Technical Latham Superchargers: Info & Pictures

WOW, NOS in OEM box nonetheless. An amazing score!
Here's a 1957 invoice I posted previously on this thread, appears correct and in the time frame.

 

Man o man, you really got a great score with that car. I can’t wait to see more pictures when you get it home. Lots of vintage speed parts too.

 

Car is home...for some reason all the pics didn't post. I'll start a build thread. The pic with my finger is the only rust hole.

 

More wow factor, an amazing car and score. I've never seen those rare cast 'Supercharged by Latham' emblems before. You should see if you can have then repopped, possibly a limited market however I can see others wanting them. It wouldn't be hard to have similar decals reproduced going by what my decal guy was able to do for me.

 

I thought they were awesome. I haven't seen any others on a search. I need to check if the spacing is the same as the "Fuel Injection" script holes on the fender.

 

What a clean and complete car and lots of vintage speed parts. It will be interesting to see what else is in the boxes. Also it’s probably worth double checking to make sure that no parts were left behind. Have you made any progress on figuring out if it’s a factory fulie car? The intake manifold used for the Latham looks like it’s for a factory fuel injection to me.

 

The manifold is.. slightly modified. There is a block off plate for the thermostat housing and 2 hole bored and threaded for pipe nipples.
I am 99% that it was a 250hp fuelie. The block is wrong (was for a power glide car and this was always a floor shifted manual). However, the one fuelie unit is correct for build date, it has the 1/8" badge/script holes instead of the larger later types, I have the electrovac, fuelie distributor, 3/8" fuel lines, factory dual exhaust, original badges, etc. The only thing I know is missing is the throttle body, although there is everything NOS to rebuild it. I need to go back and pick up a Model A Roadster I also bought so I can look around for it.

 

Here's another article I found looking through some of my little pages.
SPEED & CUSTOM Nov.'62.

 

Found this one for sale local to me.
Any idea what the manifold fits?

 

In that era, most all GM and Ford heads had paired intake ports. Mopars were the ones with equally spaced intake ports, so I'm going early hemi.



jack vines

 

Looks like Hemi to me to. Manifold looks to be home made out of steel. Must of had some sort of adaptor to tie the two together, only one outlet on the blower.

 

It looks like it's taped up on both sides on the outlet end to me.

 

Mine does not have outlets on the sides, only open on the bottom. But that's not to say someone could of made openings on the sides! Looking at it closer that is what it is here. I still say Hemi, just mounted a little different from what I have.

 

I have a set of manifolds that look just like those for a MEL. Same construction and paint. I'll post a pic later today.

 

Those seem to be made the same as the Hemi one's. I'd say they are not home made, just my thought.
Hard to believe that all the home builders had the same idea.

 

That's what I thought until I saw yours! Pretty cool I think. The charger doesn't have the tag so no info about it unfortunately. It is the 11 segment one. I've had it mocked up on a 430 and it all fits like a glove.

 

I just stumbled onto this on FB Ford FE Group, ...Latham supercharger with intake along with the original instructions. In the instructions, the 390 isn’t listed so my guess is this was made 1960 or prior. Model 16-A, serial #001417. The supercharger hasn’t been run since the 60s. I just have it mocked up on an engine for display purposes. Sale included FE engine, dual point distributor, Moon fuel block, early chrome Ford fuel filter with replaceable filter media, Latham supercharger gauge, 2 crab style distributor caps, Mallory Magspark coil along with other smalls. Complete kit minus belt and some nuts/bolts.
.. $5K

 

So looking at these photos I can see that the MEL has the same style manifold as @saltflats and I have pictured.

 

Just picked up this unit. Complete SBC setup. Been following this thread for awhile and finally able to join in with one of my own. Thanks for all the information you have all providced!

 

I sold my complete FE Latham and engine but I figured I would finally post these photos here. They are hard to read due to the age and they didn’t scan worth a crap. So, I used my phone to take pictures of them. I’m guessing this paperwork is hard to find. Notice that the 390 wasn’t originally listed so my guess is this was printed somewhere from 1958-1960.

 

Hello everyone. Thanks for continually running this post. Great information.
I just bought a Latham off e***y (7-A// 001514) that will be going on my 1937 LaSalle flathead. The engine will be going into my 1935 Pontiac Coupe. There are many missing accessories with this Latham. All the braces and bracketry will need to be fabricated. How are the carb logs designed? Are they 2 pieces sandwiched together? I would prefer to run twin Webers or Dellortos. For intake manifold, I've got a second stock that I'll mill the carb mount parallel to the crank centerline. If that isn't feasible, I can make one from scratch.
I've read several posts that refer to the owner's manual, but I have not seen any uploaded.
Belts seem to be the greatest shortfall. Has anyone tried getting theirs from McMasters? McMasters has flat belting in several harnesses, widths, Kevlar or fiberglass and will fabricate to your length.
Has anyone checked the advance curve on the supplied Mallory distributors? I'm curious as the specs on them.

Attached several pictures of the blower and the flathead if you are curious.

 

After running out of the original belts decades ago I had McMasters make me 2 different types of belts. One was thin and not strong enough to do the job. The other was too thick and very noisy and slipped. I then tried a serpentine belt with the flat side on the pulleys. It was quiet and plenty strong enough to do the job. I felt like the life of the belts was acceptable. With a 2 inch pulley on the supercharger and a 10 inch on the crank the belts were designed to slip a bit on deacceleration because the supercharger couldn't slow down as fast as the engine could.
BTW I sold my Latham several years ago.

 

Hi. I came across this site while trying to find info on my Latham. I bought it from an older gentleman up in Ft. Pierce, Florida, back in August ‘21. It is currently in an ‘83 Buick Regal and sits on top of a 400 SBC, out of a ‘70 Chevelle, l believe. He said it’s been in the car for 20 yrs and he had it in 2 others previous to that . It’s a model 28-A, serial # 001542. Could anyone give me an idea of when it was built? The unit is in pretty good shape and the upper pulley has been modified to use a serpentine belt. I’m currently doing a ground up restoration and would like to find out as much as l can because l’m sure it’ll attract lots of attention and questions at the local car show circuit. Thank you in advance!

 

Thanks to all, After the many posts here about Latham's. Now I need a question answered.
Bought my first Latham (2 carb for a Y-block) in around 1995 then traded it for a 4 carb unit in about 1980. but did not get the plenums. So now I'm converting to 6 down draft Stromberg WW's and have to fab up 2 plenums.
Just guess? Nothing to get dimensions. So would someone who has the side plenums post the width and height so I can fab up some sheet metal rectangular tubes out of 14 or 16 gage and tig weld tapers to transition to 2" round tube elbows? Detailed pictures would be a great help as well.
I'm going to lengthen them to fit the 3 carbs on each side, much like a 6 carb log manifold.
Thanks for any help.
Movin/on

 

Just bought this Latham Supercharger, 16-A, Serial Number 001427. It came with carburetors, linkage, front mounting bracket, 10-3/4-inch crank pulley, aluminum water pump pulley and a Latham aluminum intake manifold. This unit was purchased at the Daytona Turkey Run in the 1990's and has been stashed away for 30 years or so.

 

Since we see equally spaced intake ports, is the setup for a FoMoCo?

jack vines

 

I thought I had posted this picture when I saw them come up for sale on Ebay a few years ago, but I see I did not. I actually had a decent bid on them, but they ended up going for more. Yes, I do regret it....haha..you always remember the one that got away. Anyway, they're S/W 2-5/8" smooth bezels...special order?

 

Yes, sorry I forgot to mention that. It's for a Ford FE. The blower was likely produced before Ford made the 427ci version of the FE, but I like the fact that the serial number ends in 427. Fun coincidence.

 

Super Cool Henry! Wish I had that FE manifold.