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
A brand new Flathead V8 block with a lot of the inherent issues from the original engineered out.
Description
The perfect Ford-Mercury block! Outstanding casting quality thanks to modern foundry technology.
– Brand new, no cracks, no rust. High nickel content steel.
– Stronger everywhere it needs to be with thicker decks and main bearing bulkheads and larger main-bearing caps.
– Mains are aligned honed.
– 3-3/16-inch standard bore.
– 59AB-type bellhousing with 8BA refinements for improved coolant flow. Requires 1938-1948 oil pan.
– Drilled and tapped to accept 8BA or truck waterpumps.
– Drilled and tapped to accept either early (center outlet) or late (forward outlet) heads.
– Factory relieved (won’t accept Ardun heads).
– Bellhousing CNC-machined to fit Ford firewalls without modification.
– Long center head bolts (required) and rear main seal retainer are included.
– Glyptol painted valve-lifter valley, timing case, and crankshaft chamber for fast oil drain back
In their stock configuration and the way French flathead blocks have been sold previously the bosses, casting numbers, and pads for military applications do not fit most Ford passenger car applications without firewall modifications. SF Flathead blocks are precision milled to remove the unsightly “lumps.” Only a pad remains that carries a SF Flatheads serial number. Stop searching for a savable old Henry lump. This strong, high-nickel casting is the last flathead block you’ll ever need! Please call for availability. Truck shipping required. Rate quoted at order
Stage 2
Description
Same high-quality new casting as the standard block plus:
– Original flow restriction in bowl removed and enlarged for uniform volume and increased flow.
– Intake ports machined larger and straightened for improved flow.
– Exhaust ports machined larger and radiused to improve exhaust gas flow.
Please call for availability. Truck shipping required. Rate quoted at order.
Stage 3
Description
All features of our stage – 1 and 2 block plus the following:
– Lifter bores cut and drilled for ease of adjusting lifters
– Grind valve seats open to 1.6 on either intake, exhaust, or both at customer request
– Valve bowls smoothed and polished
– Exhaust ports polished and matched to customer provided headers
– Intake ports polished and matched to customer provided intake manifold
– Rear oil galley drilled and opened for full flow oil filter adapter system
Footnote – The engines have disappeared from the So-Cal site the link now goes to their Flathead page
I’d also suggest watching this thread on the HAMB as it appears a little lively on this subject!
The open-wheel single seater is said to be ready for vintage racing or man-cave décor
Midget racers were big in the mid-20th Century, scaled-down versions of Indy 500 cars that skittered around oval tracks with full-size performance.
Chief among them were the Kurtis-Kraft Midgets created by iconic race car designer Frank Kurtis to bring high-performance competition within reach of teams and drivers on a budget. They also were gorgeous pieces of kinetic art.
The Pick of the Day is a Midget racer built in the late ’40s, although the manufacturer is unknown, according to the Macedonia, Ohio, dealer advertising the car on ClassicCars.com. The little critter runs and drives well and has competed in historic racing in recent years, the seller says in the ad.
“I felt sorry for this rusty crusty flathead. It was sitting on Ebay and I ended up buying it. I think the challenge of getting it stripped down and evaluating what is there will make for an interesting series of videos. It will be a challenge. I just hope I can get it apart without damaging anything further. Will it run again? Who Knows? One day, maybe. I’m pretty sure it will need a rebore and maybe even sleeves. Anyway, check it out and come back to see the updates.”
Until the mid ’50s the Flathead Ford V-8 was king. The engines were plentiful, cheap, and could easily be swapped into virtually any Ford. Because of this a vast array of speed equipment was produced for the Flathead motors.
Being fully aware of this history we decided to continue the tradition when it came time to “build” the 59AB Ford Flathead V-8 under the hood of our 1936 Ford Phaeton. The AB was produced from 1946-1948 and displaced 239 ci, so our car already had a performance upgrade, producing 100 hp, a gain of 15 hp over the 1936 V-8.
The 1932 highboy roadster is an example of the quintessential hot rod. The ’32 highboy was born on California’s dry lakes and refined by young men with skills acquired while serving in the military during WWII. We often think that these cars were just cobbled together in a haphazard manner, but the workmanship on many of them was outstanding.
Read the article and see the rest of the photos here
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