# Ford's polimotor

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fords-polimotor/298618>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 10, 2005, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fords-polimotor/298618 "2005-04-10T02:31:23Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\
**Post date:** [April 10, 2005, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fords-polimotor/298618/1 "2005-04-10T02:31:23Z")

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Supposedly this was going to be a revolutionary engine made out of plastic (including the block) and I’m guessing that Ford managed to complete a few prototypes, since the only info on the engine that googling yields is that Ford had a racing team by that name, but I can’t find any specific details on the subject. Anybody know anything about it?

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**Author:** ![Padeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@Padeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Padeye)\
**Post date:** [April 10, 2005, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fords-polimotor/298618/2 "2005-04-10T15:19:34Z")

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Damn, I thought it was about the introduction of a corregated craft with even more Wasps mounted to it.

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**Author:** ![Enola\_Straight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dec6dc/32.png) [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\
**Post date:** [April 10, 2005, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fords-polimotor/298618/3 "2005-04-10T17:20:45Z")

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I have an old Popular Science edition from the 80s somewhere which describes this engine.

As you said, the block is mostly plastic; composite material engineered to take the high temperature and high pressure associated with internal compression, as well as resistant to the corrosive and solvent nature of petroleum products.

The valves, combustion chamber, cylinders, piston crowns, and exhaust manifolds wer conventional metal pieces, though.

The motor…a 1.something inline four…not only was light enough to be carried in one man’s arms, but the reciprocating mass was also reduced so much thatit could rev up to 10,000rpms, thus increasing HP to a rediculous level.

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**Author:** ![omni-not](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8dc957/32.png) [@omni-not](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/omni-not)\
**Post date:** [April 10, 2005, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fords-polimotor/298618/4 "2005-04-10T17:53:50Z")

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Maybe this can help  
[http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi\_m3MKT/is\_n198\_v97/ai\_8045409](http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3MKT/is_n198_v97/ai_8045409)

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**Author:** ![mike1dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@mike1dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mike1dog)\
**Post date:** [April 10, 2005, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fords-polimotor/298618/5 "2005-04-10T17:55:35Z")

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If I remeber correctly, Ford campaigned a car powered by this engine in the old IMSA GTP class in the early eighties.

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**Author:** ![omni-not](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8dc957/32.png) [@omni-not](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/omni-not)\
**Post date:** [April 10, 2005, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fords-polimotor/298618/6 "2005-04-10T18:18:02Z")

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You’re probably already aware of this little gathering…😉  
[http://www.tuckerclub.org/html/news1.php?press\_id=3&](http://www.tuckerclub.org/html/news1.php?press_id=3&)