Its 1958, you just graduated HS and...

You just came into a decent chunk of money. Lets say uncle Al died, and left it to you. You have a 31 coupster in your stable, that has all the cosmetic hot rod stuff done. Lowered, red wheels with wide whites, but a all stock drive train. You decided its time to re-power the old A and you want to OWN the streets. Lots of guys are running SBC's but your a ******** ford guy, with a soft spot for mercury's... So what would you have bought to put in it? What motor/******/rear?

The reason I ask is someday I will have my hands on my grandpas old hotrod. Its a 31 coupster, hasn't been modified from what I can tell since 58-60. It still has a 100% stock appearing flat head four in it. Once I get my hands on it I want to re-do it to its former glory, with out really changing anything but the power plant. My grandpa got married shortly after HS, started a family and was running a decent size dairy. IMO he didn't have a chance to finish it since it has the stock motor.

I also thought this would be a fun discussion!

thanks
Dustin

p.s.

Here is a Pic...

 

3 deuces on a V8 flathead mill......

 

First off I'd be wondering how the Hell I traveled back in time to 1958...

 

I thought for a second you were reading my diary, although I graduated in 62, not 58, but in the early years I had a 30A rdster that I purchased right out of a neighbor's garage for $25 - engine did not run, and there was no top or bows. Banger came out and a drivetrain from two totaled cars (48 Ford sedan for RE and Trans) and 52 Merc (for engine). Couple of strombergs and a warmer cam and it was on the road. This is in about 1959 or 60 I think. Ran 8x15 steelies in the back and stockers in front (rubber rake). Didn't have enough money for finned heads, but by the the time I had saved up enough for more mods, I traded it off for a 54 Sun Valley.

Flatty power my friend and a crashbox backing it up. Work from there.

 

My folks were married in '58.. Mom was 18 and me pappy was 21.

 

Sounds like a cool project by the way..

 

I was -6 years old...but a flatty with a mild build, alum heads, 3/4. Cam, alum intake, and a good ****** and BAM...done

 

if it had to be a ford drive train
(nothing wrong with that) i would do a y-brock 57 merc 312 with a cam and tri-power with a 3 speed with over drive i know that most would do a flathead but being 58 and i had some $$$ and everybody were doing overhead valve motors(caddy,sbc,s old,s nailhead,s and hemi,si would do a ford overhead valve and the 332and 352 were a little to new yet

 

Don't know how old you are now ,but start scrounging parts now as they are not going to get any easier to find, I think.

 

......Wow.....I see a coupe and a roadster........whatever you do...keep us posted....

 

If as you say money is no object, I would go for a fuel injected 57 'Vette engine with a 4 spd.

 

Can't be a chevy... I think I would be haunted if I did that! By 58, wouldn't a flathead be a little outdated? Didn't ford have a few OHV motors out at that point? I want what my grandpa would have been drooling over on the dealer lot in 58. I am thinking y-block? My grandpa also had a 54 merc DD in HS, this A was his baby/toy. Its such a cool car, I knew my grandma had it but didn't know it had been "rodded" until a year ago. She told me a while back I could have it, but I had to keep it stock, no hot rods! I don't think she realized grandpa had rodded it back in the day!

Before anyone jumps on me for not going to get it yet, its not going anywhere, she knows how badly I want it, but I am out of work and need to get my financial situation ironed out before I bring it home. Its just going to drive me nuts if I don't have the funds to work on it.

 

302 / c4 ................... steve

 

ill go pick it up and bring it to you if i can take the 5w as payment.

 

Cragar headed B banger

 

Your answer is in your post


You said his HS car was a 54 Merc...(that's a Y-block).... let's say he wrecked the 54 back then; what would he have done with the 54 motor?

 

In 58/59 I used a 46 Ford flathead in my Model A. But I wanted a 283. At that time a SBC was way out of range for a typical teenager. Running flatheads were cheap. I paid $15 for mine.

Today, things are reversed. A SBC is "affordable" and anything flathead is expensive. Have you priced an H&H built flathead lately? You will never spend so much to go so slow.

 

another vote for a snotty Y-block

 

Quote of the night right there. I laughed out loud to myself at this.

 

In 58, the engine of choice would have been Olds, Cad, Dodge, Desoto, Chysler, YBlock, etc. Very very few hotrods had Chevy engines. At least where I lived, and I was there at the time

 

I had a '32 three window coupe in '58. I put a flathead in it because money WAS an object. Wanted a SBC so bad I could taste it but they were pricey back then. They were only 3 years old. Everybody steered away from the Y blocks because Chevies were faster. This was in SoCal...

 

Being a Ford guy, I'd have to go for a blown '57 312 y-block. Plenty of power for that '31 and it'll look good too.

 

I just feel that would be too new, and push it to a 60's car. This is a real deal 50's hot rod. The pics are horrible, but it has the look so many strive for on this site. That said... my grandpa rebuilt a 60's stang for all 3 of his kids when they turned 16 (my mom still has her 66 vert). There is also a k-code mustang in that garage. I think its more then safe to say the idea of putting a 289/302 in that car had to have crossed his mind more then once.

Thanks, but its 10 minutes from my house. I think I can manage! LOL!

Since it has the banger, Ive really fought with removing it. A little basic bolt on hot rodding and it would look great. My main goal is to take grandma and my family for a ride in this thing, and I would like to go over 40mph with it. That said, I would be happy with 55...

 

Yeah but it will be WAY WAY Cooler than a boring, cookie cutter, Small Block Chevy..

 

Exactly. If it's '58, you have a "decent chunk of money", and you're a Ford guy, a Y-block is the only reasonable choice. Three carbs will look better than a centrifugal supercharger, and you can run those gorgeous T-Bird valve covers.

 

As for the y-block thing. It would make sense for that period, and one of the merc engines would look awesome in the engine bay. My grandpa was a ford guy, but loved merc's. A y-block with merc valve covers would be the icing on the cake with this car. BUT, from the reading I have done on putting a y-block in a A, you have to do alot of cutting and I really don't want to do that.

 

in 1958-59 I drove my 36 coupe with a 259 Studebaker engine, It was fast for the time. In May or June 59 I graduated from high school, and went to work for the Govt.
The first thing I did was buy a 354 Hemi. By January 60 I had the 36 Painted, Upholstered and Hemi powered with a Lasalle trans and Pontiac Rear, and in the Oakland Roadster show. This Really happened.

 

Good to hear from you Tom!... Tom graduated with my Dad at Hayward High.. Have a great Christmas and New Years!

 

I feel bad telling you this ,since your a die-hard Ford guy , but , if you really want to own the streets , then you'll buy the "sbc" , it is indeed the fastest motor dollar for dollar ever made , it cannot be outran by any other motor....period...like I said , dollar for dollar.

 

How about an FE Ford or M-E-L engine?