Ford V6?

[Snake45]

Friend on a model airplane board just bought the reissued MPC Pinto wagon and wants to build it with a V6, like the one he had back in the day. Has a suitable Ford V6 engine ever been kitted? Available aftermarket?

Only V6 engine I could think of offhand is in the AMT Opel GT. How close would that be visually to the Ford V6?

[1972coronet]

Friend on a model airplane board just bought the reissued MPC Pinto wagon and wants to build it with a V6, like the one he had back in the day. Has a suitable Ford V6 engine ever been kitted? Available aftermarket?

Only V6 engine I could think of offhand is in the AMT Opel GT. How close would that be visually to the Ford V6?

I *believe* that the AMT Capri annuals had the 2.7 / 2.8 litre V6 , no ?

[Snake45]

I *believe* that the AMT Capri annuals had the 2.7 / 2.8 litre V6 , no ?

I think you might be right, but those aren't exactly thick upon the ground anymore.

Is there a readily available Ford V8 that could be "chopped" into a suitable-ish V6?

[Foxer]

I used a Ford SHO from a Taurus kit in a hot rod I'm working on. It's a really good looking V6, IMO.

 

I just added a transmission from the junk box and turned it 90 degrees to convert from front-wheel drive.

Edited June 18, 2016 by Foxer

[Jon Haigwood]

You might look at the the Super charged V6 in the 90-92 T Bird Super Coupe kits they are a bit newer but you could change them up a bit. I did this one for a 32 I am doing. Changed the intake and removed the inter cooler. 

[Ace-Garageguy]

I think you might be right, but those aren't exactly thick upon the ground anymore.

Is there a readily available Ford V8 that could be "chopped" into a suitable-ish V6?

The Ford V6 engines in question were of the 60-degree between banks variety, while V8 engines are built on a 90-degree angle. It all has to do with firing order and rocking couples and harmonics and balance...but a V8 just ain't gonna look right "chopped".

Actually, the little V6 engines in the Pintos and Capris did bear some resemblance to the Ford smallblocks in the valve cover area...but it would take some pretty intense reworking of a 289 / 302 to have even a reasonably accurate 60-degree V6.

   

 

[Mark]

Both AMT and MPC made stock Mustang II kits that had V6 engines as stock.  Both companies first tooled their Mustang II annual kits as '74 models, the only year that you couldn't get a V8 Mustang.  AMT's Capri II kits had the V6 also.  AMT made a "mid-year" '74 Mustang II GT racer with some speed equipment.  MPC's '74 and '75 Mustang II annuals, and a couple of the AMT Capri II kits had some speed equipment also.

If you want to fab up a Ford V6, there was a mid-Eighties engine called the "Essex" V6 which is pretty much a Windsor 302 with two cylinders lopped off.  I once looked at an '84 or '85 Capri with one of those under the hood.  That one would probably drop into a Pinto more easily than a V8, and provide a bit more grunt than the narrow-angle V6 that was eventually offered by Ford. 

[Ace-Garageguy]

Here you go. $25 junker.   http://www.ebay.com/itm/JUNKYARD-VINTAGE-AMT-MERCURY-CAPRI-T435-1-25-Model-Car-Mountain-/381670997863?hash=item58dd5d3f67:g:9T4AAOSwOVpXYVd~

[1972coronet]

Then there's the MPC (or was it an AMT) 1977 Mustang II from c.2003 vis-a-vis RC2 era . Here's a reasonablly-priced example :

http://www.ebay.com/itm/AMT-ERTL-1977-Ford-Mustang-II-Custom-1-25-scale-Model-Kit-Sealed-Orig-Box-V12-/391482202767?hash=item5b26285a8f:g:ZYUAAOSwGIRXXujw

[Mark]

Then there's the MPC (or was it an AMT) 1977 Mustang II from c.2003 vis-a-vis RC2 era . Here's a reasonablly-priced example :

http://www.ebay.com/itm/AMT-ERTL-1977-Ford-Mustang-II-Custom-1-25-scale-Model-Kit-Sealed-Orig-Box-V12-/391482202767?hash=item5b26285a8f:g:ZYUAAOSwGIRXXujw

Typical late RC2/Ertl box art...built MPC kit on the box, AMT kit inside.  The AMT chassis uses wire axles at both ends, but I'm pretty sure the engines have notched oil pans as opposed to gaping holes through the engine blocks.

[Snake45]

Fabulous information and ideas! Many thanks, everyone!

I've posted a link to this thread on the airplane board and invited my friend to check it out.

[CometMan]

Model Car World makes a couple of different Ford V6s in resin for '60s Falcon, Fairlane etc.

Edited June 18, 2016 by CometMan

[Can-Con]

Model Car World makes a couple of different Ford V6s in resin for '60s Falcon, Fairlane etc.

Wouldn't those be strait 6s, not V6s?

I thought Ford hadn't offered v6s in domestic cars until the Mustang II in '74?

[CometMan]

Yeah, you're right. Sorry about that everyone! I guess the mind can get fuzzy at 2am, but at least Snake has another option if he wants it!

 

[espo]

I got one in a parts kit I bought once. The kit was a Mercury Cougar, might look around top see if anyone has an old Cougar kit they aren't using the V6 engine.  

[OldNYJim]

So the 60 degree V6 engines we're talking about above are variations on the Cologne/Taunus engine, correct?

I'm starting to collect some parts for a replica of my 1:1 Mustang, which has the 4.0 liter V6 that I BELIEVE is from the same lineage as, say, the 70s kits listed above.

I figure I'm going to have some pretty intensive scratch-building to do to make an accurate replica, but have at least a STARTING point would be nice....

[Plowboy]

4 hours ago, CabDriver said:

So the 60 degree V6 engines we're talking about above are variations on the Cologne/Taunus engine, correct?

I'm starting to collect some parts for a replica of my 1:1 Mustang, which has the 4.0 liter V6 that I BELIEVE is from the same lineage as, say, the 70s kits listed above.

I figure I'm going to have some pretty intensive scratch-building to do to make an accurate replica, but have at least a STARTING point would be nice....

The AMT Explorers have a 4.0 IIRC. I have one that I can check. The Rangers have a 3.0. I don't know of the visual differences between the two.

[Rodent]

The Exploders have the 4.0 OHV which could probably be modified to be the 4.0 SOHC in the later models and in in the Mustang. You can probably 3D print what you need. 

[OldNYJim]

4 hours ago, Plowboy said:

The AMT Explorers have a 4.0 IIRC. I have one that I can check. The Rangers have a 3.0. I don't know of the visual differences between the two.

I would be really interested in seeing that - thank you!  Probably as close to the one in my 1:1 as I’m going to get in styrene, I’d bet…

3 hours ago, Rodent said:

The Exploders have the 4.0 OHV which could probably be modified to be the 4.0 SOHC in the later models and in in the Mustang. You can probably 3D print what you need. 

Not sure if my CAD skills would be up to the task…but I have good reference material! ?

[Plowboy]

41 minutes ago, CabDriver said:

I would be really interested in seeing that - thank you!  Probably as close to the one in my 1:1 as I’m going to get in styrene, I’d bet…

 

Actually, the Ranger has the 4.0 also. My mistake. The Explorer has a 4 speed automatic. The Ranger has a 5 speed manual.

[OldNYJim]

2 minutes ago, Plowboy said:

Actually, the Ranger has the 4.0 also. My mistake. The Explorer has a 4 speed automatic. The Ranger has a 5 speed manual.

That’s even better news - my next major hurdle was figuring out a source for the manual trans too ?. SUPER helpful, thank you!

Which year Ranger kit do you have there?  AMT did a couple of years at least, is looks like…

[Plowboy]

11 minutes ago, CabDriver said:

That’s even better news - my next major hurdle was figuring out a source for the manual trans too ?. SUPER helpful, thank you!

Which year Ranger kit do you have there?  AMT did a couple of years at least, is looks like…

I have a '93 Splash, '93 STX and a '95 XLT. The Explorer is a '96.