Hot Rods Different Ideas for a 39 Ford Coupe Motor?? Opinois Please!!

Hey Guys, I am actually posting this for my Pops (Choggie) who has just started again on his 39 Ford Opera Coupe. Its starting to look like a car again, after lots of metal being welded in and so forth. But now he has the dilema of what motor/trans to go with for his car....he started with the 350/350 combo and thankfully i got that out of his head!! but now the great question is what to do, he would like to keep a Ford in a Ford, but with the Fatman frontend (mustang II) it would be a ***** to keep it all Ford. I suggested to be different and go with a big inline 6, probably GM because of the sump issues, and I think he would be the only guy in the country with a Chevy straight 6 in a 40 Ford. He is thinking big Caddy, or Hemi-but both are big bucks.....So please throw out some opinoins please, this could get interesting and i will be sure to have him read this thread. Thanks in advance!!!!

 

572 BBC/TKO 5spd/9" rear.......................you asked. However, he might not be up for the fun meter being peged all of the time.

Frank

 

great idea, but could be a budget buster!! if we are going with the dare to dream-permnate smile catagory.....World Products aluminum 409 twin turbo, lenco and ford 9"....but then again he is 63 and retired, we would like to keep the heart attacks at bay!!!!

 

Honestly? A 350 Chevy. He's already but a Mustang clip on it so why not go the full distance and make the car easy on him. A straight 6 is not going to fit inside those dimensions without recessing the firewall and for all that work it's going to be....well a GM straight 6. Hemi's and Caddys are cool but like you said are big bucks. The cad would be the coolest choice probably as they built Forillac's back in the day.

I would go Flathead if the 350 thing is not doing it for you. Here's the thing though, a 350 is not a 283 or 265 or a 327. Those last three are vintage engines that were more popular in the late 50's and 60's then anything besides a flathead. They are cool engines and that'd be my first choice.

Y block? It's ford but i'd be looking into a Flathead if you need a FORD.

 

sorry but he already had the big block firewall welded in, so he has more room. He would really like to go with a Ford 390, but the rear sum issues are a real pain in the ***, and i thought that a I-6 with a 5 speed hopped up would surely get attention and not be the cookie cutter 40 Ford...just a thought.

 

Flathead or y-block. Flathead because thats what it came with. If its sump clearance on a y-block you can always run a truck pan on it with a rear sump.

 

Yeah my father in law is building a '31 Chevy with a 250 inline 6 and I'm sure that's going to be a attention getter but I'd hate to see a sub standard engine (no offense) being put in a pinnacle year Ford. The 390 would be cool if you could get around the sump issues.

Alright so HOW ABOUT A 8BA FORD FLATHEAD with a T5 trans behind it? I had one in my '52 and it was a beautiful car to drive. Not a powerhouse but I was ****ing proud to open that hood and it sounded great. It drove awesome and was reliable.

 

Best bang for buck on a budget>>>> 350 chevy.

Easy to do = more driving....

Good luck!

 

I have several old cars. My 38 chevy is a 350/350 and it is my DRIVER.

 

Forget about the 6. More trouble than it's worth and probably too long. If he wants a Ford in a Ford. He has many choices with rear sump truck pans. A 55 or newer Cad hooked up to a modern Chevy. auto would be a good choice and a standout. Speedway has the adapters.

 

it is against the law to put a Chevy six in a 40 Ford.



well... if it isn't it otta be.

 

Sorry guys, I know he is impressed with the levels of MPG and performance out of my new 235 that is slightly hopped up, and while he is not trying to re-invent the wheel..he does not want to be "every" other car out there. The SBC is a great motor, and he already has the mounts on the frame, but after seeing whats out there he would just like to something different. He has thought of going with a Y-block, or a 500 Caddy, the flatty is out of the question due to its cost to build, overheating issues, and lack of power unless you build the **** out of them. So we were just tossing roung ideas today, and i figured we would see what you guys think....Can anybody say for sure what Ford motors have the rear sump, he loved the 390 he had as a younger man, but I think that they were all rear sump...please keep the ideas coming!!!

 

Fit the rear sump oil pan on a 289 and go all Ford, find a 260, put in a 351w, I saw one in the cl***ifieds for cheap, how about an olds engine, like James says a 283 or a 327. Do the Fordillac, live a little, sure it's cheap to have the same mill as 6.2 million other guys, they run the parts farter machine 24/7, yawn.

 

ok fink a Ford big inline 6 if that helps you sleep at nite....

 

thanks.

 

302/351w with an early Bronco rear sump pan...

My 302 with the same BBC firewall...



Jim Evan's '36 with a Y-block.

 

Inline 6s have their place and are cool in thos places.... But, I'm thinking more weird than cool on a 35 - 40 full bodied Ford.

***uming its a closed hood car, even if its not, I'm with JJ.... already got the MII, go with the 350 and a T5 (instead of the T-350).

 

Gonna put a W moter and a five speed in my 40 sedan, seem to be getting common place now tho! How bout a Buick, cool looking engine, or a caddy, good horse power so I'm told. All ford and traditional, gotta be a Y block with thunderbird valve covers.

 

How about a 351w punched to 391 with C6 ******? Expensive but plenty of power. Running that combo in my 40. Love it.

 

300 Ford Inline Six.

Oil pans had front, middle, or rear sump based on the application. Believe the vans were rear, but not sure. I do know they exist as Dad and I have several. Trucks had both front and middle sump.

Parts are readily available, and they can make pretty good power. 7 main bearing crank too. Check out fordsix.com if you're interested. Its like the ford six hamb!

Adam

 

with the 300 ford 6 you could get a clevand head and make decent hp.

 

351 cleveland

 

Punch the 351 to a 408 and a C6, the 351 is a front sump, you can use a fox kit on it, question is this, did you set your frame up to use any type of windsor engine, mine fits by 3/4 " tight, if you did it yourself it may not. You may be able to shift your engine slightly forwards or back wards using your motor mounts and then also shifting your trans mount equally. If you need a few dimensions give me a PM shout as my 351 C6 is in a 38 frame with a stock wheel base. You would have to determine if your crossmember is in a spot that would support using a W engine, then mock your mounts with a shortblock and rear sump pan, it's that close.

 

Why not something cheap and nasty like a 392 Hemi..........this is the one I'm using. Couldn't afford anything else.... Seriously though, good luck with the search.

 

It ought to be against the law to put a Chevy 6 in anything.

I'm still trying to get my head around this '39 Opera coupe turning into a '40. But I'm a little slow.

A lot of good choices and all of them been done. I read an article about a guy pulling a souped up olds mill out of a 40 awhile back to put an SBF in it. I still don't know why.

I did see a little aluminum Buick or Olds motor for sale in the cl***ifieds yesterday. That is an option not done too often and it is a good one for a different mill.

 

I agree with y block or flathead

 

Your'e not proud of that Hemi are you farmer? You even have a little oak roll about made for it, it's hate nice. The best nice to have.

 

I HAVE A BUILT TO HELL FORD 300 INLNE 6 IN MY 27 HUDSON, IT DRAWS TONS OF ATTENTION AND IS A BLAST TO DRIVE, HAVE A 4 BBL ON IT NOW, HAVE TRIPOWER GOING ON FOR NEXT SUMMER http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Et90W5l5Xfc

 

I have 36 FORD 3wcp with mustang 2 suspenion. I had a 351 W in it with a double hump pan along with AOD trans 370 rear.I got 21,22 mpg with 4barrel carb. I currently have a 302HO with tremec 5 speed ,its alo t of fun. THE latter model 302 AND 351w had double hump pans . I carburated my 89 HO . People need to get over putting corporate welfare junk engines aka gm in FORDS.

 

Beefed up 289 Ford....