As some of you are aware, we recently found and bought a Triumph TR3 barn find. Well, one of our readers in Southern Idaho saw our post about it and that we were wanting to find a hardtop for it. It just so happened that he has a hardtop for a TR3, so he sent us an email to see if we’d have any interest in it. Obviously, we did, so we made the drive down to Casey’s shop to buy it. When we got there, we had no idea the afternoon we were in for! We will be covering everything we saw in Casey’s collection soon, but there was one vintage part there that we found truly intriguing and Casey thought it would be fun to see if his fellow readers could give him more information on it.
Clearly, this is an Offenhauser intake and Casey told us it came with a Ford engine that his brother bought and was equipped with Quadrajets, but he hasn’t ever seen another like it. I found a number on the bottom, which appears to be the part number. Using that, I was able to find a little information on it, but I will let you guys do some digging to see what you come up with! Please share what you find in the comments below. I also included a photo of the sweet hardtop that we bought from Casey in the photo gallery below. We want to thank him for contacting us and sharing his collection with us! If you aren’t already signed up for our daily email, be sure to sign up here so that you don’t miss our feature on his impressive collection!
Looks FE
It’s definitely for a Ford FE big block. The pushrod openings in the outer edges are the main giveaway.
I imagine it’s intended for one of the larger displacement versions (390-410-427-428). That would be an awful of of over-carburetion on a 332.
I should have added the 406. I remembered Mercury had a 410 FE in 1966 and 1967, but the 406 slipped my mind.
I had a ’67 Mercury Park Lane convertible, with the 410. With 335 hp, it moved that beast down the road pretty well.
352-390-406-427 & 428 Ford, for Rochester carbs, sweet set-up when synced right!
Definitely FE Ford Big Block
The weird thing is the quadrajet style spreadbore intake holes. Never seen that on an FE manifold
I have a 406 tri power in my Galaxie and a dual quad 427 in my Flattie
It’s a Ford FE series. Odd to see it using spread bore carbs.
According to your Facebook followers, Ford FE for sure.
Definitely FE.
Check with Offenhauser directly. I think family members still run the business. As of a dozen years ago, they would make any part for which they still had molds.
Steve R
Low profile FE Dual Quad 5587?
F.E. No doubt, first I’ve seen with the spreadbore. 8 tapped hole configuration for multiple carb. accomodation.
Offenhauser made a series of spread bore manifolds for GM, Chrysler and Ford products, advertised as the “Offenhauser 360 Quadrajet Manifolds”. They were said to be compatible with Rochester Q-Jet, Holley Spread Bore and Carter Thermo-Quad carbs.
This particular intake is part number 5608, listed in their catalog as “Dual Quadrajet Low Profile Manifold” for Ford 352-390-406-427-428. They also made a high rise version of this intake for the Ford FE, and both the low and high rise versions of these intakes for the 361, 383-400 Chrysler’s. Offenhauser also made a line of single Q-Jet intakes for an assortment of engines, including both the Cleveland & Windsor 351, the Chrysler 413-426-440 wedge, and others including two for AMC V8’s.
I have been looking for the “B” engine Chrysler version for a while. I was told that there was an “A” engine (381 poly head) version but I can’t find any supporting documentation.
You are spot on.
You beat me to it GB, was going to break out my vintage Offy stuff and take a look. You did all the fact-finding here.
For Ford 352-390-406-427-428, weighs 34.5 lbs.
If it was cast iron it would weigh 100lbs!
THE CHALLENGE was to get an intermediate jet selection that wouldnt kill the plugs in slow traffic…had to use premium or an octane booster..we are at 4550 altitude..
Ford FE, sure looks neat.
https://offenhauser.co/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Offenhauser-Catalog-1987.pdf page 20.
I believe I just read a history of that intake in Muscle Machines (HMM). I loaned the magazine to a friend and don’t have it for reference, but I think it was called a Cross ___. Then again, at my age my memory’s not to be trusted.
The manifold you’re referring to in Hemmings is called the Cross Boss it was designed for the Autolite inline 4 bbl carburetor for the Boss 302 this is a totally different manifold
Actually, it looks like an Offy “dual port” which had separate runners for the primaries and secondaries all the way from the carb(s) to the port, the idea being to keep the velocity up using relatively tiny primary runners and large secondary runners. They worked, but were very complicated to manufacture and poorly understood by some consumers. It was a really neat idea.
Ford FE, the way the valve covers come over the intake is Ford. I see some others there,
SBC?
Mid 60’s Ford FE, 352,360-390,427.
Yes, 332-428 FE Ford. I would never use the manifold pictured. The manifolds sold by Offenhauser are seldom the best. I have run FE Fords since 1965. I sure wouldn’t want to try to synchronize 2 Quadrajets. With their huge secondaries they will flow more air than you could ever use. Ford factory aluminum FE intakes work good. They started making them with the 1960 with the 352 HiPerf (360 horsepower.). Among others I have the C8AX “tunnel type” intake (2-4v) and 2 of the appropriate primary side carbs (652 cfm each). I can remove the choke plate from one and it will be a good match. Haven’t used them yet but I have a standard bore 427 block and a 361 (truck) forged crank that was prepared by Crankshaft Co. many years ago. This is a 3.5″ stroke crank giving approx 393-395 cubes. My block would clean up with a .006 (that’s 6 thousandths !) over hone on a Sunnen honing machine. Don’t buy a .030 over 427 block or bore one that far. The cylinder walls are thin from the factory. With Medium riser heads I could have a real screamer if built right. No, NONE of my parts are for sale ! Don’t contact me with buy offers !.
An escapee from Smokey Yunick or Tom Pistone.
Looks like it would be most efficient with twin 1200-1500cfm ThurmoQuads on a 410 or 428 – (390bore x 428stroke =410ci) for Drag Racing. The carbs we’re wired secondaries ,so at staging RPMs would hold around 5000- green lit mash pedal to floor and grab gears- Ask The DynO Man,Don? Jmo Thanks SG66.
My 68 Galaxy has that same one on 428 FE motor Pedro