15 replies to this topic

[Dave Crevie]

Flatheads. Yeah, baby! Where hot rodding started.
 
Ford’s Flathead V8 Gave Power to the People

[Dave Crevie]

Pure sex.

 

 

 

Need more cylinders. Go Lincoln V12!

 

 

Need even more cylinders. Double up;

 

 

Huh?

 

[Bill from NH]

Was it Weldun that produced the special heads for hop-ups?

 

Also, didn't Offy make some hop-up parts for flatheads.

 

How about the Miller-Fords at Indy?

[Dave Crevie]

Offenhauser and Edelbrock were the top two producers of aluminum heads for Ford V-8s. But there was so much available in parts to squeeze a little more go juice out of the type. I don't know of a Weldon head. Maybe you are thinking of the Ardun heads?

 

 

 

Edelbrock still makes the heads shown in the top photo above, as well as most of their other hop-up parts.

 

 

 

As does Offenhauser;

 

 

 

These Barney Navarro heads are still being made, along with his intake manifolds;

 

 

 

Sharp was another manufacturer of aluminum heads for the flathead Ford;

 

 

 

And this fairly rare overhead conversion was meant to compete with the Ardun set-up

 

 

 

This Joe Davis double overhead cam engine was built on a Ford V-8 60 for a 1951 Indianapolis 500 entry:

 

 

 

Stu Hilborn was making fuel injection systems as soon as everyone else jumped on the bandwagon;

 

 

 

So you can see how the Ford flathead started the hot rod craze. Back yard builders were making use of the engine that racers were beginning to utilize as a cheaper alternative to the much more expensive racing motors.

[Bill from NH]

Yes, it was Ardun. Thanks!

[Dave Crevie]

Good ol' Zora. Knowing how deeply involved he was with the Corvette racing program at Chevrolet, it's hard to imagine that he was ever a Ford fan. 

 

In 1974 or '75 I bought a somewhat derelict 1940 Ford pick-up drag car. It had an Ardun modified engine in it. The engine needed parts for the Ardun conversion, which I couldn't find replacements for. I ended up trading the engine for a Harley rat bike and a nailhead Buick engine with a six Stromburg ram-log manifold. The Buick ran good so I thought I got a great deal. If only I knew then what I know now about how valuable that Ardun was I wouldn't have traded it. I sold the pick-up before I finished it, to a guy that worked on it for about 20 years. His wife made him put it up for sale, and one of my relatives bought it. He finished it out and still has it today.    

[Vay Jonynas]

 

 

 

Me I still don't understand why so many of the custom Ford Coupes from the 1930's at car shows are equipped with Chevy small blocks instead of some souped up version of the original flatheads. I mean what's with that?

 

[Dave Crevie]

That's an easy one. Chevy smallblock parts were cheap and abundant. Back when DuPage Racing Division of DuPage Auto Parts was still in business, I bought a Gimmy 4-71 blower, Weiand manifold, blower drive and Hooker headers for a smallblock punched and stroked to 383, all for less than $300.00. We added an Isky 505, solid lifters, aluminum rockers and titanium pushrods, and finished the engine out for around $3000.00. The 440 in my Road Runner came in at more than twice that. Five years earlier. 

 

On one of our "seek and destroy" missions to Victory Auto Wreckers, we came out with a complete Rochester fuel injection system from a Corvette for $250.00.

 

But I share your feelings about keeping it one make. In high school we "auto shop kids" built a '32 Ford coupe with a 289. The engine came out of a Mustang that was almost new, so we didn't do much to it. Just added a dual quad manifold and headers. We figured that was enough power for a car that weighed just a tick over 1000 pounds.

 

Thanx for posting the old car-toons. I can't get enough of those.  

[Bob Kolenda]

I like the V8-60 in the first photo.Much smaller engine than its big brother.Many an early midget racer was powered them.

[Eddie Fleming]

Love the Camaro with the flathead   

[Dave Crevie]

Love the Camaro with the flathead   

 

I don't get that. There was no info with that picture, so I have no idea what that guy was thinking.

[Eddie Fleming]

 

I don't get that. There was no info with hat picture, so I have no idea what that guy was thinking.

Can you say Photoshop?

 

I suspect, but if that is the case they did a very good job of it. It is hard to say at that size photo. 

 

Whatever I like it after all the old Ford's we have seen with Chevy's stuffed in. 

[Dave Crevie]

Can you say Photoshop?

 

I suspect, but if that is the case they did a very good job of it. It is hard to say at that size photo. 

 

Whatever I like it after all the old Ford's we have seen with Chevy's stuffed in. 

 

It's legit. There is another shot from the other side, but not a good angle for the motor. 

[Dave Crevie]

Can you say Photoshop?

 

I suspect, but if that is the case they did a very good job of it. It is hard to say at that size photo. 

 

Whatever I like it after all the old Ford's we have seen with Chevy's stuffed in. 

 

It's legit. There is a second photo from the other side, but not a good angle to see the engine. It's from a Pintere

[Dave Crevie]

Can you say Photoshop?

 

I suspect, but if that is the case they did a very good job of it. It is hard to say at that size photo. 

 

Whatever I like it after all the old Ford's we have seen with Chevy's stuffed in. 

 

It's legit. There is a second photo from the other side, but not a good angle to see the engine. It's from a Pintere

[Dave Crevie]

Can you say Photoshop?

 

I suspect, but if that is the case they did a very good job of it. It is hard to say at that size photo. 

 

Whatever I like it after all the old Ford's we have seen with Chevy's stuffed in. 

 

It's legit. There is a second photo from the other side, but not a good angle to see the engine. It's from a Pintere