This subject seems to come up alot on the HAMB, “How do I fit hydraulics to my Model ‘A’ “. Hopefully this should show how to fit said brakes the CORRECT way.
My Model ‘A’ came already fitted with hydraulic brakes, but the more I studied them the more things I noticed were wrong with the way they were fitted. The true horrors weren’t discovered until they were actually removed from the car.
I decided the best way forward was to start again with a fresh set of backing plates.
ere is your basic ’39-’48 Ford backing plate. In this case they are the later ’46-’48 plate as they have the riveted rather than bolted bottom pivots. You will also need the correct hubs and drums as the original ‘A’ ones will not work with the hydraulic backing plates.
We’ll start with the fitting of the front brakes first. This is the stripped hub. You’ll need a front fitting kit which consists of 2 bearing spacers and two backing plate spacer rings. You can see how these are mounted to the hub. Take care with the backing plate spacers as they are cast iron piston rings and will break easily if forced.
Harry Miller was an artist. His preferred medium was race cars—complete race cars built from the wheels up. They cost upwards of $15,000 (almost a quarter-million dollars, adjusted for inflation) and spent most of the 1920s dominating America’s tracks. Unlike such contemporaries as the Chevrolet Brothers, Miller largely kept out of the speed-parts business. He briefly produced a cylinder head for the Ford Model T, but didn’t pursue that market further, supposedly saying “I’m not going to make any more of those heads for the Ford. Those Ford guys don’t have any money anyway!”
In 1929, though, Miller sold his business and retired mere weeks before the beginning of the Great Depression. Unable to stay away, he came back in 1930. Thanks to the terrible economy, however, he had to produce products far less exclusive than his famous racers of the previous decade. One of the things he marketed in conjunction with financial partner George Schofield was an overhead-valve conversion for the Ford Model A. The cylinder head had been sketched up by longtime Miller collaborator Leo Goossen in 1928, shortly after Ford began Model A production.
An overhead-valve (or valve-in-head, as they were often called at the time) design, the Miller head moved both intake and exhaust valves out of the engine block and into the head where the air flow would be freer and more direct to the combustion chambers. The port arrangement was identical to the original Ford, which allowed the stock intake and exhaust manifolds to be used if the buyer desired. The distributor hole was in the same spot as well.
Miller only produced this head very briefly, although Cragar (yes, that Cragar) took over the design and continued it for several more years. Original Miller-Schofield heads like this are a rare find and they still add a lot of pep to a Model A.
All of that is perhaps a long way of saying that a head this special deserves a build to suit. Unfortunately, that’s less common than you’d think. A lot of Model A and T “speedsters” are really just some seats strapped to a stock frame and it seems like when you see OHV conversions for these engines, they’re often on stock-looking closed-cab pickups. All of that is fine and dandy, but it’s not for me.
So lucrative had been the Model T speed-equipment market, makers like Robert Roof jumped into building Model A parts immediately. Image via the HAMB.
[Editor’s Note: Elmer Liimatta sent in this story of his first (full-size) car for Reminiscing in Hemmings Classic Car. Got a story about cars you’ve owned, cars you’ve worked on, or working for an automaker? Send it in to editorial@hemmings.com.]
I grew up in Detroit, Michigan. My dad, with only a fifth-grade education, was a good mechanic and had a job at Packard Motor Company. During World War II, Packard had contract work building Rolls-Royce engines for the North American P-51 Mustang fighter planes and PT boats—more than 9,000 of those engines. During that time, we rebuilt used cars because the production of new civilian vehicles had ceased. It was something we still did afterwards; believe it or not, cars were still scarce in 1949. It was a problem, as I was 17 years old and had thoughts about a car of my own.
One day, my cousin—who was “bird-doggin,” or spotting cars for dealers—came over and said, “Elmer, I have a car for you.” That Sunday afternoon we went to his house, which was about 10 miles away. There sat a 1934 Ford Victoria. It was hard to miss with that front end, and it had doors that opened from the front. The car had been used as a paint truck by a previous owner and it had big hooks on the left side that were used to hold ladders between jobs. Someone had made a wood floor in the back that covered the factory recessed floor.
The Ford looked good, but it was tired. I was able to buy it for $50. When I drove it home there was a cloud of blue smoke billowing from the exhaust. Its engine had used all the oil by the time I got home. During lunch that Monday I took three buddies for a ride. Unfortunately, it didn’t last long because the engine stalled, and it was so worn it would not start. We pushed it home.
The solution was to rebuild the engine. While we were at it, we made our own dual exhaust system using 1.50-inch diameter flexible tubing. My Ford had a nice snap to it. Later, I put two Smithy mufflers on it. But now that it sounded good, it needed to look good. We found a pair of doors at Ford Salvage over in Highland Park and bough a can of metallic blue (a silver-blue) paint. Dad took the compressor from an old refrigerator, and an old army surplus air tank, and put them together to create his own air compressor. To make it portable, he made a little cart with casters. It worked well enough that we painted the Ford’s 17-inch spoke wheels yellow
The Mercury Eight series holds the uncanny honor of being the debut line for the upscale Ford division. It was manufactured between 1939 and 1959 over a total of three generations and sat in between the Ford Deluxe (Custom) and Lincoln.
As such, it was produced both before – when it shared its body with the sibling Ford models and after World War II – when it became the first apparition of the new Lincoln-Mercury Division, thus sharing more traits with Lincoln from then on. As such, it is not just a car but also a statement of history.
Anyway, now is your chance to grab hold of it because New York-based Motorcar Classics says it has a classy 1950 Mercury Eight Convertible for sale, with low mileage and a potential craving for best-in-show accolades. Sitting proudly in the dealership’s inventory in classy dark green over tan and dark green attire, the two-door drop-top “has been lovingly refurbished by a late owner.”
A Short History and Evolution of the Flathead V8, and Making It Modern
Back in 1932, Henry Ford introduced the 221 cubic inch Flathead engine producing 65 HP. And by 1935 HP was increased to 85 HP. Those engines were produced from 1932 to 1938 and were commonly known as “21 stud engines”, due to the head design using 21 head studs
In 1937 Ford introduced a 136 cubic inch variant, producing 45hp. This engine was only in production from 1937 through 1938. Although the engine was efficient, it was not very popular with the American public, who were now used to the 85 HP engine. The 136 cubic inch engine was discontinued at the end of 1938 when the new Inline 6-cylinder Flathead was introduced.
1938 saw the first major redesign of the 221 cubic inch Flathead engine, with the addition of more head studs, now totaling 24 studs. In 1939 the cubic inches were increased to 239 cubic inches and produced 95hp. These engines remained in production until 1948. During World War II, 1943-1946, no engines were manufactured for the public due to the war effort (or at least, that I am aware of at the time of this writing).
The main characteristic of Flathead engines relating to Modern DriveLine, is the back of the engine block. The 1932-1947 59A block casting utilized a ½ bell ring over the flywheel. The lower ½ ring was removable to provide access to remove and replace the Clutch, flywheel, and rear seal.
In 1948-1953 8BA/RT blocks no longer had the cast ½ ring. Ford now used a single stamped metal bell ring for cars or a cast metal bell ring for trucks.
The intermediate ring with 3” depth, was used over the flywheel and clutch and used to attach transmission to the engine. In 1948 to 1951, Ford produced the 337 cubic inch engine used in Lincoln cars and the F7 and F8 trucks. Known as the 8EL in the Lincoln cars and 8EQ in heavy-duty trucks, these engines produced more horsepower and torque and weighed over 850 lbs. These engines are physically larger and used 27 head studs and used a 12” clutch. Although this is a V8 flathead, very few parts from the 59A or 8BA engines are interchangeable.
The originally diesel-powered F-250 was almost too nice to disassemble, but its clean state also aided in getting the project underway without a lot of repair work. The ease of getting it made the team think “yeah, we’re supposed to be doing this.”
Design by committee doesn’t work, but that doesn’t mean that a large team can’t come together and build something spectacular. In the August 2021 issue we introduced Project Artemis, this 1997 Ford F-250 crew-cab pickup whose ambitious build was undertaken by 41 partners, including Hemmings. Wisely, most of the detail choices were left to the discretion of Crystal and Kurt Lawrance at KTL Restorations in Danville, Virginia. They’re not big on titles at KTL, but Kurt is owner and president of the business that he founded with his late father, and Crystal is his wife and enthusiastic business partner.
KTL is just now expanding into overlanding builds from the muscle-car restoration and restomod field, bringing a fresh sensibility to what has become a rapidly expanding market. Partnering with KTL in this capacity was a decision that paid off, as the company’s vision pioneered not only several technical developments in the off-road/overlanding field but has sown the seeds for an expansion of that field into 1992-’96 (and early ’97) “Old Body Style” (OBS) Ford trucks.
That expansion includes both OE-style reproduction parts, notably from Complete Performance (aka CP Addicts), in Jasper, Texas; and in modified (by Kurt) off-the-shelf pieces from places like KC HiLiTES in Williams, Arizona, and Clackamas, Oregon-based Warn Industries
Thanks to minimal rust and damage, no panels were replaced on the clean, three-owner truck. Instead, to prepare for paint, a few small patches were installed, some minor cleanup was done, and some dents were pulled out using Spanesi Americas equipment.This is just before Lizard Skin was applied to the bottom of the cab. A pure show build would have simply used paint, but functionality demands something tougher.The graphics took a long time to nail down, but the end result (executed in paint, not vinyl) reflects the ‘90s nostalgia meets 2020s technology theme perfectly.
Body
In case you hadn’t noticed, 1990s-’00s nostalgia is hot—both among the millennials who lived it and the Gen Z kids who wish they had. There was no question that the classic OBS elements had to stay in place among the state-of-the-art overlanding bits. Thankfully, the crew-cab F-250 was found (“on a little bitty car lot in North Carolina”) with almost preternatural speed. The dry, Southwestern truck needed minimal bodywork and was treated to BASF Glasurit paints in pearlescent white and two shades of blue. The underside was sprayed with blue-tinted Lizard Skin for a durable, yet attractive, undercoating. The mountain and stripes graphic package was initially conceived by Crystal’s 16-year-old daughter.
The original fuel tanks were cleaned and re-sealed using POR-15 products, then reinstalled in the factory-issued frame, which itself was cleaned up and coated with POR-15. The restored frame was then ready for the installation of new suspension.This isn’t the complete kit from RYD, just a part of it, but it gives some sense of the number of fabricated pieces needed to marry the OBS frame to 2005 axles.
The Ford F150 trucks were introduced to the United States in 1948 and they were known as the Ford Bonus-Built trucks. They were built on a dedicated truck platform unlike earlier versions that were built from car chassis during the war. Ford’s very first truck was built in 1917 and it was based off the Model T and named the Ford Model TT. The truck had a cargo capacity of one ton back in the day, which, if you can imagine, was no small feat for that era.
The First Generation was between 1948 and 1952.
The first generation F-Series trucks carried the designations of F-1 through F-8. They were rated by weight as panel trucks, conventional trucks, school buses, cab-over-engine, and of course, the pickup truck. Each truck was equipped with a manual transmission, and they featured driver and passenger side windshield wipers and a foot-plunger windshield washer. This was pretty high-tech stuff back then, as well as quite an accomplishment for Ford.
To signify the importance of the Ford truck history: The 1948 F-Series line was Ford’s first post-war truck which debuted a year before Ford’s first post-war car. Henry Ford shut down all civilian production during WWII in order to produce vehicles that would support our allies and our troops. When the war ended, the F-Series trucks, along with the veterans, were the first to be recognized
The Second Generation was between 1953 and 1956.
It brought about a complete redesign of the F-Series. They received new engines, updated chassis, roomier interior and exteriors, options such as a radio, dome light, arm rests, and lighter- and the Series also underwent an important name change. It was during this period that the F-1 became the F-100 and the F-2 and F-3 merged to become the F-250 and the F-4 became the F-350. These designations remain in place to this day.
The Third Generation was between 1957 and 1960.
The 3rd Generation brought about a new, modernized body style where the front fenders became a part of the truck’s body and the hood was integrated into the bodywork to create a clamshell design that would remain a prominent feature of the truck for the next twenty years.
The cab-over F-Series was discontinued and was replaced by a tilt-cab C-Series that many may remember was used as a fire truck and heavy-duty delivery truck beginning in 1957. The C-Series production was discontinued in 1990. As another milestone for Ford, they began production of four-wheel-drive pickups in 1959.
The Fourth Generation was produced between 1961 and 1966.
Once again, a new style emerged and the look was noticeably different. In 1965 the Twin-I-Beam front suspension changed everything and it remained a part of the F-150 up to 1996 and up to 2016 on the F-250 and F-350 4×2. The addition of the Twin-I-Beam allowed the front wheels to run independently of one another giving it greater maneuverability and a much smoother
An F-Series 4-door-crew-cab model emerged in 1965 to compete with passenger cars and the 300 cubic inch 4.9L straight six was introduced and it remained in the F-Series trucks until 1996. In 1965, Ford introduced the name “Ranger” to its lineup.
It was previously a base model of the Edsel and in keeping with Edsel tradition, this, too, was said to be a little ahead of its time for 1965. It featured bucket seats from the Ford Mustang, detailed styling, softer suspension, and it brought sophistication to the pickup trucks of the day. The Ranger underwent many changes throughout the years and the last one was produced in the U.S. in 2011.
The Fifth Generation lasted between1967 and 1972.
The cab was roomier by 3″ than that of competitors and the truck came with a heavier frame. Between these years, there were 3 trim packages available: Base, Custom Cab, and Ranger. New safety features were added to the exterior to include reflectors to the rear of the truck bed. This was the first generation to offer factory installed air conditioning as opposed to dealer installation.
A new grill design was added in 1969 and a 302 Windsor V8 engine was optional. Also during these years, a new trim for the Ranger XLT was added as the top of the line. Other options included AM/FM radio. Ford discontinued the Low GVWR versions of the F-Series but the Camper Special F-250 was introduced in 1972. Remember the era of “The Camper”?
It is probably safe to say that we all know someone who had a camper attached to the bed of their pickup truck back in the day. And it is probably safe to say that there are numerous stories that will be passed down from generation to generation about how great they were and all the wonderful experiences that were involved.
The Sixth Generation would be the one that changed truck history forever, 1973 – 1979.
Significant changes and upgrades were given to the Series that included larger cabins, front disc brakes, a relocated gas tank outside the cab, improved heating and air, and more galvanized steel. Also during this time, the 4-wheel-drive SuperCab made its debut.
In 1975, the F-150 was introduced and has since gone on to become the best selling truck ever. Now, that’s grounds for bragging rights. In order to avoid certain emission control restrictions back in the day, the F-150 debuted between the F-100 and the F-250 and the rest is history. The Ford Bronco was redesigned into a variation of the F-Series in 1978 and featured a removable camper shell. In 1979, the 460 big block engine in the half ton truck saw its final year.
The Seventh Generation occurred between 1980 and 1986.
This generation received the first complete redesign since 1965 from the ground, up. Improved aerodynamics and fuel economy and both interior and exterior modifications were made. In 1983, diesel power was added to the F-Series. In 1984, a new high-output version of the 5.8L Windsor was introduced and 1985 saw the first year of electronic fuel injection for the 5.0L V8. In 1988, all other vehicles switched over to electronic fuel injection. In 1983, the F-100 halted production, placing the F-150 as the lightest pickup on the market. In 1986, the F-150 no longer offered “3-on-the-tree” manual shifting.
This generation was the first to include upscale amenities such as power windows, power door locks, power mirrors, interval windshield wipers, tinted windshield, locking gas cap, inside locking hood release, and so many other options and standards were available during this new, technologically-charged generation.
The Eighth Generation was between 1987 and 1991.
In the first year of this generation better aerodynamics included a rounded front clip and softer lines around fender arches and the rear bed and it sported an all new interior. The first 5-speed manual overdrive transmission was introduced in 1987 and 4-speeds were discontinued.
In 1989, a C6 3-speed automatic was replaced as a base automatic transmission by an E4OD, 4-speed electronically controlled automatic overdrive unit. In 1987, the F-Series 4.9L inline 6 was converted to fuel injection and in 1988, the Ford F-150 became the first pickup truck that was sold as a non-carbureted engine. In 1989, the F-Series had been established as being the nation’s best selling vehicle.
The Ninth Generation was between 1992 and 1996.
The F-150 received a new facelift. The FlareSide bed was reintroduced since its retirement in 1987 as an option, and a lower hood line, more advanced aerodynamics, newly designed fenders and grille changes and interior upgrades were notable. This generation marked Ford’s 75th anniversary of its 1917 Ford Model TT and Ford offered an anniversary package on its 1992 F-Series that included a 75th Anniversary Special Logo.
The 1994 models offered an updated dashboard with the addition of a driver’s side airbag in the F-150. Also, a high mount, third brake stop light was included in the new look. New hi-tech options included remote keyless entry with alarm, power driver’s seat, and a compact disc player. By 1996, Ford had overtaken combined sales of Chevrolet and GMC for the first time in a decade by reaching the 800,000 mark.
The Tenth Generation occurred between 1997 and 2003.
This is where Ford made some major changes to its F-Series lineup and was basically split into two categories: F-150 became a contemporary personal use truck, while the F-250 and F-350 became classified as working class trucks. The 1997 F-150 would be re-introduced with the aerodynamics given to the Ford Taurus of 1986, making it much more streamlined for a better ride and greater fuel economy. The 4.9L inline 6 was replaced by a standard V6 engine.
Ford didn’t let the 50th Anniversary of the F-Series pass unnoticed, with numerous promotions depicting the inaugural 1948 version beside a new 1998 model.
A fully independent front suspension was added, and a new chassis shared only the transmission from previous years. Greater rear seat access was achieved by adding a rear-hinged (curb-side) door to all models. In 1999, the SuperCab had a fourth door added to it. As another Ford first, in 2001, the F-150 was the first of its size to offer four, full size doors. Motor Trend Magazine named the new F-150 as Truck of the Year in 1997 and sales of the F-150 surged from 750,000 to over 900,000 in 2001.
The EleventhGeneration was between 2004 and 2008.
The F-150 received an all new platform in 2004. Also in this generation, all F-150s were given four doors, regardless of their cab type. The Triton engine was also introduced in this year and a flex-fuel version of the 3-valve 5.4L Triton V8 became available in 2006. A navigation system became available for the first time as an option in 2006 on some models, including the Harley Davidson Special Edition trim.
The Ford F-150s of this generation not only received a “Good” rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s Frontal Offset test-they also received “Best Pick.” They went on to earn the North America Truck of the Year award for 2004, was Motor Trend magazine’s Truck of the Year for 2004, and won Car and Driver magazine’s Best Pickup Truck for 2004, and 2005.
The Twelfth Generation F-Series was produced between 2009 and 2014.
Beginning with 2009, there were many new upgrades to the interior and the exterior featured a new three-bar grille, roomier interior, a lighter weight chassis made from high-strength steel and a greater towing capacity. A V8 engine was standard on all F-Series models for the first time in history and no 6-cylinder was available.
In early 2011, a 3.5L direct-injected twin-turbo EcoBoost V6 was offered in the F-150 and all engines came equipped with a new six-speed 6R80 automatic transmission. Other notable changes included the previous generation’s short, rear opening doors that were replaced by standard length doors, and electric power-assisted steering became available on all models with the exception of the 6.2.
The Thirteenth Generation ran from 2015 to 2020.
Another Ford first was accomplished with the 2015 F-150 model when it became the very first pickup to receive Adaptive Cruise Control. This feature offers radar sensors embedded on the front of the truck that monitors the distance between the vehicle in front of you and yourself. If it senses you are too close, speed will automatically be decreased, forming a safe barrier.
The Ford F-150 also underwent a radical change in 2015 by dropping 750 pounds by switching from a steel body to that of all-aluminum. This was quite an accomplishment, considering nothing “looked” physically changed; however, the bulk of the frame remains high-strength steel.
Along with dropping a few pounds, a more efficient base engine was added to include a 3.5L V6 and also introduced for 2015 was the 2.7L EcoBoost twin-turbo V6 and the 3.5L version. For those wanting more power, the 5.0L V8 is still available. Ford says the 2016 all-aluminum F-150 will be the most fuel-efficient truck ever. See-you can have your truck and drive it, too.
The Fourteenth Generation was launched in 2021
The fourteenth generation Ford F-Series is a range of produced by Ford, introduced for the 2021 model year.This was the first generation to include a fully electric pickup truck among the offerings with the F-150 Lightning model that will enter production in 2022.
Sharing a strong visual resemblance to the 13th generation, the 2021 F-150 underwent a redesign of 92% of its parts, carrying over only its cab and pickup box structure.[8] Along with exterior design changes to enhance aerodynamics, many changes were made to the interior, adding fold-flat front seats and larger touchscreens (including a fully digital instrument panel).
The powertrain line is largely carried over from the previous generation, with a 3.3-liter V6, 2.7-liter and 3.5-liter EcoBoost twin-turbo V6s, a 5.0-liter V8, and a 3.0-liter diesel V6 However, the 5.0-liter V8 receives a new cylinder deactivation system, called Variable Displacement Engine technology, similar to GM’s Active Fuel Management and Chrysler’s Multi-Displacement System. The six-speed automatic is dropped, with all engines paired to a 10-speed automatic.
Dubbed PowerBoost, an optional gasoline-electric hybrid powertrain was introduced for the first time in a Ford light truck, pairing an electric motor with the 3.5-liter V6.
A free-flowing intake and heads, aggressive cams and high compression did a lot of heavy lifting while the exotic flat-plane crank grabbed headlines and helped make lyrical exhaust sounds
The engine produced 526 naturally aspirated horsepower at 7,500 rpm and 429 lb-ft of torque at 4,750 rpm, while making beautiful music up to an 8,000-plus rpm redline. At the heart of its howling exhaust note was a flat-plane crankshaft — so called because its connecting rod journals (and weights) were positioned 180-degrees opposite of each other, instead of at 90-degree intervals like the cross-plane design used in most American V-8s. Flat-plane cranks are not new or unusual. Four-cylinder engines have them and Cadillac’s 314 V-8, which debuted in 1915, used one.The flat-plane crankshaft from Ford’s 5.2-liter Voodoo V-8.
In theory, the flat-plane design delivers a V-8 with less reciprocating mass, and superior breathing, which should make an engine lighter, more compact and capable of building rpms very quickly. But it also delivers a lot of what’s known as “secondary vibration” and that paint-shaker quality increases in proportion to the size of the pistons and the speed that those pistons are moving. In a race car, it’s a reasonable tradeoff – especially if there’s a performance advantage to be gained. In a 21st-century street car, stickering north of $60,000, customers are likely to complain about shaking steering wheels, buzzing shifters, blurry rearview mirrors, etc. So, Ford incorporated bits on the GT350 that you wouldn’t find on a race car, like exhaust dampers and a dual-mass flywheel, to help smooth things out.
While the Voodoo’s flat-plane crankshaft grabbed all the headlines, this engine would’ve made tremendous horsepower if it had been built with a cross-plane crank. It inhaled through an 87-millimeter throttle body, the largest ever used on a Ford engine. The cams were aggressive, producing .55 inches of lift with 270 degrees duration and using low-friction roller followers to bump the valves. Compression is key to making power and, with a lofty 12:1 compression ratio, the Voodoo had plenty.
Few people remember the Ford Crestline, and really now, you can’t blame them. This model, which was available as a 2-door hardtop and convertible and 4-door sedan and station wagon, was produced for just two years, between 1952 and 1954.
It goes without saying not a lot of them ended up seeing the daylight, with its successor, the well-known Fairlane, eventually becoming a lot more successful.
But given it was manufactured for just a couple of years, the Crestline has become a pretty sought-after model among collectors, especially because finding an example that still has everything is very often mission impossible.
This 1954 Crestline Victoria is, at least at first glance, the dream of many collectors out there.
It comes in incredible condition, and it’s all thanks to how the car has always been stored. eBay seller yellaboimike says the Crestline has been parked in a garage exclusively, so it comes with zero spots of rust or any other metal issues.
Unfortunately, few specifics have actually been provided, so we can’t tell if the car has ever been restored or not. On the other hand, everything looks to be a pretty good condition, and the mileage (66,000 miles / 106,000 km) seems to suggest this is still an all-original Crestline.
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