I want a flathead, am I crazy??

I've heard those flat-head motors are unreliable, overheat all the time too, don't have any torque and aren't worth their weight in scrap. I'd never have anything like that. They're crap if you ask me. Go with the sbc and find a good auto trans. It's all very easy to find that way in the cataloges too. Good Luck....

 

Yeah, but also maybe consider a different kind of flat head other than the typical Ford V8. What about a Cad or Lincoln, etc.? What other cool flathead V8's are out there to consider? I know Studebaker only made in-line flatheads, no V's. Could also go with an in-line flathead. Doesn't necessarily have to be a V motor.

 

This thread is getting fun! OK so you want to build a "traditional" hot rod so you start with a flathead, but then guys put electronic ignitions,alternators hidden inside a generator case, and then back it all up with a T-5 or C/4 and run late model axles in that period perfect quickchange. You ain't really hardcore unless you carry a spare axle key in your pocket! What you really have is a "traditional" STYLED hot rod. Nothing wrong with that, but just remember 50 years ago we were replacing our flatheads with SBC's as soon as they were in the junkyards. You were really cool if you had a SBC in your 40's vintage hot rod. Don't forget the SBC is only 2 years younger than a late model flathead. OK, let the stoning begin.

 

I don't understand the hostility to the chevy smallblock.

My reasoning behind telling you to build the car with a flathead is that it flows better with a traditional style rod.

Smallblocks have their place, but if you wanted to build a 50's style hot rod, you will be spending some decent coin on a "correct" smallblock anyway.

The beauty of being a owner/builder is that the parts of the build that are the most cost-prohibitive are usually labor. If you are going to do your own labor then you have brought the price of an era correct smallblock and a flathead ford MUCH closer together.

Like you said, you're not building a race car, so you don't need pricey speed equipment.

Chris is right 99% of the time if it will spin, it will run.

Of the 30 or so cars I've been involved with building, only one NEEDED an actual rebuild. Everything else needed a good cleaning and gaskets. Go for it!!

You won't regret it!

 

i might only be a FNG but i hope your being sarcastic.

 

Only one way to learn, in boots and all.
Hey I'm building a Nailhead, never sold here and never saw one until I got mine.
Doc.

 

I like flattys and would run one. My car has a 350. I wouldnt change it. I can go to the local parts store and get most anything I need to keep it gping. Its nice to drive my car. I drive it pretty hard too. I dont think a flatty would last long for me. Also a sbc makes a lot more power. I like going fast. Just my .02

 

This is what I would like to see!

 

Its very rare that i'll rag on a fellow Hamber's posts, but these arguments about FH V SBC V HEMI blah blah on the HAMB simply give me the shits, esp statements like the ignorant one above......dude , you simply don't get it.

He's "heard" that Flatheads are unreliable etc etc....how many flatheads have YOU actually built, driven, raced and had blown up? From the tone of the above post......NONE. You convenently forget that MILLIONS of Flatheads were built and fitted to cars that drove BILLIONS of miles on shitty roads, with shitty fuel, shitty oil and shitty coolants and ran for ever and ever...........

Shit man, Ive built MoPar v8s and sixes, SBC's and Flatheads...my first Flathead build was blown, runs like a raped ape, NEVER gets hot (does'nt even run an engine fan) and is STILL running strong. Tell all of us Hambers about the Flathead you built?

There is nothing wrong with ANY of these engines be they a Flathead or an SBC, the key is to build em properly using quality parts by someone who knows/cares about what they are doing. Its not enough to know how to build an engine correctly, you have to know how to dial it in to get MAX efficiency, reliability and performance from it too. If either is compromised you're gonna end up with a boat anchor and then blame the engine brand or design, which is what our friend is doing in the above quote.

I like vintage 283's, early Hemis and Flatheads and have ALL three AND love them all. An engine is an engine is an engine.

Build what YOU want and who the fuck cares what someone's friend of another friend's buddy said about Flatheads doing ""this" or Hemis doing that.

JUST BUILD WHAT YOU LIKE and get on with it - life's too short man.

My 2 dinero.

Rat

 

Dude, your out of your mind. "I've heard"??? Well I've heard that the moon is made of blue cheese. I'm pretty sure its not true.

I hope your being sarcastic.

Flatty makes ok power, overheating problems are solved by using a bigger fan and a good dizzy. (contact GmcBubba) and as for reliabilty, I have had no problems with ours, and I dont baby it for sure.

That being said, if your building a car to outrun all your buddies, might go with something else. If your building a car to make yourself happy, go with a flatty.

As for carrying spares in the trunk, its not from a reliablity standpoint, its knowing that parts are not on the counter at the parts store anymore.

 

miss my flatty already. that sound makes up for every bit of horsepower it didnt have.

 

this sound???
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkrnY9daj4w
</EMBED>

 

First, I have to say to the people that say it takes $10k to build a 200hp flathead, you are out of your mind! You can build a 250/300hp street motor for that money or less! IMHO

Secondly, when you build a car you need to sit down and plan what you want, how much you can afford to spend, and how much time it will take you. Then you need to go out and do it, but don't change direction during the build or you may never get it finished.

As for motors, up until 4 years ago I thought a flathead was a boat anchor. I met the late Rod Furtado and he changed my mind..............and I haven't looked back.

Before that I had a lot of street cars and drag raced for quite a few years...............I ran SBC, SBF, and BBF's. Again, it's what your budget can handle.

It does take a little more money to build a flathead................................................if
you don't care about how much HP you have and aren't going to drag race the car, you can build a very nice looking and reliable flatty for under $2k buy buying smart.

So....................if you want to build a flathead............go out and do it. If not then build the Chevy......................It's your car, build it the way you want..................if you don't like the motor after driving for a year or two.....................then change it.............isn't that what hot rodding is about!

Oh Yeh!......................................."Real Hot Rods Don't Have Valve Covers"!

 

seriously you would think that back before the mid fifties that people didnt drive there flatheads across country or anywhere else,that basically people didnt drive until chevy bought the small block out.GET THE FLATHEAD,its traditional,it will last and it will add ten fold to any rod you build,DONT listen to the bullshit and hype about unreliable,motors.The small block is blah.anyone and everyone has one ,hey there the kragen motor.get the original hot rod engine

 

ya! nice belly button! Get a clue! TRADITIONAL!!!!!

 

All those poor guys with Ardun heads driving around in their fake hot rods. I pitty them!

 

To me, it's all about building what you want. What motor is going to bring you joy? I wanted a flathead in my 37 Ford. I love the sound and the look but more than that it was the challenge of it. I had only done SBC's before so there is a learning curve for me with the flathead.

I get to talk with a lot of older guys about flatheads. They get excited telling me about them, how to tune them and make them really run. Even my son's bus driver. He owned a garage here in town and keeps telling me how he used to race flathead powered stock cars and beat the piss out of them. It's cool to see how he lights up when he talks about them. He's given me some great info.

I'll admit it's more expensive to do a flathead than a SBC but it's what I wanted to do. I'm not building my motor or my car to please anyone but myself - plain and simple.

Follow you bliss, dude.

 

Looking at it from a purely neutral stand point, doesnt all this really depend on what you consider to be "traditional"? I mean surely you can have, 40's trad, 50's trad, 60's trad, they are all trad but they are all different styles. Paint wise, wheel wise, engine wise you make your own choice. I dont wanna get into a pissing contest here it just seems to me tradition is in the eye of the beholder. I love flatheads and small block chevys and small block fords and nailheads and y-blocks..... and..... and..... Different strokes for differnt folks Paul

 

Damn "A Chopped Coupe", I wish i hadn't looked at your pics of your flattie! The weaning process is really tough!! They are "gnarly" as they say. Kind of like politics..too far one way or the other in your opinion can be boring.

 

Crazy in a good way, got a sbc in the sedan,hemi in the cabriolet and a flatty in the coupe. You know what, they are ALL LOTS of FUN . They're all have issues and all have spare parts in the back along with tools. They all cost some but look around and you can find guys upgrading or going down a new road and have parts forsale.
My brake down on the motors are:

Flatty: best sound of all hand down, great looks ,good performance and easy to fix and build. Med cost of building one and parts now are plenty but rare parts are $$$$ as with most rare parts. Lightest of all three motors Cool great choice.

Hemi: Great sound, great performance, great looks bit harder to build and parts are $$$$ and Heavy. Cool great choice

Chevy: Good sound, good looks,good performance and tons of cool performance goodies . Building one is cheaper then the rest because it's been around for 40 plus years and parts a plenty . Cool great choice

I don't see a problem with any motor that your happy with just . Just get her on the road and drive the shit out of her and bring your tools and parts, they just might come in handy
Don't be a sheep, you'll get eaten by the Wolf

 

Re: "its the most power full engine in its time"

No, not really. The claim was that it was the fastest mass-produced "popular" car.
Which is why the police, FBI, etc. used Lincolns, Packards, etc. with far more powerful engines that easily overhauled them despite more weight.

 

One good thing, if you use a flathead, you can save money on brakes because your car will be slow enough that you won't hardly need 'em.

 

Zombie Hot Rod,

Quoted:
"All those poor guys with Ardun heads driving around in their fake hot rods. I pitty them!"


An Ardun is not really a "Flathead", it has "Over Head Valves", (OHV's)...............so those poor souls with Ardun "Conversions", are actually running Ardun motors in their hot rods. And I assume that some of those poor souls are running the new Furgeson Aluminum Ardun Block also................Don't get me wrong, I'd love to build an Ardun Motor...........................but unfortunately my pockets are not quite that deep to be able to spend the necessary $20/30K............(maybe if I win the lottery), but they do look neat!

IMHO

 

I have been going round and round about the same thing. SBC vs. Flathead. I live just outside San Antonio Tx and haven't really been able to find anyone who seems to know a whole lot about the flathead. I really want to build one, but have never built ANYTHING. Anyone know anybody around San Antonio willing to teach a FNG how to build one?

 

what makes me laugh is all these people giving shit to the faithful flathead while driving fords themselves.Your ok with rolling around town with your ford ,but your engine is something else.wheres the loyalty,respect and love for the tradition of this hobby.Its just me, but hypocrite comes to mind,easy way out comes to mind.Do what you will but the flathead has lasted this long and the fact that we are debating this 76 years since this engine was cast,means you SBC guys havent won yet,and i dont think you will,thats durability,thats reliability,thats the flathead!

 

I like the looks of a dressed flattie and would like to have one in my A bone when it is built, but current plans call for using my 371 Olds and the tripower setup. That's classic enough for me right now.

 

I sold my baby Hemi and bought a flathead. So I must be crazy too.

 

I have not read all of the responses but take it from one who has been driving a flathead for over 5 years, at 70-80 MPH, and I get 20-22 MPG: you may not get off the line hard but other than that, you'll run just as hard as everyone else at speed. After all, it's all about gearing anyway.

I bought a French block w/main caps, installed a 4" crank, Elgin cam w/adj lifters, 2 deuces, Speedway water pumps, stock 8BA distributor w/Pertronix conversion, headers and duals, stock fuel pump (w/electric backup), recored radiator, presently with an S-10 4-speed, Ford 8" w/2:78 gears and I have also run a 5-speed w/3:50 gears. You'll sound great, look good, and everyone thinks you're running a SBC going down the road anyway until they either hear it or see the flattie under the hood. I'm a 255 cube engine with probably no more than 110 HP and I'm having more fun with the car, a black 40 Ford standard coupe, than the other 454/700R4, built smallblocks and T350s 40 coupes, and the dual quad 409 4-speed combo that was my old 62 Chevy. It's a traditional hot rod that looks good and runs on down the road.

What is it you really what you want out of the car? I wanted a flattie powered vehicle I could drive anywhere, cross country tomorrow if I wanted to, with minimal problems. Sure I carry an extra fuel pump, starter, carbs, distributor - that's just me. In all the 5 years I've driven the car, I've only really had to change a starter and distributor and the distributor was my own damn fault.

I'm not saying to go or not to go with an SBC - that's your decision. I'm just pointing out that flatties do not have to be trouble-prone, do not have to run hot, and they can be the greatest driving thrill you'll ever have.

Contact me if you'd like - I'd be more than happy to offer assistance in any way I can.

BTW, check out my photo - 32 Ford, 40 flattie, 5-speed, open drive banjo rear - my latest project that'll hopefully be on the road soon and running with da boyz long distance and at speed.

 

I think flatheads are pretty cool, but you're going to be the one driving this thing. What's more important to you, looking cool and nostalgic, or having lots of horsepower? You can still have fun driving with a flathead, but if you enjoy having tons of power and it's your only hotrod, you might regret it. I don't think I could give up lots of horsepower just for the sake of looking cool in my hotrod, but I'm glad there's still a lot of guys who still have cool old flatheads in their rods.

 

I'm a FNG & shouldn't be sticking my neck out. Especially since I read the first page of postes & skimmed the rest.

Use the SBC you have sitting in the floor. Why? 'Cause you have it. You seem to have the same problem I do. You what to do. Get after it. Now!