Hello, I am a newbie to the board, so forgive my ignorance. I bought a 36 ford pickup project. It's all there - including lots of rust. A decent barn find. I would like to hot rod the project. The flathead (its a '38 flathead) is frozen solid. I have an extra 289 engine laying around. But all my research turns up that a 289 wont fit due to steering linkage and oil pans. Plus no trans adapter to the original transmission. Is a 289 just out of the question for most projects of this frame type? I was trying to stay low budget with the project and not get an engineered frame, and I have never welded in my life, so building my own frame seems unlikely in this universe. I thought I would ask the experts. My backup plan is to try to find another running flathead that would bolt right in instead. Thank you for your patience and thoughts. Casey
Check out ch***is engineering,you would need a rear sump oil pan(avail) and cut firewall,but do-able.Good luck!
well i guess you need a rear sump oil pan, but if your real enginuative(sp) you can make one yourself. idk about steering linked, best way to check, yank out the old stuff, and mock in the new stuff, modify or replacing what needs to be. i dont think you'd be able to use the original transmission, so if you dont want to replace that too, and probably the drive line, then i guess you wont be able to do this, but it sounds like a lot of fun, good luck.
I guess not cause everybody and their brother puts chevies in them. Anything is basically possible, but why limit youself to the old three speed ****** when ford has a nice selection of modern transmission that ran withthe 289. You would need to change the rear end and drive shaft also.
I ran a 289 in a 38 Ford coupe about 20 years ago,,,the frames are basicaly the same,,you my have to trim the firewall in the truck. I used a adapter from speedway motors and kept the original transmission and rear axle. Bronco oil pan and and pickup will sovle the clearence problem with the axle. Ch***is Engineering and Speedway have the engine mounts,,,or did. HRP
Let me throw another detail in there that you will want to consider. I do not think anyone offers an after-market '36 pick up radiator. Therefore, you will have to have yours modified if you want to run it pressurized. Also, even though they look alike, a '35 pickup's grille shell is not as deep as a '36 so their radiators will not interchange in case you find one of those to build up instead of the stock one. I got bit by this as I had a pressurized '35 radiator built up then discovered it took a lot of mods to get it to fit in my '36 grille shell. Cost of copper is way up so a radiator can be a major part of the build budget.
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