 20 mpg all day long on the highway. mine had fomoco wires/cap/rotor and the wires were dated 12-68 so how is that for old. had general electric headlights not GE. still had the generator. leather dust boot on the 2.77 tranny.

nick

 

[Anonymous]

My 67 200's got 21,000 on the original engine, when I swapped heads last year for a 77, the original gasket was in place. Bought new by my grandmother (little old lady) in 67!! I don't think anything's been apart, found some local maps in the glove compartment from the 50's!

 

[63redtudor]

My '63 has about 45,000 on the original engine. Ended up pulling a head swap & found the original steel shim head gasket (I still have it). I've also replaced the oil pump. Runs great (when I'm home & have the chance to drive it). In fact, when I got done swapping heads I had a friend follow me home in his truck ('90 3/4 ton chevy w/ a 350), afterwords he was convinced that he needed to rebuild his engine as he couldn't keep up with me! Definately an ego booster for a stock little 170 with a 2.77 3spd & a 350 rear. Take care,
Edwin
'63 & '65 red tudors

 

[Anonymous]

not a small six but i've got 195k on my 300 in my bronco. still going strong with good comprasion. but starting to burn or lose more oil then i would like.

 

[Anonymous]

I recently bought a '66 with a 200 in it. I had no compresion on my #3 so I put it in for a valve job. since then it has purred like a kitten. no smoke, nothin'. Looking to rebuld soon but have other things on my plate at the moment.

 

[Anonymous]

Hi, Ben;

My friend drove his '65 w/200 215,000 and sold it, still running fine and no smoke.

I rebuilt my Fairmont at 168,000 because some bad gas caused a valve to stick and a piston to tap it, making me worried. No problem, it turned out, but I rebuilt as long as the head was off. It didn't burn oil, either, but sure leaked it out everywhere. It had been sitting 3 years when I bought it.

 

[Anonymous]

My 200 has 417,000 documented miles on it. It was rebuilt at 275,000 and a couple of head rebuilds since (300 & 350). Runs good, with slight oil leak on #4 which fouls the plug occassionally.

I am getting ready for a valve job...maybe a port & polish and check out the bottom end while at it.

 

[Anonymous]

My 69 has 137000 original unrebuilt miles on it. And she runs like a dream. Tops out at 85, and I'm sure my 1/4 times are somewhere in the minute and a half range, but she gets me around just fine.

 

['61 Draggin Wagon]

My '61 Falcon Deluxe 4dr Wagon has the original 144 in it & it's never been apart, except for a rocker arm shaft & valve cover gasket. (I've only needed to adjust the solid liftered valves once) The rear main seal is pretty dry, but the blowby is pretty bad. She purrs like a kitten & gets 25 MPG & upon the road, once the engine is thoroughly warmed up. Of course she's a slug around town. The key to driving her is: momentum
This was my first car(we're the same age) & I got it from the original owner, back in 1975. He either drove it to Florida in the winter, or put in his garage up on blocks & took the bus to Fl.
This car still has the original non-syncromesh 3 speed trans & it's never been apart either!
She's just a super reliable piece! 8)
Darryl

 

[Anonymous]

My 86 Audi 5000 Quattro Turbo had 340,000 miles on it when I sold it. I only sold it because I bought a 92 Audi 100s with low miles. 130,000!
In the ford department my 64 Galaxie convertible is somewhere north of 350,000 and got an engine rebuild back around 88 or 89.