BIG FISH

IS FORD'S BARRA SIX ENGINE RIGHT FOR YOUR 4X4?

- DAN EVERETT

BARRA BUILDING BLOCKS

FORD HAS a long history with the venerable straight six. While the flat-head V8 may be what put the company on the map for power, its six-pots were renowned for reliability. The FoMoCo dipped its toe in the water with a few different designed sixes from 1906 through to the 1950s, but the third generation known as the ‘Thriftpower Six’ introduced in 1960 is the first in the line of unbroken development that eventually finished with the Barra.

With a 144ci (2.4L) capacity, the Thriftpower Six ran a unique in-head intake setup that severely restricted its power potential – just 67kW from the factory floor - but resulted in miserly fuel consumption as low as 8L/100km in early Compact Falcons. Australia imported both the 144ci and 170ci versions.

From here, the Yanks kept developing this platform with limited success on the power front, but ultimately finished the range in 1996 with a 300ci (4.9L) version.

On Aussie shores, we went our own path. Think of two identical twins, one receiving the best education and physical training possible, the other living in a trailer park. Through the 60s, 70s, and 80s we tweaked and modified the basic design of the straight six through a bunch of minor revisions and capacity increases. Up to 250ci (4.1L) with a newly designed head featuring a freer flowing external intake, the 250-2V was the final iteration with 128kW, which is nearly double what the initial Thriftpower was capable of.