Your car is really nice. This is fueling my desire to sell my Model A coupe and get a '39/'40 coupe. As I get older I feel like I want a bit more comfort than the A provides. You have a great example for me !
My wife and I drive our 30 Model A Tudor everywhere. We have taken it to Reno for Hot August Nights and all over here. last August we drove it to Pleasanton CA for the Goodguys show. That was about the end of that for me. 2hrs max and I had to get out of the car. The entire week I was dreading getting back in to drive home. Too many old injuries causing discomfort when cramped in a tiny car. I am lucky that I don't need to sell the car. So it is a round town car now. This 39 is so ridiculously comfortable to drive.
Awright now.... don't any of you anti-politicos start going off on me, but... I'm voting for the U.S. Congress, President and Vice President (I'd like to be Vice President....imaging being in charge of all the vice in the country... but I digress) who will close the border to ALL HAMB-friendly car sales, shipping and transfers to Canada!!! We MUST conserve and preserve our precious resource of old iron and protect it from those border-raiders!!!!! Make Our Old Iron Great Again!!! (MOOIGA) Super nice '39 by the way.... I'm jealous (in case you can't tell)....
Well, I enjoyed the hell out of the 39 this summer. I am just in love with this car. My son was stoked to be able to cruise the 30 around as well. Here is a pic of both of the cars down at our cabin at the end of Sept before them both got covered up for the winter. The 39 developed a small coolant leak that I traced down to hairline crack on the side of the block. I ended up just sealing it up with some JB Weld (I know ) and it held somewhat for the rest of summer. I have always wanted to build a Flathead engine. So here we go.
After a lot of searching, I finally have a good block. P***ed a pressure test and then sent it out to get tanked and bead blasted. I cant believe how clean the coolant p***ages were. This engine was seized solid when I got it. It had been rebuilt a long time ago, and then got left in the rain for a few days for some reason. Then sat with the moisture in the cylinders for the last 20 years or so. Took a lot of soaking in ATF to finally break it free but it came apart eventually. Has adjustable lifters and new valves that I will be able to reuse. Time to do some mild porting and relief job on it. Ordered a **** rotating ***embly. 4 and 1/8" stroke and 0.125" over pistons. I managed to pick up a Kiwi L100 Cam from KiwinUS on here. Not trying to break any dyno records with this, just want a strong engine to add to the enjoyment of driving this thing.
Sometimes JB can be a season saver. The original rad started leaking on my 40. Seam split on the bottom tank to core. A little JB weld and I got another 3 months of cruising in
Sounds like you are putting together a nice flathead, stout and streetable. My 276" moves my sedan nicely, yours should have a little more grunt.
I haven't posted anything on this thread in a long time. This winter, we started a house renovation project that ate up a lot of time and a larger amount of money, but was well worth it. Part of the reno was an upgraded to my garage, which i feel is worthy to now be called a shop. We extended the garage 12 feet and vaulted the ceiling to make room for a 2 post hoist. Should have added more space, but that is all the damn city would allow. It is now a 20-32 foot shop. It was competed in summer and I just spent the rest of the year getting it set up and driving my hot rods. Unfortunately, the original flathead in the 39 came to an uneventful demise in August and the old girl has sat dormant since. She is now sitting and awaiting her new mill.
The flathead is making headway. It has been a labor of love and a slow go as I am trying to make sure I don't miss a beat and make a mistake. This is my first flathead build. I have built a lot of engines, stock and not, in my career as a tech. But these guys are a different animal. I got the heads bolted up this week and I am ready to start masking everything off for paint.
I also picked up a Columbia 2-speed for the rear end from a very good friend. It is for a 36. It appears to have been gone through, but I haven't had time to open it up. I am hoping to find a Columbia 39-40 bell to replace the one side and I will use my 39 bell for the other side. No controls yet. So those are my updates. Hoping to be able to make some good headway this winter and I will keep you guys updated
Beautiful Coupe (my favorite year and model as I had a 39' Deluxe Tudor with a 389 Pontiac in the late 60s) and, you have a very nice shop. Your flathead project brings back a lot of fond memories for me. That was one of 4 engines I built before I was 18. I'll be watching your thread without a doubt.
My buddy came over last night and he sprayed the engine block for me. We used POR15 engine enamel in vintage ford green. Color is perfect. He reduced it 15% and it sprayed out really nice. Really happy with how it turned out.
I finished the rebuilt of my 39 transmission this morning. The usual, new bearings, blocking rings, a few miscellaneous small parts, thrust washers and its all shimmed up to lower part of specs. A few added tricks to prevent it from leaking....... Hopefully. And it was ready to go back in.
Once the Transmission was done, my son came home and helped me install the engine. Super happy get it sitting in there. Still lots to do. Have to make the exhaust mate up to the Fenton headers, plumb the oil filter, match port the intake manifold and a bunch other small things.
"I also picked up a Columbia 2-speed for the rear end from a very good friend. It is for a 36. It appears to have been gone through, but I haven't had time to open it up. I am hoping to find a Columbia 39-40 bell to replace the one side and I will use my 39 bell for the other side." I'd contact John Connelly and or the Columbia rebuilders or run a Wanted ad to see if you can get a 35-36 owner to to swap for the 37-41 housings. Love your '39! Great garage space now too!
Thanks @glennpm I did contact John about the swapping housings. He said to call him when I am ready and he would see what he can do. I am just waiting until I have the engine running. Then I will concentrate on the Columbia. I prefer to tackle things systematically, or else I end up with parts every where and I loose my mind
Yeah, I understand but sometimes it's good to have two things going, gives you a break on one project and sometimes clarifies the other project [your motor] . Good on contacting john on the swap. Someone will want your housings.
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