GENUINE ARDUN CYLINDER HEADS AND ENGINE PACKAGE

ARDUN
A unique part of Australian Motoring history is now
for sale as a package for the first time since acquisition in 1960.

Ford, “Flathead” V8 with “ARDUN OHV” cylinder head conversion

The heritage and pedigree of the components and engineering rare.

The “Ardun” engine package consists of a genuine set of Ardun cylinder heads
as first designed engineered and cast by Zora Arkus-Duntov in New York.

What makes these cylinder heads even more unique is they are the first units
“Made in England” in 1950-51 after the Ardun Mechanical Corporation of
New York closed in 1949.
Duntov moved to England forging a three year alliance with Sydney Allard, fitting
the ARDUN engine package to the J2 Allard and successfully racing in Le Man’s.

It is not believed that these heads were for use on the ALLARD project but may
have been destined for use on Council dump trucks or export back to the US.

The previous Australian owner of these heads, circa 1961, had them as “spares”
for his circuit race boat Very few survivors of the “original” Ardun Heads exist.
Only 250 sets were made, most have been destroyed in early
Drag racing, Speedway Salt lake and boat racing.

Included with the heads are rocker covers, rocker gear, new one piece valves,
lightweight retainers double valve springs, lightweight cross drilled cam followers
and lightweight, hollow chrome moly pushrods.

The engine package started out with a 46’ Merc block that was previously used in
Circuit boat racing on Albert Park Lake, Melbourne in the late 50s and early 60s.

The engine block has been welded to fill in the relief area to create a full head
gasket surface, the valve openings and ports blanked as required.
The “Block” was fully pre heated, welded hot, reheated for stress
relief and gently cooled down over a period of days.

This skilled workmanship and welding procedure performed by
Thompson Engineering of South Melbourne in 1962.

Much of the machine work and engineering of the engine has been performed
by the renowned Australian Hotrodder and Drag Racer Eddie Thomas,
in his workshop in Caulfield. Melbourne.
( Eddie Thomas was a founding member and lifetime member of Southern
Hot Rods, Melbourne, Australia. Ed has recently p***ed away the engine
itself belongs to one of Ed's closest friends of the era),

Eddie Thomas's Speed Shop was responsible for the machining of the block after welding.
After tunnel aligning and surfacing and the cylinders bored 1/8 of an inch.

The forged steel crank has been magnafluxed, offset ground to increase the stroke by 3/16
ofan inch and has been tuftrided the rotating ***embly and flywheel have been balanced.
The capacity of the engine is now around 277 cubic inches ??

One of the Eddies skilled “ratbag” employees (name forgotten)
hand fabricated a new Solid Steel Main bearing caps, “afterhours”,
to support the load of the added horsepower.

The original con rods have been magnafluxed, checked for straightness,
resized shot-peened and fitted with new rod bolts.
The rods are fitted with lightweight hi comp dome top pistons which have
been fly cut for valve clearance and have full floating wrist pins.

Eddie also designed the grind for the camshaft which has been reground and tuftrided.
The workshop also manufactured the hollow, lightweight ***anium push rods.

Period Hilborn injection and a Scincilla, Vertex magneto complete the
package along with “standard, Ardun” carburetted manifolds.

The engine was speced out, machined, dummy ***embled and pulled down for
storage while the car and ch***is for which it was being built were completed.

Unfortunately, due to life cir***stances, the engine will not be put to use for its original
purpose and now looks for a new owner and home to preserve this rare piece of
history and help it reach its ultimate potential, $35,000 Australian Dollars.

Kindest Regards Terry