Projects What exactly have I gotten myself into?

The difference I have experienced between the SBC vs SBF is in the brackets for accessories such as alternator/generator, etc. GM more or less standardized theirs while Ford changed theirs often from year to year.
Makes GM much easier to transplant.

 

the hood is 1934, the cab is 1933. I have one

 

That is correct if you ignore Pontiac, Oldsmobile, Buick, Mercury, Lincoln, Dodge, Desoto, and Chrysler.

 

The real hard truth is there may not be much 33/34 Ford stuff left on your truck. It could be a complete GM drive train, motor, trans, and rear end.
Might have the Ford style front axle and spring, but it might not be actual Ford stuff. The rear suspension could be pretty much anything.
We don't talk about fuel injection here, its around, but we don't show pictures, ask questions, or talk much about it. (It is OK to leave it on your truck, just don't tell anyone.)
Brake upgrades are allowed, but expect to hear from the guys telling you the old mechanical drum brakes are perfectly safe and all disc brakes are bad.
Tires fall into the same battle. Modern tires are allowed, but surely will be contested.
Aftermarket wheels is a whole different ball game. Cars and trucks pictured with wheels definitely made after 64 will be removed. Unless the 16" wheels are vintage real wheels, they (and anything larger) will also be gone.
Grow tough skin, there are some abusive guys here, but there is also great knowledge and experience. Its worth the BS to get the info. You also have to learn who knows what they are talking about, and who is repeating what they heard online. As you can see in just this post, answers are all over the board, use discursion on which people to believe and which ones not to believe.

 

I concur with Manyolcars. You have a 33 Ford cab with a 34 hood
The radiator looks like it's the original 34 that is not pressurized. You would probably be money and aggravation ahead if you just replaced it with a new one. There are a few vendors that make them for 34 Fords already set up for a Chevy engine. I would personally pony up for a brass one over an aluminum, but your budget may vary. Start your search with Johnson's and the check out US Radiator and maybe Champion.

 

A302 Ford engine has a thick timing chain cover and a long water pump compared to the Chevy. You end up with a minivan doghouse in a cab with little toe room. The Chevy just plain fits better.

 

In pics That fan is not a good choose ,Ditch it !!! ( skinny drag fan)
6 blade 16-17 inch fan ,,,
All so looks to be V8 radiator for flat head Ford originally,
By pics it plumed wrong !!!
Driver side hose need to go to top of intake ,,, cap off top passenger side .
Lower passenger side looks to be correct, to water pump for Chevy engine (V8 )
( driver lower needs to be caped off)
By pics water is cycling pretty much on
Right / Passenger side of Radiator ,
Not efficient for cooling

 

Welcome to the hamb. Do lots of studying, google search "1934 ford pickup build hamb" then read everything you can find! Buy a few early 50s hot rod magazines off of ebay as well. Ill warn ya, this stuffs addictive!

 

chevy engines also have the oil pump in the rear, there are crossmwmber issues, lots of work arounds but chebbys are the easy button

 

Also, the bottom half of a chevy is the same shape as a flathead ford which makes them fit quite well.

 

For a y block you just need a truck oil pan, pick up tube and oil pump, then the ol y block fits like a glove

 

well, the Y block was waay better than the first sbcs out. size wise they are about the same. lots of Y block rods were/are out there. from what ive read most of the small block rods werent 1950s, it was mid to late 1960s when it really kicked off.
and through it all, there were still hot rods with flatheads, because you cant beat the look or sound of one.

 

Nope.
It was fit with a truck pan.
Hits the crossmember and still too high. Raising the other end would require floor and frame mods

This fit like a glove

exhaust is perfect and we kept the master cyl in its OE location and exhaust cleared the box Using the original merc trans. No mods needed. Factory shift and clutch linkage intact. No driveshaft cutting. Only had to build engine mounts.
I love cutting cars. But this project is a daily cruiser. Its motivation brand is irrelevant as long as it motivates.

 

What have you gotten yourself into?

You're embarking on an adventure down a road infrequently traveled by the everyday man. A journey with twists and turns and exceedingly interesting interactions with others suffering from the same infliction. An avocation in high regard that will want to take up every conscious cell and every waking minute of your life.

In other words...
You're SCREWED!
BWAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

And... eventually, you will truly understand why some men choose to simply row a little boat out onto a small lake and sit there quietly feeding worms to the fish.
And... why some men prefer their yard with no trees, bushes, flower beds or other obstructions.
Simple. Easy.
But not awesome.

Pick your choosies.
Welcome and good luck.

 

Where did the OP go? 2 pages of replies and not a word...

 

He’s wondering what he got himself into by posting here

 

He's posted 5 times in this thread...last time was this morning.

 

If Henry was still alive im sure he would appreciate the SBC also.

 

.

 

Dayum, you were gifted that truck? Wow! I don't know if you appreciate how lucky you are. There are tones of guys hanging around on this forum with no car/truck at all, waiting and hoping to start a project but have funding issues, and here someone gives you that bitchin truck! Count your blessings man and appreciate what you got.

Re what is it? I was going to say a 34 Ford, but a few of the guys here have said it's a 33 cab w/ 34 hood. I was told a while ago by someone who has built several of the 32 - 34 pickups that the main difference between the 33 & 34 waws that the 33 had a 32 style firewall, i.e. it turns inward toward the cab; while the 34 firewall turns outward, towards the radiator, like your does. That gives the 34 more foot room inside (a precious commodity), but you lose a couple inches in the engine compartment. The 33 has less foot room, but more room in the engine bay. But that may not be correct, maybe the person who told me that was wrong; I'm not going to argue about it based on something I don't know for sure.

Re why the Chevy engine, I think it's pretty much been covered; just keep in mind, when Chevy released the small block in 55 it didn't take long for it to become the hottest thing in hot rodding. By 57 with the 283 hp 283 cu inch engine it was the king. It wasn't the most powerful (or the first to reach 1 hp per cu in), but it had everything going for it. And once Zora Arkus Duntov wrote his memo to his bosses about the opportunities available to Chevy if they embraced hot rodding and started making factory hot rod parts available over the counter to enthusiasts, it was all over. By the time Ford brought out their small block in 63 they were behind the curve and had to play catch up ever since.

Re cooling issues. You could start an entire thread on that, but there's already plenty of them, do some searching and reading. That radiator has seen better days, I would pull it and send it to a repair shop to let them pull it apart, hot tank it, rod it out, pressure test it and repair any leaks. While you could get a cheap aluminum radiator off the bay for it, they aren't anywhere as cool as that original flathead radiator. But they do have the advantage of being able to withstand higher pressures, so you could run a pressurized cap that will help keep it from boiling over by raising the boiling point. Someone else mentioned the fan, that's a p.o.s., get rid of it. Just get a stock mechanical fan; a 4 blade fan cools the 283 in my 31 pickup just fine, but you might want a 6 blade fan to pull a little more air. If that doesn't keep it cool enough you might try fabricating a shroud to pull even more air across it. I would do some basic cooling system maintenance, start by flushing the system to remove rust and corrosion, ensure the thermostat is functioning properly, and refill with fresh 50/50 antifreeze/water, and make sure the fan belts and pulleys are good and no slippage is happening there. Also, check the timing of the engine and make sure its not retarded. If all the above doesn't correct an overheating issue start a new thread just on that topic, list everything you've done, share lot's of photos, I'm sure you'll get some help.

Re the fuel injection, yuck, bad choice there. I don't know what you went through with the Holley, but carburetors worked great on these cars for decades, I'm sure one will still work on your old SBC.

Don't be a stranger, you've got a very cool truck that fits in around here just fine. Sometimes this place can be a bit rough to new guys, don't let it get to you. This is still the best forum on the net I've found for information on traditional hot rodding, and other than the FI (and possibly the wheels/tires) you've got a fine traditional hot rod. Don't screw it up.

 

Interesting...looks like youve got it slung aweful low but I wasnt there and its not my project. Just wanted you to know the trick about the truck pan if you didnt, many dont.

 

I cant choose ricky! Im headed out tuna fishing tomorrow hahaha I hunt, fish and build hot rods and never have enough mkney to do any of the above it it often feels like

 

Looks like a '33 Ford pickup cab, the hood & radiator shell appear to be '34, the reason behind using a sbc is because they fit and the dimensions are not to different from that of a flathead V8.

Switching to a Ford V8 you will have to do surgery on the fire wall, that means move the engine back and loose valuable leg room.

As for the radiator, it appears to be original, if it were mine I would remove it and take it to a local radiator shop that repairs radiators and have it vatted ,remove the extra top outlet and the extra bottom one also, if the core is shot they can get you a new core and the radiator will work with no further modifications.

I also noticed the fan is too low, there is a company that make a product called a zips riser that will reposition the fan 5" higher on the radiator which will improve cooling.

A hot rod that constantly runs hot is not very enjoyable. HRP

 

The easiest way to identify a 34 is the extra top body line hump on the back of the cab that the 32 and 33 doesn't have

 

Never heard of them

 

It’s low because the merc clutch linkage is like the 48 and down fords. That sets the position of the bell housing.
283 to Mercury trans.
I had the adapter, pilot bushing, flywheel and clutch in stock at the house.
Easiest swap ever

 

Agree with both of these comments. The wide belt line gives away a '34 cab. I have one...

 

If I were you I would take the time to review your Hot Rod history, S.B. Chevs were commonly in use by 1957 and have been period correct ever since. Y block Fords have never been the engine of choice in Hot Rod building, yes there were a few used but nothing compared to all of the other V8 choices of the 50's and 60's era.

 

What frame does it have?

 

The '33 and '34 cabs are identical with exception of the extra tall rib on the back of a '34. They both use the "outie" style firewall that is riveted into the cowl.

The cab on this particular truck is indeed a '33. The bed is as well (given that '33 and '34 beds are the same).