Hey All, I have an original 35 Ford cabriolet that is complete but needs a ton of work. I am trying to figure out how to build the car. A restored 35 doesn't do much for me so my first thought was to build it like a mid-50' rod with a y-block with an adapter and a 39 trans. I was born in 51 and lately I have thought maybe a early 50's would be cool also using a later flathead, 40 column & shifter with an early 50's 3sp overdrive. I would obviously have to convert to an open drive shaft or does anyone know how a late 40's Lincoln OD trans would work? Your thoughts? Thanks, Dennis
I had a dream the other day that I put the 8ba I have sitting in the shop in my '35 instead of the 265 I built for it. But then I remembered reading that there's space issues with them right? The oilpan needs to be switched to a truck or Merc pan and isn't there issues with the length due to the water pumps and dizzy?
Man.......everybody knows..........Flatheads are always cool.....and never go out of style...........anybody can have an overhead valve motor.....go to a few car shows...you'll see for yourself......
Not to make this a OHV Vs. Flathead thread but I chose to go with a 1956 265 Chevy engine because it would have been the natural choice for a kid in 1956+. It's really the only engine (besides the red ram hemi I guess) that does not need a lot of fab work to fit inside the engine bay. I feel like everyone is on this fab kick right now where they are rolling out perfect welds and creating these beautiful cars but they really don't look or have the spirit of the car built back then. Not every kid had their hands on a welder or sheetmetal skills to recess the firewall. But they did know how to bolt some***** together and go! The flathead is the natural choice. But as cool as the flathead is I still feel the Caddy is the raddest choice for a '35-40 Ford. Especially here in the South where that's what they would have swapped over ideally. While I was planning my car, I had a Cadillac 365, an Olds 303, and a Flathead to use in my car. And what had me keep going back to the early Chevy was no matter what Old hot rod magazine I picked up from 1955 and up the most common was the new Chevy V8. It was a direct swap where companies like Hurst and Ansen were actually making kits to put these things in the 35-40 Fords. It was hard for me to deny the power of that engine and the cool factor of actually making an engine that everybody thinks is a SBC as we know it and making it something more then that. Brian Bass' 265 really set things into motion. I also felt like the early 265's and 283's were underdogs with them always being lumped in the 350 category. So I sought out the best parts I could with the coolest intake and Valve covers and coupled that with a full house '56 Corvette internals pretty much and I think I am going to have a real screamer on my hands and something that the guys who lived it could give me the thumbs up on. ANother factor was that I knew that I would be using a '39 Ford trans and a banjo rear with 3.54's. The fact that 1st isn't synchro'd in that trans and if I got caught on a hill the flathead wasn't going to have that much Torque to pull second gear like the '56 Vette mill that I had built for the car. ***** I might only use 2nd and 3rd with that motor!!! So all in all, I guess I am saying that as long as you choose your favorite period motor anything from 1966 and earlier it can be made as cool as the next. Cad's are Awesome Rockets are Rad Flatheads are ......well flatheads and will always be king Nailheads are torqy Hemi's are huge but still awesome And Early Chevy V8's are just as cool because they incorporate all of the positive attributes of the above as long as they are built right. I'm saving the flathead for my '33 where I feel like it will be more appropriate and the Cad has no home as of now.
I just installed a 8BA in my 36 (w/ early heads and intake)... Fits pretty good w/ the truck pan. But even that the steering linkage is hitting the pan. I'm going to pull it off and persuade it with a hammer I think. The fan is very close to the radiator as well. I have a T-5 behind it also.
It was like that when i got it, i guess it must be a truck pan. Its got an 8rt intake on it so maybe its a truck motor. Mine doesnt have a engine fan but id bet id be close. Pumps and dizzy seem to be fine. Im with you on your other post though, it doesnt need to be an over enginered work of art to be a work of art.
Shim up your motor or adapt a 59a pan like I did. Merc pans dont fit Jeff there to deep in the front at the cross member.
Damn any more pics? I looked at your thread but i'd love to see the firewall clearance. I wonder if by using a stock '39 trans and banjo it would push my engine forward an inch or so. I guess not though since the water pumps are engine mounts so everything should be in the same place. Damn it's tempting but I'm going to stick with my Chevy...seems like everyone and their mothers have flatheads in their old fords.....Just kidding!
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