27th Jul 2014, 03:50
300 Ford Six. Enough said :)
Like the Windsor and 385-Series V8s, this was Ford powertrain engineering at its best.
31st Jan 2015, 02:45
Outstanding story! And you're hearing that from a GM fan of more then 4 decades.
My 1st car was a 56 Nomad with a Vette motor, and among others I've owned a 69 GTO, a 67 Chevelle, a 91 Silverado for 8 years, and a 92 Suburban, currently 7 years now.
That I6 300 had steel timing gears, and my understanding is thousands of them were used by UPS, with many still in service.
I had a 1969 Econoline with a 302 in it - good power for a stock motor, but not a long lifespan. The motor started vibrating over 50 mph, so I replaced the main and rod bearings at work on a weekend while employed in a repair shop. Ford wanted 600 bucks to do it - I did it for about 85 bucks, and 6 months later it got a rod knock and I was tired of screwing with it, so I sold it. Been with GM ever since, with the exception of 1 Dodge, but now after all these years, I am getting tired of American vehicles being made in Mexico Canada and beyond - and all the big 3 are doing it. Seems like the newer it gets, the junkier it's going to be in one way or another.
I want a tow vehicle for my old boat, and I am thinking the I6 300 is a good starting point - if I can find one with fairly low miles, it might last the rest of my life now that I am in my 50's. I prefer vans over trucks, but that's just a me thing.
24th Jul 2014, 21:27
Sounds like an awesome truck. Hang onto it, none of the newer trucks will ever compare for long term reliability, simplicity and ease of maintenance.
The 300 I6 is durable and super simple to work on, a great engine, had one in my 81 Ford camper van and sold it still running, with well over 400k on it. I'm sure someone is still driving that van today.