What's with the hood...

boster · 03-18-2013, 09:55 PM

Found this on the web, hope it helps . Looks like this goes back to 6/2000 . I think the hood is right

No such car DT. 289 HP was not available from Mercury untill 1965! The car is indeed a "K" code, but in Mercury parlance, that stood for 289-210 HP Challenger V-8. It is the same engine as a 64.5 Mustang "D" code 289-210 HP except that the Mercury recieved the larger 1.12 600 CFM Autolite carb, as opposed to the Mustangs 1.08 480 CFM Autolite carb. Why Mercury coded the engine a "K" code is a long yet interesting story. If more than 1 or 2 people are interested I'll tell it and explain. Alex
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Alex Denysenko Co-Administrator and Moderator

Moneymaker
Administrator
Posts: 29200
From: Lyons, IL, USA
Registered: May 99

posted 02-06-2000 02:06 PM
OK, here it goes. By late 1962 Mercury division was hot and heavy into motorsports. The new fastback Marauders were coming and the rebodied Comet was ready. Fran Hernandez was appointed director or performance and given carte blanche. The reason for this was that L/M division was to have virtually no advertising budget for 1963-65. It was all to be funneled to Ford division. A lot was at stake with the release of the Mustang and it's success, so FoMoCo wanted no mistakes (read that as Edsels). Mercury began entering every type racing that they could compete in. NASCAR, USAC, European road ralleys, and of course NHRA/AHRA drag racing. They gave away parts and cars like candy. They had even fielded a team of cars for the Mobil economy run and won convincingly. This is where all of there advertising was to come from. The motoring press, all FREE! Their racing accomplishments got them tons of headlines and articles, hence free advertising. For 1964, the muscle car era had begun, and the days of the big car big engine were numbered. Mercury already laid claim to the name Cyclone as early as 1962. Their S-22 Comets were to be called Cyclones, but Ford division nixed the plan. So for 1964 everything was all approved, the car was done and very slick looking, all that needed to be laid in place were the drive train options. Mercury of course assumed that they would be privy to the 289-271` "K" code HP engine, and was preparing to mate it to a 4-speed with some really attractive rear axel ratios. They had the bucket seats, the console, the tach, the trim, the simulated chrome reversed wheel hub caps, they were ready to take Woodward ave. by a storm with this pocket rocket that had 4.11 gears as standard, and 4.30's as optional. That's correct, 4.30 gears as optional. All of the sudden a guy by the name of Lee something or other, got wind of this new hot Mercury for 1964. One of his stooges had dropped the dime! What's this????? OUR 289 HP in a Mercury? Not on your life! Because of the early 1964 introduction of the all new 1965 Mustang, and it only having 3 V-8 options, the top of the line being the 289-271, Ford division put the kebosh on the engine for Mercury division. Well, by that time, they had already started tooling and printed brochures. For still emphatically still said NO! They wanted absolutly nothing to steal any thunder from the Mustangs introduction. Especially from a sister division. Plans were already at hand to begin building A/FX 427 powered Cylones for certain racers, and B/FX 289 powered cars were already on the drawing boards too! When the Mercury engineers complained to Fran Hernandez, he told them to go ahead and "improvise"! Ford said that they could have the "D" code 289-210 HP 4V engine. So some of the engineers looked around the parts bins, and saw that the 1.12 600 CFM Autolites from 352 4V V-8 were quite plentiful, and would considerably enhance the performance of the "D" code engine. When no one was looking, the went ahead and put the deal together. With the larger carb the performance of the Cyclone would be equal to that of the lighter, less carburated Mustang. To add to the coo, the designated the engine with a "K" code. Since the carb was different, it was in essence a diffeent engine. And since Mercury had always had many of it's own engines that differed from Ford divisions, nobody noticed! When the car was introduced it was a smash in sales, both in the Caliente and Cyclone versions. Many sales were stolen from Fairlane because you could get a "K" code Mercury with an automatic C-4 transmission, and of course you coud not in the Fairlane. We know of course that it was not the same solid lifter engine, but they did not advertise as such. It was very confusing to the buying public, but the ploy worked and Mercury sold tons of Comets in 1964. Part due to their winning the Mobil economy run, and part due to their racing efforts. Next time your at a FoMoCo car show check out the 64 Cyclones, you'll almost find at least one or two. When is the lst time you saw a 64 Fairlane "K" code 289 HP ? Mercury fooled the public, and was able to sell more Comets than Ford could sell Fairlanes. Of course we all know where Fords efforts were consentrated for 1964, but that's another story. This is all fact, and although I left out some of the political details, it's pretty much the way it went down. I hope you all found it informative, abiet a little long. Alex
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Alex Denysenko Co-Administrator and Moderator

03-18-2013, 09:55 PM	#22
boster Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: usa Posts: 958 Likes: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: What's with the hood... Found this on the web, hope it helps . Looks like this goes back to 6/2000 . I think the hood is right No such car DT. 289 HP was not available from Mercury untill 1965! The car is indeed a "K" code, but in Mercury parlance, that stood for 289-210 HP Challenger V-8. It is the same engine as a 64.5 Mustang "D" code 289-210 HP except that the Mercury recieved the larger 1.12 600 CFM Autolite carb, as opposed to the Mustangs 1.08 480 CFM Autolite carb. Why Mercury coded the engine a "K" code is a long yet interesting story. If more than 1 or 2 people are interested I'll tell it and explain. Alex ------------------ Alex Denysenko Co-Administrator and Moderator Moneymaker Administrator Posts: 29200 From: Lyons, IL, USA Registered: May 99 posted 02-06-2000 02:06 PM OK, here it goes. By late 1962 Mercury division was hot and heavy into motorsports. The new fastback Marauders were coming and the rebodied Comet was ready. Fran Hernandez was appointed director or performance and given carte blanche. The reason for this was that L/M division was to have virtually no advertising budget for 1963-65. It was all to be funneled to Ford division. A lot was at stake with the release of the Mustang and it's success, so FoMoCo wanted no mistakes (read that as Edsels). Mercury began entering every type racing that they could compete in. NASCAR, USAC, European road ralleys, and of course NHRA/AHRA drag racing. They gave away parts and cars like candy. They had even fielded a team of cars for the Mobil economy run and won convincingly. This is where all of there advertising was to come from. The motoring press, all FREE! Their racing accomplishments got them tons of headlines and articles, hence free advertising. For 1964, the muscle car era had begun, and the days of the big car big engine were numbered. Mercury already laid claim to the name Cyclone as early as 1962. Their S-22 Comets were to be called Cyclones, but Ford division nixed the plan. So for 1964 everything was all approved, the car was done and very slick looking, all that needed to be laid in place were the drive train options. Mercury of course assumed that they would be privy to the 289-271` "K" code HP engine, and was preparing to mate it to a 4-speed with some really attractive rear axel ratios. They had the bucket seats, the console, the tach, the trim, the simulated chrome reversed wheel hub caps, they were ready to take Woodward ave. by a storm with this pocket rocket that had 4.11 gears as standard, and 4.30's as optional. That's correct, 4.30 gears as optional. All of the sudden a guy by the name of Lee something or other, got wind of this new hot Mercury for 1964. One of his stooges had dropped the dime! What's this????? OUR 289 HP in a Mercury? Not on your life! Because of the early 1964 introduction of the all new 1965 Mustang, and it only having 3 V-8 options, the top of the line being the 289-271, Ford division put the kebosh on the engine for Mercury division. Well, by that time, they had already started tooling and printed brochures. For still emphatically still said NO! They wanted absolutly nothing to steal any thunder from the Mustangs introduction. Especially from a sister division. Plans were already at hand to begin building A/FX 427 powered Cylones for certain racers, and B/FX 289 powered cars were already on the drawing boards too! When the Mercury engineers complained to Fran Hernandez, he told them to go ahead and "improvise"! Ford said that they could have the "D" code 289-210 HP 4V engine. So some of the engineers looked around the parts bins, and saw that the 1.12 600 CFM Autolites from 352 4V V-8 were quite plentiful, and would considerably enhance the performance of the "D" code engine. When no one was looking, the went ahead and put the deal together. With the larger carb the performance of the Cyclone would be equal to that of the lighter, less carburated Mustang. To add to the coo, the designated the engine with a "K" code. Since the carb was different, it was in essence a diffeent engine. And since Mercury had always had many of it's own engines that differed from Ford divisions, nobody noticed! When the car was introduced it was a smash in sales, both in the Caliente and Cyclone versions. Many sales were stolen from Fairlane because you could get a "K" code Mercury with an automatic C-4 transmission, and of course you coud not in the Fairlane. We know of course that it was not the same solid lifter engine, but they did not advertise as such. It was very confusing to the buying public, but the ploy worked and Mercury sold tons of Comets in 1964. Part due to their winning the Mobil economy run, and part due to their racing efforts. Next time your at a FoMoCo car show check out the 64 Cyclones, you'll almost find at least one or two. When is the lst time you saw a 64 Fairlane "K" code 289 HP ? Mercury fooled the public, and was able to sell more Comets than Ford could sell Fairlanes. Of course we all know where Fords efforts were consentrated for 1964, but that's another story. This is all fact, and although I left out some of the political details, it's pretty much the way it went down. I hope you all found it informative, abiet a little long. Alex ------------------ Alex Denysenko Co-Administrator and Moderator __________________ Bo Kenney Last edited by boster; 03-18-2013 at 09:57 PM.