Muscle Car Review has been around as a magazine for more than 30 years, and in all that time it never featured a car like Nick Smith's extraordinary 1960 Starliner.

Now, 1960 Fords are not particularly rare. More than 911,000 were built, but this one has an engine that has sort of fallen through the cracks of history. It's the 360hp 352, probably Ford's least-well known high-performance engine. In the 1960 Ford dealer album it is called the Thunderbird 352 Super V-8, one notch up from the 300hp Thunderbird 352 Special V-8. In terms of horsepower, it was Ford's highest-rated engine that year, besting even the 350hp 430 available in the T-bird only.

So why is it virtually forgotten today and so seldom seen? Who knows? It may have to do with the car's styling, which was not widely loved. It may have to do with the midyear introduction, or the minimal promotion. Whatever the reason, the 352ci/360hp engine is one of the few corners left in the muscle car universe where there's still some fresh ground to be broken.

This was Ford's first effort to build a truly high-performance engine from the inside out. Far more than a power packtype engine, the 352 High Performance included things that would become standard issue on muscle car engines, like an open-element air filter, an aluminum intake manifold, a solid-lifter cam, and header-style exhaust manifolds. It was unprecedented, and opened the floodgates for a decade of increasingly powerful engines coming out of Detroit.

This was Ford's first effort to build a truly high-performance engine from the inside out

The difference in real-world performance between the 360hp 352 and the 300hp 352, the next highest engine in the option lineup, was huge. Motor Life magazine tested a 1960 Starliner with the 352/300hp and reported a quarter-mile e.t. of 20.7 seconds with a trap speed of 80 mph flat. A snoozer, right? Another Starliner was tested in the January 1960 issue, this one equipped with the new 352/360hp engine. The e.t. for this car dropped by five seconds to 15.32 at 92.87 mph. A second test of a Starliner with the 352/360hp engine in Motor Life's July 1960 issue listed an even lower e.t. of 14.81 at 94.71. The slow 352/300hp car also had an automatic transmission, which was no hot rodder's gearbox. Even so, an engine that could shave e.t. by more than five seconds was almost supernatural.

Even better, the option was affordable ($204.70) and was offered in all 1960 Ford models except wagons.

No reliable figures exist regarding production, but it couldn't have been a big seller. Nick Smith shares some firsthand insight on the matter.

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"My guess is that somewhere in the neighborhood of 5,000 1960 Hi-Pos, including all body styles, were built," he says. "I want to be clear; I don't know the real number. A lot of people, including myself, would love to know the true answer. Certainly, today there are not many of those real cars left. I'd guess maybe only a few hundred."

Nick owned a brand-new 1960 Hi-Po Starliner from March 1960 until February 1961. He says, "I drove it back and forth from West Palm Beach to college in Virginia. Like all the other performance-oriented kids that owned a hot car, I paid attention to any likely competition on the road, whether another Ford or other make. I can tell you that in the Carolinas and Virginia, there were so many 1960 Hi-Pos that you couldn't keep track of them. There were also plenty of hot Chevys and Pontiacs too. I started legally drag racing in 1960. At Roanoke dragstrip alone, there were eight to 10 Hi-Po Fords every weekend."

Nick's car is a genuine factory-built 352 Hi-Po model, restored by Donald Allen of Cleveland, Georgia.

"Donald is probably the best in the country for restoring the early 1960s Fords," says Nick.

Could be. This one certainly shines like a new penny. The workmanship is of the highest caliber throughout. A key part, the data tag, located in the doorjamb in 1960, was restored, not replaced with a reproduction. A reproduction would have slightly differently shaped numerals and letters and would raise the possibility that something was altered.

It opened the floodgates for increasingly powerful engines coming out of Detroit

Ford produced little, if any, factory literature on the 352/360hp engine. Nick, a longtime Ford dealer, offers a plausible explanation.

"A lot of upper management was not interested in high performance," he says. "The mentality, especially back in those days, was very frustrating. Back then it was all about satisfying NASCAR and not really about selling them to the public."

Because so little factory information on the 352/360hp was produced, there are plenty of "false facts" floating around.

"Any study of these cars is pretty fascinating because there is so much speculation and erroneous opinion out there," says Nick. "It's fun because you don't know what you'll hear next. Just don't take it as fact because it probably won't be."

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The 352/360hp Fords have some quirks. There was no exterior badging for a 352/360hp car. They share the same engine code as the 300hp 352—both are Y—a fake-car-builder's dream, but good luck finding parts. Hi-Po 352s came only with the three-speed manual transmission, though you could also get your three-speed with overdrive.

All the 352/360hp cars got electric windshield wipers (no vacuum). To avoid passing too close to the redesigned exhaust manifolds, brake lines were routed across the top rear of the lower radiator support instead of across the crossmember beneath the engine.

Hi-Po cars got heavy-duty, 3-inch-wide front brakes, a 3-inch driveshaft, and heavy-duty suspension (heavy-duty front springs, five-leaf rear springs, heavy-duty shocks, and a 0.62-inch front stabilizer bar). They also got different wheels from the rest of the standard production Fords, but there is mystery there too.

An engine that could shave e.t. by more than 5 seconds was almost supernatural

Nick says, "Even though Ford specs showed the 14-inch tires and wheels, we don't think any production cars were built that way outside of a few prototypes used for testing. The original Hot Rod magazine report from December 1959 also showed pictures of the car with 14s and mentioned that size in the text. But every Hi-Po I've ever seen was built with either standard 6.70/15 or the optional 7.10/15 tires—no 14-inchers—and they were always mounted on the flame-cut and welded Kelsey-Hayes 15-inch wheels. Those wheels were 5 inches wide on 1960 models, then became 5 1/2 inches on 1961-1964 cars."

According to specs that Chevrolet filed with the AMA in October 1959, the 348 with 3x2 induction was its top engine option, but horsepower topped out at 335 at 5,800 rpm. The 352 had that number covered and even exceeded the one-horsepower-per-cubic-inch mark. The horsepower race had just kicked into high gear.

If you've never heard of this engine, don't feel bad. Even in our fairly well equipped library that's pretty strong on Ford literature, there is almost zero factory info about it. Sometimes that is the fate of midyear releases because they arrive after the promotional materials have already been produced, usually in August. Manufacturers advise dealers of changes in content, but not necessarily the public. Yet through enthusiast magazines, the kids on the street knew more about it than dealers did.

All we could find were a few basic specs and a single footnote in tiny type at the bottom of a page highlighting other, lesser-powered 352s. Apparently Ford was depending on the enthusiast press to get the word out.

So we're doing our part, even if we are a tad late.

Decoding the Numbers

VIN: 0N53Y138552

0: 1960; N: Norfolk, Virginia, assembly plant; 53: Two-door Starliner Club Victoria; Y: 352 V-8 four-barrel carb (includes 300- and 360hp engines)

Door Tag

Body: 63A (two-door hardtop); Color: J (Montecarlo Red); Trim: 35 (red cloth and vinyl); Date: 13E (May 13, 1960); Trans: 2 (three-speed manual with overdrive); Axle: Unstamped (3.50:1)

Hi-Po What?

The High Performance 352 began production in the latter months of 1959, while the Edsel was still being built. Is it possible that a couple of 352/360hp Edsels were built?

At a Glance

1960 Starliner

Owned by: Nick Smith, Stuart, FL

Restored by: Donald Allen

Engine: 1960 352ci/360hp High Performance V-8

Transmission: BorgWarner T85 3-speed manual with overdrive

Rearend: 3.50 gears

Interior: Stock fabric/vinyl bench seat

Wheels: 15x5 stamped steel

Tires: 7.10x15 Firestone Deluxe Champion bias-ply

Special parts: Midyear optional engine package

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The styling of the1960 Starliner may not be everyone's favorite, but you gotta admit that it looks great here, especially in Montecarlo Red. Ford departed from 1959's Thunderbird-inspired "boxtop" C-pillar for 1960, going with this sleek semi-fastback design. Most of the fastback surface came from the rear window, which was 30 percent larger than the windshield.

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It doesn't look that radical, but this engine cut more than five seconds off the Starliner's quarter-mile time. It topped out at more than 150 mph on Ford's test track and outpowered arch-rival Chevrolet's 348 3x2 by 25 hp.

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In the Petersen Publishing photo archives we found this outtake from Ray Brock's review of "Ford's Optional Super-Stock" in the Dec. 1959 Hot Rod. Note the differences between this engine and Nick's. Brock's tester, likely a prototype or development car, has power brakes (not available on a Hi-Po), no preheater tube from the exhaust manifold to the carb, a different coolant tank, no stickers on the valve covers, no lock tabs on the exhaust manifold bolts, a different fan shroud without a caution sticker, and different ground cable mount location. Also, the overdrive relay is on the right side of the firewall. Both have the big-pulley generator. Wonder what that big box is on the driver-side fender?

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Before 1966, Ford's V-8 engines were painted black. The different versions were identified by valve cover color.

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No buckets and console here. No padded dash, in-dash air conditioning, tach, or floor shift either. This is strictly passenger car content, though the Starliners, Sunliners, and Galaxies got the highest trim level interiors, including color-coordinated Morocco Grain Vinyl door panels and pleated-stripe tweed nylon and vinyl seats. Floor mats are genuine Ford accessories.

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Hot Rod noted that "14-inch wheels are standard but 15-inch are suggested with heavy-duty brakes." But Nick Smith says every example he's seen was riding on 15-inch wheels, so it's possible only the very early or prototype cars were on the smaller wheels.

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The 352/360, released after the 1960 model year was under way, got some attention from the motoring press, including Brock's Hot Rod write-up and this cover story from the January 1960 issue of Motor Life. The cover car's a spittin' image of our feature car other than the full wheel covers and wide whitewalls.

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Inside Ford's 1960 352/360hp V-8

A Deeper Look Inside One of the Muscle Car World's Least-Known Engines

It's hard to find any factory info on Ford's 360hp 352-inch V-8 because, as far as we know, Ford never released a brochure on it. And over the years it has been the subject of a lot of misinformation. But in preparing our story on Nick Smith's 1960 Starliner, the planets aligned. We had the good fortune to find a detailed, eight-page list of Automobile Manufacturers Association (AMA) specifications in a dusty corner of a Detroit library. When we arrived at Nick's Factory Lightweight facility in Stuart, Florida, he had a genuine 352/360hp engine torn down and available for pictures.

For the record, the issue date on the AMA form is December 1, 1959. That doesn't necessarily coincide with the start date of the engine's production, but it gives us a rough idea of the release date. Also for the record, these and other FE-family (352/390/406/427/428) engines were produced at the Dearborn Engine Plant, part of the huge and historic River Rouge Plant.

The 352 High Performance, as it is commonly known from the decal affixed to the gold-painted valve covers, was a breakthrough engine, featuring significant improvements in components not customarily addressed in high-performance engines.

A big part of the horsepower boost came from the cam

The big standard-issue breather found on Ford engines was junked in favor of a simple, round, open-element breather. This cut weight and provided a much larger, 360-degree point of entry for incoming air.

Both Chevrolet and Mopar favored Carter carburetors. Ford used a square-bore Holley 4160 with side-pivot bowls, vacuum secondaries, and automatic choke. The carburetor's cfm rating was not listed in the AMA specs, but our friends at Holley checked the original specs and found that the cfm rating was 540. The intake manifold was a low-rise, dual-plane, cast-aluminum unit rather than cast iron, shaving the engine's weight by about 40 pounds. One other easy-to-overlook upgrade to the fuel system was larger, 3/8-inch fuel line replacing the standard 5/16-inch line in all other passenger cars.

Cylinder heads had a specific casting identified by a D suffix. The heads had upgrades, but nothing radical. Port and valve sizes were unchanged, but combustion chamber volume was reduced, bumping up compression a full point, from 9.6:1 to 10.6:1. Exhaust valves were upgraded from cast to forged steel, valve springs were upgraded with greater closed tension and a damper, and rockers were adjustable.

The block was standard two-bolt 352 production, as was the cast iron crank, though Hot Rod's Dec. 1959 issue reports that rod and main bearing tolerances were loosened up a bit for better oil flow. Pistons and crankshaft were standard production cast iron, but the rods were forged.

A big part of the horsepower boost came from the cam. In the interest of higher rpm, solid lifters were used, and duration and lift were bumped to 306 degrees and 0.479-inch, respectively. Valve spring tension was increased. A damper inside the outer coil was added. Ford changed valvesprings during the 1960 production due to reports of valve float.

These were aggressive advancements for their time

The distributor was a Ford dual-point unit with no vacuum advance, and plug wires had steel cores with no radio suppression. There was no law mandating it in those days.

One of the best parts of the engine were the individual-tube cast iron exhaust manifolds, known today as shorty manifolds. They were a huge improvement over the terribly restrictive logs that other FE engines were stuck with. These manifolds were carried over to the next year's 390 High Performance and Police Interceptor engines.

These were aggressive advancements for their time, although not nearly as those found in engine packages that were soon to come. The 352 High Performance worked its magic with a fairly modest equipment list—no multiple carbs, aluminum heads, high-riser intake, steel crank, forged pistons, sodium-filled valves, or electronic ignition. But for those who knew it was on the option list, the 352 High Performance vaulted the 1960 Ford far beyond what was previously possible.

The 352 began life in 1958 as a tame V-8, despite its increased displacement. This version put it on a different trajectory and foreshadowed other mighty FE-family engines to come, among them the 406, 427, and 428 Cobra Jet. —Tom Shaw

The 352 High Performance vaulted the 1960 Ford far beyond what was previously possible

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The block for the 352/360hp V-8 was the standard two-bolt 352 block. Ditto the crank. The only difference was that internal tolerances were loosened up a bit for better oil flow. This 352 High Performance engine was built for racing and has rod and main studs.

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Chamber volume was reduced to bump compression to 10.6:1, the highest of any Ford engine offered in 1960. A close-up of the combustion chamber shows that it was not machined like some reports erroneously stated. Valves are stockers at 2.02/1.55-inch, intake/exhaust. Exhaust valves, which run hotter than intakes, were upgraded to forged steel.

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Valves were all inline, operating off of rocker shafts. Rockers were adjustable, as required by the solid-lifer cam. All FE engines had the quirky feature of the valve cover straddling the mating surface of the head and intake.

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Port dimensions were unchanged from standard production. Valvesprings had a higher tension, and a supplemental coil was added to the valvesprings to prevent valve float.

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The big, elaborate breather normally used on 352s was ditched in favor of this high-flowing, open-element breather. The gold color of the breather and valve covers is specific to the 352/360hp.

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Ford was one of the first to use Holley carburetors in high-performance applications. The 4160 used on the 352 had vacuum secondaries and an automatic choke. Among insiders, it is nicknamed the "AA" for the last two letters in the part number, COAE-9510-AA. This one has been converted to a modern plastic top for the secondary diaphragm housing. The cfm rating was 540.

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Partly because the FE manifold is so wide, a stock iron one weighs 80 pounds. Casting it from aluminum cuts the weight in half. Note how flat the runners are and how little rise they have. The lower passages of this dual-plane actually have to rise before turning downward into the head ports. Hot Rod's Dec. 1959 issue reported that the manifold had "larger, more direct passages than those in the cast iron version."

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The stock distributor was a Ford dual-point. Note the oil port. Timing advance was fully centrifugal; the vacuum advance mechanism on early production distributors was plugged. Later production, at least in some plants, used a K-suffix distributor with no provision for the vacuum advance canister.

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A new larger-diameter generator pulley was used to slow down generator rpm. This would also become standard practice in years to come. The crank pulley was larger and heavier and specific to this engine. Power steering and air conditioning were not available with this engine option.

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A high-volume "10-screw" AC fuel pump was used. Because vacuum with the hotter cam was an issue, it has no port for the vacuum-powered windshield wipers, which were still being used in 1960. To get more fuel up to the engine and prevent fuel starvation at higher rpm, 3/8-inch fuel line was part of the 352 High Performance option.

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Ford addressed a critical bottleneck in exhaust flow with these higher-flowing "shorty" cast iron headers. They have the two-bolt over-and-under pattern of the early FE engines.

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Later manifolds used on the 406 High Performance and 427 would have a Tri-Y design with longer runners.

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You'd think that a major engine option like the 352/360hp would get some promotional push, but other than a footnote at the bottom of the page with other 352 engines, this is the sum total of information on this milestone engine in the 1960 Ford dealer album.

1960 Ford 352 High Performance Engine Specifications Type 90 overhead valve V-8, cast iron block/heads, 2-bolt mains Displacement (ci) 352 Advertised horsepower 360 @ 6,000 rpm Advertised torque 380 lb-ft @ 3,400 rpm Bore and stroke (in) 4.00x3.50 Compression ratio 10.6:1 Carburetor Single Holley 4160 4-V, vacuum secondaries, automatic choke, 540 cfm Bore size (in) 1.5 primary/secondary Fuel Super premium Intake manifold Aluminum single 4-V non-spread bore Intake valves (in) 2.02 Exhaust valves (in) 1.55, drop forged Camshaft Solid lifter Camshaft duration/lift 306/306 duration, 0.479/0.479-inch lift Valvetrain Close-tolerance pushrod holes cast into head Rocker arms Adjustable fulcrum, pushrod-guided, screw-in studs Pistons Cast aluminum Connecting rods Forged steel, separately forged caps Crankshaft Cast iron, externally balanced Ignition Dual-point distributor, mechanical advance only, no vacuum advance Advance 9 @ 1,200; 14.5 @ 4,000; 27 @ 5,000 Firing order 1-5-4-2-6-3-7-8 Spark plugs Champion F83Y Spark plug wires Steel core Exhaust Header-type cast iron manifolds, dual exhaust w/ balancer tube, rear-mounted mufflers Other features Aluminum 4-blade fan, open element breather, large generator/alternator pulley Show All