Many people have. With a good cooling system and good oil pressure, I don't see why not. People drove them everywhere when they were new.
I am getting ready to build a new car. I am not very experienced with a flathead. I had one in high school for a short time (1967). The new car I am wanting to build 40's style. With all old parts except a T5 5speed. The logical side of me thinks that why not. Its just a motor. Why wouldn't it last for a 5000 mile trip. I don't want a car that I can only drive locally for 200-300 miles and afraid to go any farther. I will not put it on a trailer. I have a fresh 296 59A flathead, Offy heads. 3 deuce Offy intake to put in it. I am going thru chemo now, so it will be a few months before I can get started. Its about to drive me crazy not being able to work on it, but I've most of the thinking done!!
I think a lot of folks who have never had to maintain a vintage vehicle have absolutely no idea how labour intensive the maintenence stratergy is. Some checks, adjustments and lube have to be done every 500 miles. The model A has more than 30 lube points alone. Thats how you get reliability from an old vehicle.
It's a trip I have contemplated for many years. Both with a flathead V8 and a A banger....... Well, I waited too long. My health now won't let me. Don't be that guy! Do it!
I rode a flathead Harley coast to coast in the '70s. Granted I put it together from pieces and knew it was right. I would not have any problem in the world taking a flatty on a trip if I knew it was a good motor.
Our parents and grandparents drove them from the east coast to see the Grand Canyon and California, sometimes towing a travel trailer and thought nothing of it. If your car has been built correctly and well maintained, I don't know why you shouldn't be able to. There's a member on "The Ford Barn" who currently drives all over Australia in a '34, pulling his "Caravan". I always am amazed when I see the Laurel and Hardy movie "Them Thar Hills". In that one they are vacationing in the mountains pulling a full equipped camping trailer with a MODEL "T"!
I think where the problem lies is that most of these guys snag an old worn out flathead and shove it in something and call it a hot rod. I personally would not go coast to coast in modern caddy if it was worn out.
Right. And not only the engine, but worn components in the drivetrain, old dried out wiring, crudded up fuel and cooling systems, etc., etc., etc.
Of course I would, but if it was a known quality only. Even fresh and new a lot of shakedown would be smart. Service and maintenance, I'm not sure about every 500mi as spoken above, depends on a lot of things and bet a coffee n donut it won't be all 80+ year old **** freshened up and put back in. Spring eye bushings are superior, hell even today's lubes are head n antlers above the old. You might change the oil before you come back, maybe, depends on how far. I go 7,000mi on my truck and it doesn't burn a drop. Over 10K on my newer Caddy. I'd guess a fresh flatty with new ring technology and tuned for clean reliable running something over 3000 before even considering it is more like it. Ya gotta plan it with every bolt, cotter pin, twist of safety wire, wheel alignment, state of tune, seat comfort, weatherproofing. The engine is just 1 thing to consider. EVERYTHING you do building it ask yourself, "Would I go cross-country with it?" "Would I go 100 MPH with this?" Not that you will, but if it felt safe and reliable for 100 MPH it should handle steady state driving. And tires. Tires. Choose well gr***hoppa...
The day of hauling a mill from the wrecking yard and stuffing in some old heap are over. At least hauling anything home that would be considered HAMB friendly. Here is a funny story, not flathead related but funny. I lived out in SE Kansas for a while. I had a buddy that had a 4 door '63 Galaxie. A 352 car (13 year old car at the time), long miles (90K+). But it didn't burn much oil (about a quart between changes). I was tuning it for him and he asked me if it would make it to Calif and back (about 4k miles +/-). I asked him how many miles he put on it in a year and he said, 7 or 8K he figured. So I said, "Remember its not a race car and stop and let it cool off once in a while it should be fine." He showed up a week later with his wife and kids in the car. I changed the oil, and handed him a spare fan belt and a set of points. He was gone 2 weeks. He did use the spare fan belt and changed the points before he came home. The fan belt was the only glitch and he had stories about giant gr*** hoppers and a myriad of other road side attractions.
I think about all the T5 to Flathead conversion kits I've sold over the past 25+ years and I ***ume many of them were for more than local use.
Yes it’s a challenge but that makes it fun. Read about this trip. https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum...2-roadster-to-la-roadster-show-part-1.377711/
Several Years my friend Randy from Kansas and I attended the 50th LARS. I was a wimp and trailer-ed my deuce roadster but Randy followed me all the way out and back in his Flathead powered deuce roadster with a 5 speed and banjo rear. We averaged about 65 MPH only because that was the sweet spot my Suburban liked to run at. I'm sure Randy would have went faster if not for me. His roadster went the entire trip without a hiccup..
Here's another thought, for anyone reading this as well. Contrary to urban legends and old wives tales old cars DO NOT ride and drive like ****. I've worked on some fairly high zoot stuff for a long time but even our lowly little Fords should steer and drive nice and stop straight. Suspension travel, alignment, good shocks, balanced tires, not too much air pressure (they're so light anyways). Ya think when the Murphy's new car got home it leaked in the rain and wouldn't start cuz it was 6V? Was every drive to work or vacation like negotiating a dirt track? No, no and no. Start with OEM specs and you can't go wrong. Add a degree of caster for high speed stability. The less the car has to work the less the engine works too.
I bought this 40 in Washington state and drove it home, it would have gone all the way across the USA and it was completely stock and unknown to me or the seller.
I had a friend, now deceased, who drove a 50 Merc from Arizona to Ohio back in the 80s. An original worn out car that used 15 quarts of oil and other than that was no problem. When they pulled that 8CM apart most rings were broken etc......
Ronnie Roadster drove his blown, Ardun powered flathead from Connecticut to the L.A. Roadster show, and back. His roadster is well maintained, and dependable.
I drove my flathead 40 Ford from WI to FL in 1972. Had to replace the generator in TN. Speed limit was 55 mph back then.
I will admit that I have not driven from coast to coast. I do have some long trips under my belt. I drove my '36 3-window with a 21 stud engine from Longville, TX to Prior Lake, MN. When I stopped in Muskogee, OK for gas, the bank thermometer showed 108. I left at 8 in the morning one day and arrived home at 6:30 the next afternoon. I have also driven my '51 on several long trips since I got it in 1987. These include a couple of round trips to Chicago and a bunch back and forth from Northern Minnesota to the Twin Cities. I do have one caution : stay off the interstates and stick to the back roads. The looky-loo's and semi trucks will either crowd you or blow you off the road.
At some point in your life you have to do(at least attempt) what you have always wanted to do regardless of your station in life. Life has no rehearsals and what has been dealt you is hopefully only a minor setback. We wish you all the luck in the world and go for it my friend.
I believe all of this. In some places interstates do indeed ****. Nowadys less with looky loos and more like you're in their way, even if you're running 65-70, everyone thinks you slow em down. On a recent I-94 run in Mich, I was tooling along, right lane, 65, not a lotta heavy traffic. It was a Sunday. I was in a 47 Cadillac conv (search our cl***ifieds) and you'd have thought I had some banner that said "**** ALL NEW CAR DRIVERS!" for all the scowls and hateful looks as small SUVs and import ****boxes whizzed past at near or over 80. I did manage maybe 3 smiles or raised thumbs but the rest was shocking to me. I ended up saying screw it to Mrs Highlander and we jumped off and took the scenic route. That was that day, that spot, but I've noticed that most care **** all about your preservation and personal joy. So another thing to consider seriously? REAR VIEW MIRRORS. Can't drive defensive if you don't what's around you. And yeah, I too hope for a build thread and a story.
I just remembered another guy. Flat Top was his nickname, he had a 53 Merc with Merc-o-matic and for several years drove from southern Ohio to Tampa Fl. and back every year.
You guys make me feel a lot better about it. I have made the trip in a SB powered hiboy 6 times and once in a SB powered sedan delivery. I really want to do this with a flathead and I cannot wait to get started. Thanks everyone.
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