Fordnatics List Archive

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Mail From: (email redacted) (K Porter)

>There's no doubt that rebuilding a flathead can cost a heap these days.
>The parts for the motor can be found with a little digging. Grab a copy
>of Street Rodder magazine. That seems to be the magazine with the most
>flathead oriented stuff in it.
There are rebuilds, and then there are rebuilds. You can get back on the
road for about what you would spend rebuilding a ford big block motor.
>Chassis parts might be your main problem. Too old to be carried anymore
>and not a "desirable" marque so you are hooked into becoming a swap meet
>goer.
Oh, i dont know. You can still buy everything you want for this truck repo.
But it will still drive like a 1948 truck - which is the technology you
have there. The bump steer on these trucks is fantastic at speeds over
45mph. Get ready for some nifty white knucklers. You have to drive a
chassis of this era all the time if you are going fast. 4 wheel drum brakes
also need some extra care. You may be looking at planned stops (lots of fun
in heavy traffic. I used to drive one in Boston yee-haw.)
>Assuming the engine is in reasonable form, you just have to be a bit
>more honest about checking oil and water, etc. A little bit of TLC and
>they'll go forever.
The flathead it a Great engine. It is used still used on WORKING tractors
today. It has an extreemly short throw and you can idle it down till you
can read the printing on the fan belts while it's running. It instantly
revs up to max rpm too. Lots of parts are available for it and there are
shops around the country that specialize in rebuilding it. It has short
commings in the oiling department (most noteable: no filter) but there are
ways around that. Most of the block castings have cracks - you just have to
hope you have one with cracks in un-imporatant places. They love to
over-heat, especially if you hop one up. Most of the castings will still
have casting sand in the water jackets unless someone has knocked it out
during a rebuild. People will do anything to these engines you would like
done. Including re-machine them for modern bearings, overhead valves, or
fuel inject them electronically. There is are several classes for them in
lakes racing and they hit some respectable triple digit speed numbers.
Nothing sounds like a chopped 50 ford coupe with lakes pipes and a hot
flatty rapping up in the parking lot. It's a sound that still drives the
local cops crazy . I've seen them hear that noise at the doughnut shop,
and do the cop trot (that's where they have to put a hand on their holster
to keep their pistol from bouncing out because their gun belt is oscillating
to the rhythm of their budda) back to their patrol cars.
You won't win may races tho . Flatheads dont make power like modern v-8s
do. Of course, if you get some finned alum heads, a huge after market
beehive air filter, multiple deuce intake, and drive around without your
hood, those centrally placed spark plugs will just out cool them.
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