Let's try this again. After sitting on a '50 Tudor that I acquired in trade, I had came across another. A '51 4 door - just a better body and better bones. Plus...I mean, it's a 4 door! Everything you'd expect from these bodies. Rotted rockers and lower fenders, but that really was it, and was in better condition than I already had. Price was right, so I pulled the trigger. When heavily looking it through, I started mapping out my preliminary plan of action for this beast. I've searched, and contacted a few for this build, but I still gotta few things I need sorted out. Walk with me... - Body - I'm gonna rock the body how it is for now. As the project progresses, I'll address it in the future. But it's solid. Patina's not bad. - Brakes - sticking with drum brakes for now. ECI's dual master cylinder setup seems appropriate and needed. Possible front disc setup in the future. - Steering - going the Volvo 140/160 steering box route. Extreme Customs has both the box and the adapter for this setup. - Suspension - Aerostar springs, and lowering blocks out back. No bags. - Transmission - has original Overdrive. Would love to keep it. - Engine - this is where I need some sorting out. My original intention was to keep and work out 1 of the 2 original Flathead v8's that are still in both cars. Although the flattie in the '51 appears to be stuck, not much has been done to validate its current condition. Regardless, dare I say, is it worth it? I've been looking more and more at doing a SBF swap. Is it more reliable? Easy to work on? Ease of finding parts? Besides relocating engine mounts (Chris at Shoebox-Central.com sells the conversion kit), how difficult is it to get a SBF to bolt on to the factory trans? In high hopes, I would love to daily drive whatever ends up going in. What would be the smarter choice for reliability sake? I do upholstery, I'm using this project to display my work. In all honesty, the only 'custom' modifications I plan on doing is to the interior. I dig the looks of the stock exterior, maybe shave a few things, a healthy drop, and nice wheel/tire setup. Thats it...for now.
I think this maybe question belongs in the regular HAMB forum, not the "Traditional Customs," just because small block Ford motors aren't traditional? (They didn't even make them until the mid '60s?) I can tell you that I had a 302 Ford in a '50 Ford coupe and it ran like a top but the front-sump oil pan requires either m***ive surgery to the crossmember OR shifting the motor and trans really far forward. That's what they did on my car and it made the car ride badly. The nose would dive when you hit the brakes because of all the engine weight so far forward in the car.
I would spend some time looking over the body if its anything like mine you just keep getting deeper and deeper into rust repair. That's where all your time will be spent.
Although not much, sure this '51 has rot. I picked up this gem because of the lack of complete rot through overall. ****, there's just a few tiny dents in the body. Before I got this, the '50 I had was worse in that respect.
I hope it doesnt have that much rot that mine had.I had to make completely new floor pans.I even made beadroller dies that match factory beads,because i could not find a good quality pans for 51'.
Finnrodder, I've extensively read up on your build. Incredible work! Them bead dies are pretty clutch.
Thanks man! I had lowering blocks,when i bought the car.But i wanted a lowering springs,instead of 4" lowering blocks.So i bought a pair of 4" lowering leafs from St.Louis Spring Company. They asked only 220 bucks for a pair.At these days its really fair price for a US made springs.I recommend that company,they had really good service and they shipped them really fast.
They actually make a rear sump pan for the small Ford and it is an early '60s mill. So unless one was shooting at a specific era prior to the early '60s it would work fine. The little motor can actually be adapted to the ford ****** with a little work but I would not use anything that made much zot, perhaps a 260 stockish. Another viable oprion would be a caddy motor, a Ford-illac was a very cool car back then. An early rocket is also a shoe in, I put a '50 2 door sedan together with a rocket and hydro back in the '60s and loved it. Any or all of the mentioned engines can be made reliable even the flatty. In the summer of '70 a friend and I toured Nor Cal, Nor Nevada Idaho and oregon in a flatty powered shoe box. 3spd with an overdrive.
Anyone looking to do the same swap, HAMB'ers 'tedley' and 'Buddy Palumbo' have great build threads going: tedley's build thread:http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=524648 Buddy Palumbo's build thread:http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=625077&highlight=shoebox
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