Automotive American – Classic Vintage & Modern
Category: Flathead V8
While we had the Schroll 32 Coupe at the Wheels of Time Jamboree there was an open space in the shop. The 1939 Mercury has been sitting in storage until we had some free time and space, but starting to free up the engine should be an easy job. Boy did we under estimate how stuck this engine is
Officially, the F-Series kicked off its legendary adventure starting with the 1948 model year. But the original generation is also known as the Bonus-Built series. Meanwhile, previous trucks were largely unchanged since the start of WWII for America, that dreadful 1941.
So, do we hold it against the good folks over at PC Classic Cars in Sherman, Texas for potentially confusing the F-1 name with a truck that was created before the age of the F-Series? Purists might, but we are going to be as reconciliatory as possible, considering the very nice Coca-Cola-like paintjob. True, we might have a soft spot for crimson and creamy white combinations…
Now that everyone has finished ogling at the pristine exterior details, let’s get down to the classic pickup truck business. This 1946 Ford was probably restored sometimes during previous ownership – there isn’t much background to go along with as far as its historic whereabouts are concerned. We did catch the dealer’s reference that “extensive records and photos from restoration” are also available.
And this time around, we paid more attention than ever to what the consigner has to say, considering the laugh we had after reading the proud statement that we are dealing with a “truck (that) will cruise at 55 mph.” That’s just 89 kph for the Old Continent fans. But, then again, even after a full restoration, it’s still a very old truck – and well within pension rights at 75 years of age
While visiting Ronnie Roadster Matt filmed a ton of footage while talking with Ron. We wanted to put together a video showing exactly how an Ardun OHV Conversion works for a Ford Flathead engine. Ron is a wealth of knowledge and has over 100k miles on his blue 32 Ford Roadster that’s powered by a blown Ardun. Ron shows us the inner workings of an Ardun valvetrain and some of the tricks that are needed to get them running correctly. A huge thank you to Ron and his wife Laura for letting us visit and film!!
Sisters Olivia Gentry, 20, and Genna Gentry, 18, of Newnan, Georgia, became the youngest winners of The Great Race, winning the 9-day, 2,300-mile cross-country competition for vintage vehicles. The 2021 time-distance rally, which began in San Antonio, Texas, ended June 27 in Greenville, South Carolina.
The sisters, competing for the fourth time, earned $50,000 for their performance in a 1932 Ford 5-window coupe. Olivia drove and Genna navigated. They had finished seventh overall in 2019.
The competition drew 120 entries in the time-distance rally that precludes the use of modern navigation or electronic devices while competing in various stages at precise time and speed averages. Teams can use only a map, stopwatches and “old-fashioned reckoning,” event organizers note.
“We are thrilled that the Gentry sisters won the race after several impressive showings over the past few years,” Wade Kawasaki, president and chief executive of event owner Legendary Companies, was quoted in the post-event news release.
“These young ladies and their beautiful ‘32 Ford have shown that the spirit of competition, a drive to compete and excellent math and navigational skills live on in the youngest generation.
Spring may have just arrived, but at least one vehicle going up for auction at Bonhams’s next sale may have you longing for winter’s return.
Impossible, you say. Wait until you check out the 80-year-old Bombardier B-7 snowmobile. Set to hit the block late next month at the auction house’s Amelia Island auction, the restored snow cruiser will have even the most cold-averse among us wishing for a thick snow fall so they can take it out for a spin.
Although the B-7 was born out of a family tragedy—inventor Joseph-Armand Bombardier’s young son died during the winter because no vehicle could safely transport him through the snow—it’s also a dazzling creation. The vehicle, which was referred to at the time as a “snow coach,” looks like an old-fashion family wagon with skis and tank treads in place of its wheels, so that it can “float over the snow.” After being introduced in 1935, the vehicle proved to be a hit, and by the end of the decade, the Canadian company had built more than 100 examples.
There is no way we can count all the weird machines we’ve seen cooked up by more or less prominent garages across America over the years. Yet we’re pretty certain we’re going to remember this thing here, going forward.
What you’re looking at is officially titled 1938 Indian V8-60 Flathead, and it’s an yet unfinished project that could have just as well been named Ford, or Porsche, or Harley-Davidson. That’s because each of these companies contributed in one way or another to this thing coming together.
Indian is responsible for the frame, with a 1938 Indian Chief as a starting point. It was bred and welded with 1.25- and 1-inch tubing and paired with a Chief front end. The thusly-modified frame was needed because it had to accommodate the Ford V8 engine its builder saw fit to gift the bike with.
The V8 is of the flathead variety the Blue Oval had in its portfolio for a couple of decades between 1932 and 1953, which came with a power rating of 60 horsepower—this bike’s name is beginning to make sense now, right?
The engine used on this two-wheeler is a 1937 model year, packs a Stromberg carburetor, and is tied to a Harley-Davidson transmission and a clutch from the same bike maker.
Two fuel tanks, made to resemble pre-war Indian pieces, are located left and right of the frame, and we’re told they never got the taste of fuel in them. An Indian solo seat dangles precariously over the massive engine, there are 1946 controls on the handlebars, and even a Porsche 12-volt generator in there (not hooked up to anything yet).
Today’s AutoHunter Spotlight is on a 1934 Ford Standard 5-Window Coupe purchased by the seller’s grandfather from the original owner’s widow in 1963. It underwent a body-off restoration completed in 2012 and is a multiple AACA winner from years 2013 through 2018.
The all-steel body is finished in Dearborn Blue and black paint and features a single driver-side mirror, hood louvers, front and rear chrome bumpers and a color-matching spare tire cover that houses a full-size spare.
New angora trims the bench seat and door panels.
Powering the Ford is the original 221cid 21-stud Flathead V8 mated to a 3-speed manual gearbox.
The odometer shows 36,435 miles, which the seller notes only a few of those were added since the restoration.
See the AutoHunter listing here
Ford’s Flathead V8 is iconic in the hot rodding world because it was the first V8 that was affordable for the average Joe.
And for the time it was very innovative. We’re taking a deep dive into the Ford Flathead on this build by Keith Dorton of Automotive Specialists (https://www.automotivespecialists.com) who is putting together a period-correct Flathead with extra stroke and compression to bump up the horsepower.
PLEASE NOTE: In the video when the engine is on the dyno the valve ticking is pretty noticeable. In person in the dyno room you could barely hear it. I suspect this is an artifact of the shotgun mic I use on my camera.
It really seems to accentuate sharp sounds like that. Thank you. Some links that may help your build: Engine Builder — Automotive Specialists
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There are barn finds, and there’s this Ford F-1 that hasn’t seen rain since 1963. Originally sold in Indiana, the pickup’s second owner “was a closet hotrodder” that replaced the Flathead V8 with a Flathead Mercury V8.
Offered on eBay by sotaboyz with the current title as well as the original title from 1958, the half-ton pickup still wears the factory paintwork. Finished in Coral Flame Red and optioned with the 5-Star Extra Cab equipment group, chassis number F1R2LU19386 comes with the factory-supplied storage box located above the gas tank and an illuminated cigarette lighter.
Described as some sort of needle in a haystack by the seller, the 110-horsepower truck was originally used to haul motors around town by the previous owner. The eight-cylinder mill sourced from a Mercury“fires up with a push of the button, and the original Flathead V8 is included with the sale.”
Both sun visors and the headliner are very well preserved, the speedometer and odometer still work, and the same can be said about the temperature gauge, battery gauge, fuel gauge, dashboard lights, and dome light. The brakes have been gone through prior to the sale, the transmission reportedly shifts smooth, and the truck is rolling on new Coker Classic tires.
How to spot a Ford pushrod V-8, from flathead to 460
Let’s say it’s your lucky day, and you’ve found an engine laying around in the back of a garage with an unknown history. Or maybe you’re trying to discern which engine was swapped into a car, and all of the aftermarket parts between the fenders are muddying the waters. In any case, the first step is always to identify the engine
Determining precisely which engine you’re looking at under the hood can be difficult. Heck, sometimes a brand produced more engine families in the same decade than you can count on both hands. If you’re pretty sure you’re looking at a Ford V-8, the following guide will help you make the proper ID of your engine so that you can dive deeper into the ID.
This article, focusing on Ford passenger car V-8s, isn’t a full history on engine tech or applications. It’s intended as a primer to help you narrow things down and, in turn, enrich your gearhead knowledge. We’ll focus on the biggest visual keys to look for when you come face-to-valve-cover with eight cylinders of Detroit metal.
Ford flathead V-8: 1932–53
