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Re: Ford of Europe V engines

To: pgarside@acorn.co.uk (Paul Garside)
Subject: Re: Ford of Europe V engines
From: phile@stpaul.gov (Philip J Ethier)
Date: Fri, 12 Nov 1993 10:56:38 -0600 (CST)
Paul Garside writes> 
> 
> There has been a lot of loose talk about Ford of Europe V engines recently,
> so I would like to try to straighten this out. 
> 
> There are two distinct families of engines, with little in common - one
> developed in Britain, the other in Germany. The german ones are smaller and
> lighter than the British.  The British engines were not used in German
> factories, and the German ones not in the UK, although latterly they were
> sold in the UK in FoG-built Granadas and Capris. This is all from memory, so
> some minor details may be wrong:
> 
> Ford of Europe V engines:
> 
> Origin                 Name            Capacity       Usage
> ------                 ----            --------       -----
> 
> Ford of Germany       Cologne V4       1200, 1500   Taunus 12M, 15M, Saab

The SAAB first used 1500cc, then 1700cc.  The SCCA Solo II rules list a
1600cc, but I have never seen a 1600cc V4 in a SAAB.

>                               V6       2000         Taunus 17M, 20M
>                                        2300         Granada, Capri
>                                        2600         ETC Capri (2.9fi)
>                                        2800         1976 Taunus, Scorpio
> 
> Ford of Britain       Essex V4         1700, 2000   Transit van, Zephyr
>                       Essex V6         2500         Transit, Zodiac
>                                        3000         Zodiac, Capri
>                                                     UK Granada 72-77 only
>                                                     (see 'Sweeney')
>                                                     TVR, Scimitar, AC
>                                                     SVO Transit
>                                        3300         RS3300, BTC Capri
>                                        3500         4-cam Cosworth

OK, one more time...

Ford USA designed a front-drive sedan called the Cardinal for the *1960*
model year.  They chickened and built the Falcon instead.  They sent the
drawings to Cologne, who threw away the body and used the mechanicals to
build the Taunus.

The Cardinal V4 engine was built in Cologne and used in many Ford cars.  

SAAB bought them and used them in all the four-stroke 95 (wagon), 96
(sedan), and 97 (Sonett) cars.  When you pull the dipstick on a V4 SAAB,
it says FoMoCo on it.  SAAB used the engine first as a 1500 open-deck,
then as a 1500 closed-deck and finally as a 1700 closed deck.

The same V4 was used in Mustang I prototype, mid-mounted. (the Mustang II
prototype was the basis of the Mustang production car.).  This show car
was later used as a camera car for John Frankenheimer's "Grand Prix".
(The other camera car was a GT-40!)

The main bearing caps on later SAAB (Ford) V4 engines had no #1.  This is
because the "Cologne" V6 was the same engine with two more cylinders
pasted on.  The Cardinal V4 "came home" to the USA in the form of the
2600cc V6 in the Ford Capri sold by Mercury dealers in the USA.

They were solid and reliable and had lots of torque, yet were not afraid
to rev.  Ford still uses them in industrial applications.  I once saw one
used to power some movable stuff on a Parade of Roses float.

When fitted with an extractor exhaust, with a wye near the firewall under
the car, the engine would breathe like a British four with an LCB header.

They were solid and reliable and had lots of torque, yet were not afraid
to rev.  Ford still uses them in industrial applications.  I once saw one
used to power some movable stuff on a Parade of Roses float.

SAAB freaks have been known to buy parts from Ford industrial and tractor
dealers in the USA.

Phil Ethier, THE RIGHT LINE, 672 Orleans St, Saint Paul, MN  55107-2676
h (612) 224-3105  w (612) 266-6244    phile@stpaul.gov
"Another SAAB story."


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