unforeseen racing benefits of a flathead...

One of the unforeseen benefits of running a flathead in a big car (ala my '40 Ford sedan).

I can drag race, day or night, and not break any laws. I can stick my foot in it straight off the light and go hard all the way to the next light and not break the speed limit. In fact, sometimes I may not even REACH the speed limit. Embarrasment be damned, I'm drag racing everywhere I go!!! It's stealthy. Nobody even know's I'm racing them! That's helped me get the lead once or twice. I think slow is the new fast.....

 

Big,
Hey thats a sweet 40 you've got there.The motor looks pretty hopped up.I have a hard time believing you loose all stop light to stop light challanges.I need to know how ever'do you ever loose traction?"Can that motor spin the wheels?

 

Ha! As you well know.. Its not arriving at the destination but the the enjoyment of this journey that fullfills our lives.

 

A citation for loitering is cheeper than one for speed contest or exhibition of speed, wreckless etc.

 

ha ha.... I haven't lost them ALL. I smoked some little girl on a razor scooter the other day. Ah the sweet taste of victory.

 

Never had a ticket nor been stopped for anything. But, why do I feel like I'm flying like a bat out of hell? Just an illusion and I like it.

 

Getting a speeding ticket would be a badge of honor.

 

reminds me of my 1980's Honda MB-5... 50 CCs of pure hell. 14,000 RPM redline. WOT all the time, and a top speed of 45 MPH if I got down in a tuck for less wind resistance. never knew going slow could feel so fast.

 

WELL YOU MUST BE RUNNIN A 60 , ??? A 239 RUNS KINDA QUICK IF "YA" CAM EM UP A BIT !!!

 

It's the motors big ego...

The slower you go, the more people will see you!!

Flatheads are such attention *****s that way!

 

I beat a fully loaded logging truck off the line last night!! I think he mis-shifted...

 

this thread makes me happy.

 

My stroker Flatty T Roadster was pretty fast....for something that coulda been built in 1951!

 

you should sue whoever built your motor, a quick little flatty will come off the line very fast if you know how to drive it.

 

^^I think theres alot of tongue in cheek going on here....but hey, suing is an American tradition!

 

Back in the 70's my dad had a Fiat 850 Spyder. Not bad looking for a Sports car, but with an 843cc motor and all of 49 horsepower it was , well SLOW. He used to come home and say, "Yeah I blew off 6 cars at the stop light drags driving home today, of course none of them knew we were racing"

 

Hey, I'm on your side but compared to what? If you were after 'real fast' you'd chose another engine.

 

What a beautiful little '40 Tudor! Maybe one day when mine reaches 'it's turn in line' I'll have one that sweet. Good job!

 

Suing myself would be stupid because I don't have any money.

 

..dont fell bad,, i went for a cruise in my 33 after work,,,rowing through the gears,listing to the cammed up flatty purrrr...hit a stretch on the main drag with traffic,,,came up to the red light,,,,,,light turned green & the two young fellas in a 4 dr Kia blew my doors off!(and they had the AC on! lol)

...and dont get me started about the story about the kid in the red cavalier last weekend....!

 

Bonnie and Clyde liked flatties . . . guess in the end they didn't win the race either

Tulsa, Okla
10th April
Mr. Henry Ford
Detroit Mich.

Dear Sir: --
While I still have got breath in my lungs I will tell you what a dandy car you make. I have drove Fords exclusively when I could get away with one. For sustained speed and freedom from trouble the Ford has got ever other car skinned and even if my business hasen't been strickly legal it don't hurt anything to tell you what a fine car you got in the V8 --

Yours truly
Clyde Champion Barrow

 

Phew..... I thought I was alone in the world...

 

Drive a stock Crosley with 3spd crash box and bat outa hell [or in hell? lol!] is the feeling I get..Gees I need a tach....As long as I'm by myself that is....

 

don't you know.. the women like it SLOOOW.

 

i raced 0ne in a supermodifed about 27 years ago, what a adventure, but being younger then kept er to the floor and unseated the conn rods then!!! camed stroker 85 HP

then nice thing is if you have straight pipes on them and alow them to idel down a cop would never know if they are illeagally noisey

 

now thats funny. owning a flathead will guarantee you being broke, i know that for a cold hard fact having owned many. my friends with their sbc's laugh at my little flatties but they are slowly getting the fever too. but, back in the day there were not too many that could beat a built flathead off the line, for at least 50 feet or so. that was what was fun.

 

I think most of you caught my sarcasm a little.... It's not really THAT slow. It runs pretty good. Now if you compare it to the built 383 stroker in my dad's '48, well, not much of a comparison. Here's the thing though.... Cool isn't just about being fast, and there's not many mills as cool as an old dressed up flatty. I'm perfectly OK with it being a little slow, because it's alot cool. Fair trade off in my book. I can certainly see how my engine in a little roadster would be way too much fun.

 

These kind of posts kill me. Got a good chuckle. Thanks.

 

A flathead can ruin your underwear in an old ch***is. I laid back and let all the fast cars bunch up behind the pace car and then I was able to wring out the old Merc for all she was worth. The banked turns were no problem but the flat tri-oval on the front stretch can really get your attention at WOT on buggy springs. Damn it was fun.

 

cool! do you have any more pictures?