First let me say I hope nothing I said you was offensive and this thread is not about me. I enjoyed the discussion and your input . Its a friendly conversation and should not be taken as anything else As far as my 30 model A plans . It changes daily but nothing stock and I do not have a entire truck as a start I have really nice cab thats painted and can go many directions. But it will be no fenders , 32 shell with heavy core NOS walker 3" chopped radiator I have . Current plans are channeled if I stay with the stock but boxed rails i have and while I have a so so stock bed id like a wide 31 bed or a 32 bed . I currently cant afford a reproduction bed. Originally it was getting a 502" BBC i had left from a flat bottom V drive boat that is pretty much a race engine, roller cam, tunnel ram 660 Holleys . About 700 HP NA and it plumbed for a NOS fogger system and twin plates for a second stage ( all non Hamb stuff I have a a early Bronco 9" with good stuff in it or a 57 Olds rear have with 411 gears . Had a power glide with trans brake Plan WAS a 4 link rear and hair pins up front on a dropped solid axle i have and disk brakes as i have it all. I was going to put a cage in it. I sold that engine , still have a second 454 however that im sure is over 450 HP Since then I have decided for more street friendly and more traditional HAMBish but still a hot rod build. So I have been considering this stock Hemi i traded for out of a 54 wagon about 20 years ago I have it on a run stand I built and it does run. I added a spin on filter adapter and a Alternator untill i get a 12v generator. Other than its stock with the factory trans still on it Ill have to reseal the rear main but right now I do not plan on rebuilding it . A few year back I was considered a 181" 4cyl LOL. Today its Hemi split wish bones in front and who knows in the rear but what ever I build it will support at least 450 HP or more if the Hemi ****s out. As far as being rich or having coin for some major Hemi build because I managed keep my Vette for 40 years . Not sure what to say . I drive a $2000 rusty van for normal transportation and the 57 is a old drag car that needs a lot . It runs with a SBC turbo 400 and a 57 olds rear , had a 427 back in the day Not sure what its worth but not near $66,000 . I almost lost my house keeping it 15 years ago. Not for sale . My son gets it i hope. 95% of the toys I build from bits and pieces. I live check to check unfortunately and my current balance in the bank would not build a Hemi . Divorce ****s . To many projects never enough money or time but a shop full of cool old stuff , tools , welders , mill, lathe . Im saving for the trans adapter and intake . Most 354 Hemis made about 280 HP and unless the OP has a 300 B engine with the high compression pistions and solid cam and 2x4's he is not going to make near 340 HP . I cant speak for the OP know his plans but he has a damn nice car so he may be building a 400 HP 354 . Certainly doable but not cheap. My idea of a MILD SBC is not nessacarely all HAMB but a stock p***enger car SBC had 300 HP in many cases . Mom's camaro when I was a kid for example . To me mild is something between stock / pump gas and race / non pump gas . Most guys now are building 383's with Vortec or aluminum heads for $2000 on up and there in the 450 HP range . Buddy just did a 9.5 to one 383 on a vortec block with factory type roller lifters and a Thumper cam and Jegs heads he has about $3500 in it with the forged pistons . It made 488 HP on pump gas ) It would have cost about $2200 with the vortec heads . He could have honed it ran cast pistons and a cheaper cam and been at $1300 with stock heads. Still made over 400. Its easy to go find used parts for a SBC . Two years ago I took the neighbor kid to Jefferson swap meet and for $500 we came home with a turned 350 crank , rods and cast flat top .030 pistons ,a aluminum intake, new oil pan and TRW NOS solid cam that i forget the specs . Likely HP corvette. I honed his already .030 block , and I donated him a set of 461 heads did a basic valve job opened them up to 2.02" and he bought some cheap new SS valves for like $90. He had another $200 in lifters , gasket and timing chain, Id wager it makes at least 350 HP This is were i'm at on my Hemi . **** in the back ground .
@1biggun A truck ,smaller then A roadster inside if you Never been in one A truck & average 5-10 plus , under 35 ish Chopped , channel With out a Jungle Gym ( cage) its a tight fit . When I was 200 ,6 ft shoe 14 was tight , I dove bare foot , 32 chopped & channel no package tray , fenders with sbc Just saying if no fenders maybe think about extending front out a few inchs. In my blown Altered A /Fc 2000 ch***is with out lenco I had to dive with just FC boots , and socks Foot between Trans & rail
One more to add to this ,,The HotRod will not leave you , Unless the Parken brake fail's.. It will not Lie to you ,Cheat on You ,break your Hart, unless You put it on a Dyno , It will alway tell you what it likes & doesn't , because it will break , Last of all , But it will Kill you !!! """"ALWAYS THINKING OUT SIDE THE BOX"""""
1biggun I was just messing with you; I wasn't going to give you a manifold. I see you have a complete running Hemi and transmission. Why don't you just pressure wash it and paint it. Sounds like no fenders or hood. you can easily extend the frame 3" and get more firewall clearance as well as legroom. Model A's are tight fits even with stock engines. Early Hemi's are great looking engines with just being painted. Sounds like you have enough parts to put together a car right now. You would have a running-driving car and gives you time to build or buy the engine you want. As a Sr. in High School, I owned a 1951 Chrysler imperial with a Hemi and automatic transmission weighing about 4500#. Proably about 2000# more than your Model A. That car had more than enough power to accelerate onto the freeway and cruise 70 plus. The 51-53 Hemi's had lower compression and piss poor heads. The best heads are 54-55-56. The one thing that stood out was the engine would run so smooth and quiet, I would sometimes, at traffic lights, have to put it in neutral and rev it up to even tell that it was running and hadn't died.
@1946caddy No problem , Just did not know poking Or under stand witch way to take , there time I know some roll there eye's & some time's I have no clue what they mean because I write all F up & to others it's cryptic. I try to give my experience with things or what I done to fix a issue . There a few like me on here when comes to a R Im not afraid to run on a drive way , parking lot even known to send it full tube ch***is hard tail with 10 foot bar, blow proof can between my leg's 1am
Its all good . I just know some times on the interweb conversations go side ways and you do not know how someone is taking what you wrote ( same with texts ). I have no doubt it will move my build down the road just fine as far cruising. It will be a far cry from what I envisioned when got the cab and was thinking 700 HP plus another 250 or so off a bottle . I have aged since then. and have a nother project down the road planned ( 27 T roadster) that ill scratch the High horse power itch with .I have a ton of SBC speed parts so thats were I hope to use some . I have a running full fendered 28 A PU and yea there very tight inside . Good news is im not tall and can get sort of comfortable . Im not 100% sure how much fire wall or stretching ill need to do to a frame with the stock water pump . the fire wall has a big cut out before from a BBC so im not going to cry if i have to mess with it more . I half *** considered putting the Hemi in my already running 28 with a SBC and 350 trans but Id have to do a bunch to change it and like the OP im not sure its worth it as I may eventually get a hood and sides back on it . Id like to find a original old aluminum 2x4 manifold for the 331 even if its not a wet manifold as I have several sets of matching 4BBls ready to run I could use on it I also have a pair of Holley 2bbls that would work as well. That said the roadster pic of the stock looking hemi I posted really caught my eye with its stock silver paint and a black stock cast iron 4bbl but damn its heavy. Any way its been a good conversation and it adds food for thought .
@1biggun Ok I dum to this , what is so significant Or Improvement about a wet intake ? Is it just intake & maybe out let on head's ? Or a wet set up shorter water pump on non wet ? If so can a hole be taped in top side of head with thought to make things work. On some of my chev combos I plum water from rear of head's not even use the front of heads / intake . I even have used freeze plug holes or drill & tap block , for returns
I have running 28 A all stock body and fenders with about a 375 hp SBC that will rev to 7500. And its a handful and its got some non Hamb suspension so it really handles but it can get me in trouble quick . I had it break loose being stupid at about 60 mph last year and thought I was going off roading for a split second . I have had other high HP stuff. My 57 vette was a 10 second BBC drag car years back . Yea there tight inside . Im only 5'5" so I have that going for me . Id like to channel it on A rails and I could move the cab back slightly and just move the rear end back the same as ill be kicking the rail up in the rear. Im not sure how it will all fit with a stock water pump and a fan . I know there is some hemi in a A threads . I have not rulled out going 32 rails and not channeling it but im not chopping it and I think channeled would look better and its a LOT cheaper on A rails . My 28
@1biggun 32 rails open up bottom of below floor as I am sure you know A frame narrow & run threw center of seat where 32 out @ sub rail . Ladder bars do weird things on street , crown of road , binding in turns , Not for sure on yr truck on rear suspension But on my high hp / tq I use a drag FourLink, Adjustable triangle four link ok , but not as adjustable
On the 331 the water neck is built into the intake and there is no cross over . The latter intakes have the crossover on the front of the heads with the water neck. Most the aftermarket and stock cast irion 4bbls are for the later engines. They can be made to work by drilling and tapping were the water is in the intake and making a cross over to a remote thermostat housing. There are 1954 stock wet 4bbl intakes out there . Id like to loose some weight with an aluminum intake. Im keeping the cast timing cover and going to run a stock pump for now . IF I have to redo the engine then ill buy the aftermarket cover and short snout cam. Right now I want a Hemi in it but I dont want it $7000 bad if to have to replace it . If it kabooms ill likely go Chevy. Who knows . Never had a flat head or caddy yet.
Good points . On were the frame is under you. I was originally going adjustable 4 link with a high HP BBC but with this Hemi im not sure . Might just do split wish bones front and rear with a buggy spring in back on a 8" maverick rear. Its not like im dealing with a lot of HP . Have a T5 i think wpuld go well with a 210 Hp hemi . Other than disk brakes and id like to keep it all HAMB pre 65ish as much as possable. Gas keeps going up it might get a 153" Chevy 4 banger LOL.
Flat head Ha not as fun with out @ least 300 hp $$ , caddy I was remotely helping stuff a 500 in 3W get room with blower & Efi & other modern , A few months ago he left HAMB , he was / is 78 ? ****s cool build 60's looking I keep in touch by phone hear & there
@1biggun I ran a stock s10 rear in a A sedan with 427 sbc 100-110 in 1/8 on 7 inch Bridgestone's no issue But it went witch ever way pointed , no input of steering because front up & unloaded . No slick with sure a broken axle or third
The 51-4 331s have solid front heads & wet intake. The '55 331s have a 4 leg W/P that bolts to the head & block, with dry intake like the 354.
I didn't realize you had a complete running Model A. I wouldn't change a thing except run a hood on it. While not always the case, at this stage of my car building, cars that I like flow better with a hood. You're looking at a lot of work to put your Hemi into your pickup besides the cost to upgrade to the hp you want.
I have had that one ( 28 ) on the road for about 4 years now . I have a hood and sides for it that I'm still working on. So a hood is in the plans hopefully this summer along with a OD trans. Likely a 200R4 if I can get time to get one rebuilt . The 30 cab project will likely have no fenders no hood , 32 grill and a bed and the Hemi and a 5 speed I have . I have a really rough 49 Willys jeep PU thats going to be some sort of rat rod truck thing in 2wd with a chevy and a bunch of misc parts I have not good enough for something nice in the shop and now down to a frame its going to get back halfed so I can get some tire inside the fender . It will get a chevy of some sort .
Thread side way's some what , But I feel where talking about fit mint / room . I want a BJ or Lenco 2 or 3 I can not come up with way to do & keep the stock bench seat , No buckets or center drive . May be I will stumble up on a Jericho or do a Poor Man Lenco . Clutch Turbo
Interesting on the chevy 4 banger. I learned in my case that if I tear something apart, it sometimes takes forever to get it back together. I bought a 1931 Model A coupe a couple of years ago but as I knew in advance after having had a stocker, I would hate driving it. I plan on using it around town exclusively and don't really need to go any faster that 50 mph. My other new project is a 40 Ford with a 331 Hemi for out of town trips and keeping up with traffic on the freeway and the desert of Nevada and p***ing those semi's on the straight stretches. Back to the Model A. I bought the following parts for the Model A. T5, S-10 conversion kit for a four wheel drive transmission to use an enclosed driveline. Quick change rear end setup for traverse spring. 1935 wire wheels with bias belt tires. Lincoln brakes to allow the use of the wires. Peddle conversion kit. Vega cross steer. 4" dropped axle with 42 spindles. Gas tank moved to truck and gas tank filler delete panel on cowl. Posi lowering springs. For the stock 4 banger I bought a 6-1 compression head, MSD distributor, 97 carburetor and I'm going to make my own header/ intake manifold. An awful lot of money spent for a 45-50 hp Model A. The T-5 kit is setup so all I have to do is pull the banger out and a flathead will bolt right in. I'm leaning toward either a chevy banger out of a Nova or a V6 out of a S-10, if the banger doesn't work out. The bottom picture is not mine as mine is shiny black paint, will have the same look and stance.
I have a 200 4r ****** for my Hemi. Got it cheap at an auction and my ****** guy said it looked good inside as is. Was kind of expensive for an adapter with flex plate and starter for the Hemi at $1200. Of course a 200 4r will bolt right up to a sbc.
You can buy these 55-56 heads and use all the parts from your 54 heads and this would allow use of the later dry intake. https://www.ebay.com/itm/1170538820...T7wrSPx8GqbBxZ8+8N7IKgLg==|tkp:Bk9SR7Kpx-WpZw
Ad Weber intake at about $500 and Webers (arm and leg) and this is what your engine could look like. The arm and a leg = $6500 plus $500 for manifold
The 181 CI Mercruiser 4banger that is just a Chevy 153 Nova engine but bigger in bore and stroke is rated at 140 HP in a boat and the 2.5 / 153 is rated at 120 in a boat and that is the same basic block and stuff as the nova . I think the 3.0 / 181 would be a good option for a A with a 5speed . I think with a intake and header and some light head work and a maybe milling the head a bt you can get 160 HP out of these engines . the marine cam almost matches the 250 6Cly performance cam that Inliners sells . Many guys say the marine cam is not good on the street and some guys say there fine . I think with a stick it would be fine . I have a couple of these engines and may put one in a Speedway fiber gl*** 27 T body and frame I have . There s a pretty good thread on these chevy 4 cyl here . Ill likely pick up a stock cast 4bbL manifold for the 331 Hemi and drill and tap it for water line out and just make up a cross over and remote water neck . Its the cheapest way to get a 4bbl on it . Yea the trans adapter is a big cost to set up for a Hemi but it sure gives a lot of transmission options . I guess once its done its water under the bridge . Id also like a mostly stock A that could run down the highway a bit better. I think the chevy 4 looks OK in them. Back in the 80's a guy I knew had a Pinto engine in a mostly stock A roadster PU and he drove it almost every day .
Hot Heads offers this solution for the water crossover. Not the best looking but should work. https://www.hothemiheads.com/water_pumps/thermostat_kit.html
That what I was thinking & With thought I would when trying to clean look I would make cross over out of aluminum tig make ears like for Two 1/4 bolt / stud's on intake with O ring Just to eliminate all the fittings there's probably close to $150-200 in fitting & hose , After my time labor weld probably the same but cleaner looking
Yea I have seen it . The braided lines do not look great on a traditional car but I could make something similar and the block is available they use . You can also T into a block with a radiator hose site out let and then use a inline thermostat . When I spoke to Hot Heads I asked about the stock water pump needing the by p*** house if Iused there set up and was told no . You will notice the Chevy water pump conversions do not use a byp*** hose either . I was told I could block it off . Another set up I saw was the owner used radiator with dual top inlets and ran two hoses with in line thermostats from each side of the intake it looked pretty good IMO I have thread I started on maybe doing a home made u fab intake but with 2x4 carbs ir even one 4bbl , Id use a blower carb plate . There are pre cut intake flanges for about $70 and Id get some mandrel bent tubes to keep it low . I have a mill and can modify a stock dry manifold . Id still like to avoid all that weight
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