ardun heads on a 50 flathead?

run that little beast......I guess it never hurts to try and find that stuff, you never know. I've heard of stranger things turning up in unlikely places....

oh, damn, I bet that spider on your noggin hurt

 

That Riley **** is cool.

 

A friend of mine is remaking these dixon heads, and they are available.

A couple of years ago a guy had a set of the riley V8 heads at the long beach CA swapmeet and wanted 25K they were the first and only set i've ever seen.

 

When I said Riley I ment the single cam Riley V-8

I often have a chance to look at all this stuff next to each other and the SOHC Riley is better looking and much smaller than the Davis

And as for 60's I like the Jigglers best.....

 

If you like cleavage, the Riley V8 is a winner!

 

The ARDUN V8-60 heads were cast in Germany and used the Bristol design rocker arm setup. When I sold this one for $2,500.00 it was "Good Money", kind of wish I still had it.

 

Do you have any idea about the application this wasintended for??


And thanks to all for sharing this info.

GRSMNKYCUSTOMS
Like a lot of treads here on the HAMB thinks get a bit "out of hand", but cool info.

 

Briefly, it is my understanding that they were developed for a racing series that never materialized. Wayno

 

Ok, I've been kicking myself for selling this for years, but at the time it was a great deal, allowed me to by parts for a '32 roadster I was building at the time. NEVER EVER sell a race car or motor without backtracking its history. The ARDUN V8-60 I had a br*** tag riveted to the top of the block with #1001. I was told it spent its life on a dyno, and was setup to run in a midget. Fast forward to some time last year when I bought the GREAT book ZORA Argus-Duntov The Legend Behind Corvette by Jerry Burton. On page 94 there is a photo of an ARDUN equiped V8-60, and the story about it. Zora himself drove the car and set a new Track Record at Yellowjacker Speedway. Same car, same engine? I think so. I did keep an extra cam follower.

 

There is no number on this ARDUN V8-60 midget, so I don't know if it is the same car Zora drove or not. Look at how nicely the bodywork flows around the ARDUN rocker cover. Wonder if this is sitting in the back of a barn or garage?

 

Strictly gold chain material to say the least.

 

Nice to learn something new about old racing stuff.
I where quite blank on V8-60 Arduns.
Would love more info.


....and guys please stop nagging about prices/gold chains etc everytime someone seeks info or gives info on cool stuff like this.
It's all obvious to all of us that only a few can finaly buy this ****. No need to repeat that time after time.
Let it be and soak up the info and knowledge instead.

 

"....and guys please stop nagging about prices/gold chains etc everytime someone seeks info or gives info on cool stuff like this.
It's all obvious to all of us that only a few can finaly buy this ****. No need to repeat that time after time.
Let it be and soak up the info and knowledge instead."

- I second that....There's no way in hell I could afford this stuff, but it doesn't cost anything to talk about it and learn about it....it's even free to look at pics of this stuff- wow. Just cause it costs a fortune, we can't discuss it? Since when has any hotrodder really given two ****s about what a part costs when they need it to finish their rod?? They do it anyway they can, even if it means forking it over.....Smiles per dollar is way lopsided in the end to our favor- if that's not the case for you, you better find another hobby

 

I could not agree with you more Farmer.
This AV8 I'm building has nothing to do with comon sense, sound economy, best possible hp pr weight or anything.
It's an urge to make something I love. It will probably never have that wonderfull Scot blower or Arduns, but who knows. If I learn enough about it I have had my fun and are scilled to make any kind of decission if the day of possibillities come my way.


In many cases we deal with envy here. For some ,that feeling is stronger than their ***ual instincts.
Poor people, they miss out on a lot.
Keep the daydream alive. It's for free god damn it.

Paul

 

AV8-Ardun heads on a 50 flathead?
Quote: "The ARDUN V8-60 heads were cast in Germany and used the Bristol design rocker arm setup."

"Do you have any idea about the application they were intended for??"

NOT; to be quoted as gosple: But an old German machinist I worked with a few years ago told me ARDUN heads - the ones that fit Ford flathead - were first designed as a "bandaid fix" for Ford flathead engines that were being used in large coal trucks. At the time the engines were suffocating - not to say seriously under powered - coming from down in the mines; and - here the story; his; gets fuzzy - Ford appealed to Ardun for a way to boost HP without having to replace engines.

The heads helped; but not enough.
The heads experienced gasket sealing problems - they kept boosting the compresson ratio - as well as tuning. (set-up) Plus any of the engines that had been factory relived; the Ardun's couldn't be used.

So Ford then turned to the Super Charger Company of Turin. Known then as Italica Mechanica, a well known builder of HP enhansing accessories, (blowers mainly) and the Ardun - Ford flathead specific - heads moved to the shelf.

Ardun history is actually quite exciting and considering the fact they're back in vouge, I'm sure there are some others that can correct this little piece of trivia. I'm quite sure the old machinist fellow meant well, but his memmory was getting a bit, as I said - fuzzy. (and probably mine too! )

 

Dave, that was the story of the Arduns for the BIG motor (239). Mine was the story about the V8-60. Wayno

 

Wayno, (how ya doin' by the way?) Your right. But there was a piece of V8-60 history that MIGHT have had an influence on why Ardun heads were produced for them.

Ford came out with the small V8 in 1937 to provide a more fuel efficient and less expensive option to the regular 85hp equipped cars and light commercial vehicles. These engines were obvious by their small size and the 17 Stud heads.

Ford also built the 60hp engine for the European market with some modifications.

The water pumps are also mounted in a common casting that mounts to the front of the engine and serves as the timing cover and engine mount. In the first year of production, these engines had "tin" sided outer water jackets which were welded onto the cylinder portion of the block. The production of the tin-sided blocks ended in April, 1937. Late 1937 and newer model year vehicles had the newer and more conventional "all cast iron" blocks. 1940 was the final year for the 60hp since the new 90hp six cylinder engine would debut for 1941.

(this meant that V8-60's production that could be equiped with Ardun heads would be limited to LESS than three years! )

The V8 Sixty was a popular engine for aftermarket applications, particularly the quarter midget race cars.

Due to its low horsepower and torque, the engine was not considered very powerful by customers for the p***enger cars and light trucks that Ford installed them in.

Given that to tool up, and produce Ardun's for a totally different engine that only saw three (or less) years of production wouldn't be cheap ...
Is it possible that buyers of cars equiped with the V8-60's went after Ford to produce something (an accessory) to give the little 60 HP engine some "zip?" Especially in Europe.

Now, if quarter midget racing was popular in Europe; that might have given Ardun a big enough market to go into production. (or so they might have thought)

We know the Ardun heads WERE made for the V8-60; the question STILL remains WHY?

Many of the quarter midget racers - a least the ones that raced on the tracks that I hung around - considered the Ardun heads the "Hope Diamond" of racing accessories; EXPENSIVE - at the time - and "touchy" to tune. AND they were forced to run in cl***es that didn't have a lot of compe***ion.

 

No one mentioned Maxi heads (I think) like in Isky's roadster. Anyone got any pics of those??

 

Jealousy's a *****, ain't it?

 

I think the car was featured in The Rodders Journal a while back. here is a photo from 1947.

 

Whatever you're putting it better have no hood sides, or a big engine bay, those things are big!

 

if i only had owned my 1930 coupe and no cars else i would buy a pair of ardunheads, all the money i've thrown into my other cars could easily turn into 2 pairs of ardun heads ....

 

About 12 years ago, me and my dad met Ed Iskederian(sp?)(I think it was the LA Roadster show,if my memory serves me right), I was 13 or 14 yrs old, it was like meeting superman. I asked him about the heads on his roadster, he told me that they were a very low production number piece even when he got them, and were made to boost the power on garbage trucks in big cities like NY and such. One of my treasured moments in life. He talked to me and answered my questions like any other person, not just the dumb **** kid with a NOFX shirt that wasn't even old enough to drive yet(that I was). Ok, enough story tell, back to the thread. As for the Ardun V8-60 This thread should shed some lite on the lifespan of the baby V8:
http//www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=50937
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=31527&highlight=brazil
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=65224&highlight=Brazil+V8-60

I'd love to get my hands on one of those little numbers. I wonder if they are based on the ARDUN conversion, either way, they are very cool. A set of V8-60 Arduns were on ebay about 6months ago, the ad said there wereon three known sets in existence, he got 80g's for'em.

Drew

 

It has been almost 30 years since I parted with the ARDUN V8-60, but I somehow remember that the 60 block was factory relieved and that had to be welded up and machined flush with the block. Any 60 guys out ther to confirm that?

 

Should be enough 60 guys around here to give us this info if all where relieved. Bruce, you got to know.
Relieveing and OHV sets can not match. At least not on the large ones. Should be no different for the 60's

I bought my engine block, (factory relieved) from a guy who where going to use a pair of Original Arduns in his car. He had to change block when he found the set.
He bought them in Sweden about 25 years ago.
The car is a handbuildt racer from the 50's. Build by one of the most famous motor-dudes/engine builder/race-mechanic etc etc. in Norway from 1940-80's. Greger Strøm.
I've posted these pics a couple of years ago here, but you can bare with it once more I guess.

I guess I'm a bit sick and probably more interested in old Flathead stuff than what is good for me............, but it felt good just to touch them.

Paul

 

sad thing about my flathead is that the block is heavily relived so an ardun on that engine is kinda a bad idea i suppose ahwell atleast i got a real nice flathead and all my 5 rocket engines

 

Psycho ... 5 ROCKET Engines ?? Are you planning a Trip to the Moon ..
Thanx guys ,..Cool tread
BTW .. The Brazilian-made Simca/Ford "60"ohv-conversion might be the way to go for those of us with a slim wallet .Cool little engine with a LOT of potensial.

 

nah i plan to get 2-3 more rocket engines then i can fly to the moon (eyes?), then i can use my 401 nailhead as a start engine for them all

but how easy is it to get hold of the brazilian ohv v8 60, probally easier to find ordinary ardunheads, especially new made ones...

i wish i had one of each though..

 

Psycho . . We had a discussion on Hamb about the Brazil-"Ardun" back in`03 . At that time I found 3 complete&running cars for sale on the net ( all in south america ) . Nut sure , but I belive the Newest was a`71 (!) .None of those cars was priced above US$ 8000 . Things (prices) might have changed since then .

 

AV8-Rider, Thanks for posting the photos, I'd never seen them before. That is an early ARDUN that had the br*** tag riveted below ARDUN that said Made in England, water outlets are in a different location too.