289 vs 318 ..... Ford vs Mopar

FoMoCo vs Mopar

  • 289 - rated 210 hp

    Votes: 18 46.2%
  • 318 - rated 230

    Votes: 21 53.8%

  • Total voters
    39
-

318willrun

Utube channel 318willrun
FABO Gold Member
Joined
Sep 13, 2013
Messages
21,485
Reaction score
27,768
Location
I'm here
I'm Mopar. But... Has anyone had a great running Ford 289 in a Fairlane ?? Oh boy, we (me, my Dad, and my brothers) have had them - '64-66's. Especially the 3 on the trees..... I have personally been a part of 3 races, 289 vs 318, both in 2bbl form. 289's are up 3-0. The 289's really respond to "up'n the timing a few degrees". Seems they have a little more compression and a larger CFM 2bbl. Just say'n.....
 
I have a soft spot for 289s first engine I worked on.

But I think the comparison should be 273 vs 289 or 302 vs 318
 
I have a soft spot for 289s first engine I worked on.

But I think the comparison should be 273 vs 289 or 302 vs 318
Yikes! I'd never want to stack a 273 2bbl in a '66 cuda against a 289 2bbl in a 'stang. Personally, I think the 289 is a much poppier engine than the 302's. Of the older carb engines, 289 is favorite. And yes, I've owned a Cleveland.
 
The 318 never came HP. The 289 did. A few different versions. One even supercharged.
 
Yikes! I'd never want to stack a 273 2bbl in a '66 cuda against a 289 2bbl in a 'stang. Personally, I think the 289 is a much poppier engine than the 302's. Of the older carb engines, 289 is favorite. And yes, I've owned a Cleveland.
The Cleveland family has got to be some of the best engines Ford ever produced.
 
In 1964, Motorcade magazine ran a 14.68 with the 289 Hi-Po in a Mustang.
 
a 300 HP 289 or a 270 HP version. is there a 300 HP 318 version. :lol:
 
The true comparison here would be a 289 vs 273, especially the HiPo versions. 271hp for the 289 for HiPo, unsure what the best 273 mopar put out.

Anyhow, my car used to have a warmed over 318 originally and i've been in my cousins comet with a 271hipo. Definitely would be interesting.
 
The true comparison here would be a 289 vs 273, especially the HiPo versions. 271hp for the 289 for HiPo, unsure what the best 273 mopar put out.

Anyhow, my car used to have a warmed over 318 originally and i've been in my cousins comet with a 271hipo. Definitely would be interesting.
It would be fun, however, I think the Hi-performance version of each are pretty rare. So I was thinking the common, family version - both 2bbls. 273 2bbl in my experiences is just flat out shot out of the water. I think a 318 2bbl in a A-body vs a '66 Fairlane 289 2bbl is probably about as common and fair as it could be.
 
My dad gave me this 65 Mustang 289 2bbl 44 years ago. I rebuilt the engine when I was 17 in my auto mechanics class in 1978. Have never had to do anything except service it. Thing runs like a champ all these years later!
Mustang photo.JPG
 
But how come most every Ford small block I saw opened up stank with old oil sludge? General engine builders would say due to flat spots in their oil galleries. Thus they didn't have the best reputation of longevity? 318s ran forever.
 
This is one of the 289 2bbl cars that we owned. It personally took down two 318 Dusters.

DSCN4706[1].JPG
 
But how come most every Ford small block I saw opened up stank with old oil sludge? General engine builders would say due to flat spots in their oil galleries. Thus they didn't have the best reputation of longevity? 318s ran forever.
318's durability is 2nd to none. However, I've not experience any 289's coming apart, and we've owned some higher mileage cars.
 
Had a 68 Fairlane 500 2 dr with a 289 2 bbl and C4 auto. Only mod was headers and dual exhaust, but that was a fun car, I would love to have another one. :rolleyes:
 
318's durability is 2nd to none. However, I've not experience any 289's coming apart, and we've owned some higher mileage cars.
Actually, I don't recall 289s? They may have differed than 302s. 351s definitely had this issue. That I at least saw? (Shouldn't assume Ford small blocks are all simular. I never understood their thinking of "Engine Families" they had 4 different versions of 351. None were directly component swappable. And of course their 352. Which was completely different.)
 
-
Back
Top