Hey guys! I have a lead on a 47 Olds flat six. It turns by hand and has quite fresh paint on it, all new gaskets. It appears as it has been rebuilt not too lang ago. A buddy of mine got it when he drug it home along with his new project. I really like the look of the engine, everthings there, generator, starter, distributor and it is backed by the stock manual ******. Can those engines be made to run? What kind of HP can one expect out of it and how many cubic inches does it have? Or will it just do well as a boat anchor? Thanks! Chris
Maybe I expressed myself not correctly. With "made to run" I meant if it could be built to produce decent power to move a little car , like a roadster , around. Are there speed parts for these? Chris
I have not seen one of those or any parts for one in 45 years. They never were used for any high proformance anything that I ever saw. And that's here where it was built. Where you are it would really be a challange. Still, it would be interesting to see what you could come up with.
These are not high reving race motors, but in good condition you will have a very smooth, quiet, and dependable motors for something.
To my knowledge, Edmunds was the only one that made a dual intake and aluminum head for it, and good luck finding either one.
I just saw a roadster in an old Wizz car mag running this powerplant. It had a homemade log manifold sporting 3-carbs. You won't find any speed equip. readily available for this mill. I would try and sell it on a Oldsmobile web site. (Google for that info) It is great to be different, but you will only have a lot of low end torque and not much high end performance. You might P.M. hotrodladycruzer on here, she is the Olds orphan source. She has two 47 Olds. Good Luck-Sololobo
There is a Kid here in Ventura California building a Lil Track "T" with an Olds Flat 6 in it. Why not build a Rod with an Olds ? Ive seen Flat 6 Fords, MoPars, Studebakers, Pontiacs, & Nash Flat 6s Hot Roded. On that note, If your interested in Building this Flat Olds, I have an ISKENDERIAN 3/4 .320 lift N.O.S. cam shaft #77A, A Chromed Crank Balancer/pulley, a Chromed Water pump pully, & a stock water pump for an Olds Flathead 6 I would sell. P/M me if interested
I don't know why you couldn't use it in a little roadster, you're not going to set land speed records on the autobahn with it, but if you can put a T5 or an overdrive of some sort behind it, it should go allright. They haven't made one since like '51 or so, so speed parts would be tough even if they were common then. But you could probably mill the head, split the exhaust, and round up an Edmunds intake or make one up.
I think it would be a h***le filled and expensive way to make 180hp after modification. Everyone has different expectations, but that's not a motor I would put in anything called a hot rod. And the long 6 will encourage the car to have goofball proportions. good luck
I remember a guy put one in a dragster at Lion's Drag strip in Long beach way back when and there was another guy running a stright 8 Buick dragster. Those were the old days when they had speed parts for almost anything on the road. I say go for it and have a blast and get away from the tired old sbc in everything, you can alway change it out later if you have to!
Now There's one way to stiffle your project !! I Guess all of us with a Banger or Flathead Ford better re~think what we are doing. Not many of our Flat Fords are making 180hp
I Hear what yer say'in Chili, But how many Rat's ya seen with S/B Chevys ? I cant seem to find my book, But i have an old Hot Rod Annual somewhere with a Yellow '32 on the cover with a Ford Flat 6 in it & its a pretty neat Old car. If its executed well it could be Very Cool.. But ya never know ! I dont think it would be much different than a Rod runnin a Chevy/GMC 6
238 cubic inches, 100 hp, probably gobs of torque at 1200 Rpms. Like the other flat 6's of the time long stroke (4 1/8) small 31/2) bore. Low compression. 6.5. So it would need a good head milling and block decking to wake it up some, an adapter and a good 2bbl would probably help, and you could split the exhaust or make up some flang and pipe headers. And anywhere you went, you would probably have the only 47 olds engine on the lot. Another intake option is 2 or three SU side fraft carbs like from a Jag or big triumph 6 I have an aquaintance in Nebraska who is using a 251 Desoto engine with a wilcap adapter with a 350 auto in a homemade frame ford coupe turned roadster. It goes very nicely thankyou. He built his own megaphone style header. Sounds nice also. go for it, whaddya got ti loose?
If it was strong enough to move that mamouth Olds beast down the road 60+ years ago, I think it will move that little roadster down the road quite nicely now. Nice find
I think the stock carb on those is a Carter 2bbl anyways, a WDO or WDB or something like that. The key to making it fun to drive is going to be gearing the car to take advantage of the torque the motor puts out.
I say go for it, it's different. since it's a straight six, it wouldn't be hard to make a manifold. intake or exaust. they sell kits to make your own headers. if you can weld,or have a buddy, you are all set. you tack it all up,then take it off the car for finish welds. 100 horsepower and lots of torque isn't bad. torque is what moves you. even if you don't have flanges for the exaust headers,just measure the bolt pattern and port,and have some laser cut,then use the header kit. I'm sure someone has a basic rebuild kit for the motor,if it even needs it, and just fab your own stuff. you are building a hot rod, the point is to make your own stuff,not buy it off the shelf made for you,
it's not all about building the most horsepower, sometimes it's having a fun rod with a unique motor. at least it would stand out in the sea of S/B chebbies.
That's why as it says above, "everyone has different expectations". Some expect a higher degree of hotness than others. Nothing wrong at all with a flatty from a lot of angles, extremely traditional & reliable. Just don't expect to keep up with the overhead valve crowd, small block chevy or otherwise. I would also like to point out you use the term "fun rod" while the original question pertains to a "hot rod". Sounds like even while you're defending the six bangin flatty, you're admitting it's not hot rod material. Which was really my original point. Good luck either way Baumi, it's good to see the hobby reach so far.
let me rephrase that, it's still a hot rod, what i meant to say was that it would be something that would be a lot of fun to drive to cruise in's and shows and just to drive it. Might be a little better on gas too,which in this day and age,means more places to go and still be able to afford to get there. If it was mine,I would put the work into it just to have something different, I'm a machinery nut,and I just like the unusual stuff.
I agree with ladycruiser, if it would tug a boat around, it sure, should tug a little roadster around. My 1950 plymouth flathead six would smoke the tires in that business coupe and cruise the highways at 75 to 80. So I'm sure if it was in a hotrod, it would, for sure smoke the tires, especially with less weight to pull. SBC=Cookie Cutter
Totally different motor. GM didn't start using "corporate" motors, outside of some GMC trucks, until the aluminum 215 of 1961 - and it even had different heads from Olds to Buick and Pontiac.
i think it would look cool sittin in a roadster.paint the block same as car add a few chrome pieces and bang, unusal motor that looks good and people will ask you anytime that thing is sittin still"what kinda motor is that" i love when my cars get the attention. ive got a straight 8 pontiac im goining to put in something when i get time. aint gonna go real fast but should be fun. good luck with anyway you go.
yea when i go to a show,i kind of skim over the row after row of identical small blocks with the same identical accessories, but anything different will catch my eye, as well as most other peoples, that alone is a reason to build it. also someone on here said they had a cam etc,for it. grab the rare pieces while you can and get building.
I am curious if anything more has happened with any late Olds flatheads since the last post? I have a 1950 Series 76 (last of the breed) with a 257 Big Six and Hydramatic. I am having fun with the Big Six while I do the rest of the car and saving up my nickels and dimes. With 6.5:1 compression, a tiny carb, bland cam and choked up exhaust, I see an opportunity to build a strong cruiser on a budget. The Olds flatheads were pretty much technically unchanged from 1935 to 1950 so any and all input is welcome.
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