Projects ‘What would you do’ opinions please

That's pretty. What is the finish on the heads and intake? I ask because it looks a lot like the headers, or is it polished aluminum? How's it look now a decade later? And how old is that 7up box?

 

The 7up box is gone, I think The heads and intake are polished aluminum and the headers are painted.
You tell me!

 

Restored my 34 tudor in the beginning and had nothing but trouble with flatmotors...They both cracked in the valve seat to cylinders...Babbit mains which were costly to have done...Glad the flathead in my hotrod is gone...To each his own as they say...Still have a pair of 21 stud heads that were used but a few miles..They are nos iron truck heads...

 

21 stud engines are neat and different and if the one you have runs well I'd have no issues using it. If you can afford to own both engines at the same time, do that. Run the 21 stud and baby it for as many miles as you can squeeze out until it's worn out. If they both need to be rebuilt, I'd do the later engine. It would have been the first choice of someone building the car in the period to upgrade to the bigger engine.

I was under the impression you need a 40-48 side shift trans to use the guts into an earlier case, I didn't think 49-53 style trans guts would fit, although I could be wrong. Also, I was under the impression you can put those guts into a 37-38 case and use the '39 shifter but that the 35-36 case won't work, although again, I could be wrong. Someone with more knowledge can correct me.

 

If you can get your hands on a 1953 merc motor you would be living good imo

 

Very nice!

 

Can't go wrong either way! I'd use a later flat head. Lot more parts selection and no babbit bearings.