I want a flathead, am I crazy??

I guess you could call me a waffler too!

I have a '26/'27 T project...........I originally wanted a Hemi; found an intact one still in a Fifties New Yorker in a private yard I used to haunt. The owner's son owns the car but as of yet, he won't let it go (I keep bugging him, every time I go up there, so I'm hoping some day that engine will be mine). Then I found a '53 Flatty in the same yard. $150 for the engine. Then thinking of finances (lack of $$) I thought that the freebe '71 460 lying around would make more sense. Then a good friend owed me some money so he gave me a '64 300 Buick V-8 with factory aluminum heads. Light V-8 engine in a light hot rod; makes sense!

Well several months later, and boy a flathead sounds good again. I probably should just go up and buy the engine to have around!

 

HaHa!! I LIKE that one. Gotta remember it.

 

The problem is that I have a clue. I have 2 cars with flatheads. Both are as traditional as snow at Christmas. Picture of one attached. The other is still in process.

 

I went through the Flathead addiction and still think they are a awesome looking engine..I also wanted a Hemi and put one in my 1935, it's a 241 Baby Hemi Dodge..Not fast but enough for me and I get the WOW factor like the Flathead..
My thinking is, it's my Hot Rod I will put in it what I want..
Duane.

 

I recommend using a flathead and agree with TomT.
I have 5000 trouble free miles on a fairly aggressively built '50 merc flattie in a '27 T. Its been driven to 2 hamb drags, abused, and driven home. For proof that I would do it again, I'm putting a flathead in a '29 sedan and a '30 coupe, both of which will be driven....hard.

 

Nope. I drove 1800 miles cross country with no spare parts. Well, that's not entirely true - after I chewed up a belt and got a new one, I kept the old one just in case (it was shredded, but whole). Drive a flathead daily. 200 miles/week. Rain, snow, sunshine - doesn't overheat. Runs well.

You could do the same with your flathead. Your assertion implies that flatheads are unreliable. If yours are, you're doing it wrong. Here's a smiley so you won't get mad:

I believe this to be sarcasm. I kept waiting for the, "...just send it to me" punchline.

No stoning. I don't have a T5, but I will put one in. It has nothing to do with reliability, it lets me cruise easier. I could use a Columbia I guess, but the T5 is loads cheaper. I'm taking the time to adapt it to the torque-tube rear. And I do have an axle key...in my toolbox!

Yep - tell that to Flatdog (RIP), Blown Flathead, Big Jungle Jim, etc - all are running 12s at well over 105mph in street trim...

Agreed.

My "point" with my comment "you're doing it wrong" was tongue-in-cheek. I forgot the smiley. I don't claim one engine is "better" than any other, but what I do take exception to is the implication and downright mis-information that a flathead is unreliable. It's no more complicated than your lawnmower engine. If someone ran flatheads for 45 years and then makes a statement about how he'd rather be able to drive his SBC anywhere - the very clear implication is his flathead is unreliable. If so, it's a problem with that specific flathead (or it's parts combo, tuning, or operator) - not flatheads in general. And, I am in no way attacking Z.Diddy or anyone else - simply making clear that flatheads are reliable.

Several folks use them as daily drivers without any issues at all. If you've reached a point in your life where you'd rather have AC, PS, PDB, etc - no problem and perhaps a SBC is better suited to handle those types of accessories, but don't say a flathead is no good because it doesn't deal with that sort of stuff well...

 

building a car is a very personal thing.....
if you care that much about what your buddy thinks, why dont you build his car?
And if your buddy cares that much about your car let him build it.
if YOU want a traditional rod go on ebay and buy a couple 1970's rod and custom or hotrod magazines and look through them.just please for your own sake; make your own choices(to your financial and skill level) and enjoy

 

Some guy's need to do there home work before they post crap like this!

 

Flatheads are cool, man. But it depends on what you're builiding this hot rod to do. I'm a Nailhead guy myself, it's a good, reliable, powerful motor, but I've only ever really had Nailheads, so I'm biased.

Do whatever you want to. Don't worry about stepping on anybody's toes, just do what you want.

 

Putting a chevy engine in a Ford is the same as transplanting a pigs heart in a human. You wouldn't do that would you?

 

Putting a flathead engine in any old car is cool no matter what make or model. A sbc in an old car is street rod. only my .02 ¢

 

no explanation needed Z. D. those of us who "get it" understand completely.

 

No? Here's what you said in post #45:

While you didn't specifically say they were unreliable in your first post, you certainly implied you can't "...drive and use it everyday..." or "...start and drive at 70 mph..." with the flathead; only the SBC.

Then this in post #52 confuses me:

And this up above:

What does being "...a little older..." mean? That you're too old to drive a flathead? That flatheads are for young kids? I'm missing the connection between being older and wanting a 60s style, or not wanting a flathead. If you're after a 60s style - super! SBC works well, no question.

What I do detect is your disdain of "scenesters" and johnny-come-latelys who are in it for the latest fad. You mention having "nothing left to prove" and the "badge of honor" engine. I'm not trying, nor do I feel it necessary, to prove anything to anyone. I had my first flatty in a daily driver in 1985 - '51 F1 Panel Truck. Built my first flatty back in '96. So I certainly don't have years and years of experience, but I also don't fall into the "fad" crowd either.

For what it's worth, I'd like it better if the current fad faded away too - the prices are getting silly!

I do believe (passionately - in case you couldn't tell) that the flathead can be just as reliable as any other engine...

Well, I guess I just don't "get it"

 

flat ernie, no way was that directed at you. i see your side and z d side. i get together on sundays sometimes with the old timers if you will, and alot of them do have flathead powerded cars and also modern power early fords. i think they get a kick out of seeing someone younger doing what they did at that age. i think maybe that is part of what z d is trying to get across. these guys have lived it. i dont agree with it, but let them run the overhead.

 

No, I get that. The guys that went before are who we owe a great deal to. I just hate to see folks swayed away from flatheads because of undeserved reputations.

We're all free to choose what to run - no questions. But when someone asks for opinions and gets potentially misleading info, it's not fair to them not to set the record straight.

I can read Z.Diddy's deleted post and hear what he's saying. The trick is it wasn't necessarily clear.

Oh hell...I'm just tired & grumpy now!

It'd be boring as hell if we all drove the same things. It's our passion for one brand or style that drives each of us...

 

There are guys who spend 5k to 10k building a flathead. But they're putting every new or rare part they can find on them. I bet you realistically could do it for under than 3k to fully rebuild one (machining etc) if you started with a decent engine and didn't want to hop it up with everything under the sun. Then again, for 3k you could by new crate engine.

It all depends on what you want to get out if it. I'm personally not a fan of big or loud, so lots of hp and going real fast doesn't do it for me. My flathead will get me from my house to work in the exact same time as anybody elses sbc, because the limiting factor is not the engine, it's the speed limit and traffic. On the other hand, you can't always go to Lordco or Napa and just pick up a part off the shelf.

 

True true, but the good thing about an SBC is you won't need to pay for gas, they're so ugly you won't want to take them out the the garage.

 

I don't see why you'd say that. A healthy flathead should not overheat all time time. A stock 239 flathead produced about 100ph and 200 ft/lbs of torque.

 

I agree with most of your comments. Technically, they're not that unique. They were such a successful engine, produced over so many years they're actually not that unique.

Now the dipshit who heard that flathead's all overheat all the time, hopefully HE'S unique, cuz the world don't need more of him!

 

It cracks me up when some SBC lover says "no flathead, if you want performance get an SBC". What? Who ever thought those were performant?! I love flatheads, have nothing against an SBC, but if you want "performance" go get a honda s2000 or subaru wrx. If you think your SBC is a performance engine, pull your head out of your ass. High HP doesn't necessarily mean performance. A high HP SBC is like sticking 20 punds of shit in a 10 pound bag. :>


... waitin' for the hatin'...

 

Thats what ya should do! a S2000 motor! Don't those bad boys rev to 9000+ stock? and what would that sound like from open headers with a line of strombergs on top?
But seriously...

Why not run the SBC for now and not spend ANY $$$ on it and put that into building a flatty? From the other posts it sounds like you could make the motor mounts interchange, and you could leave the trans in place. Drive the car for a while, when your flatty is done, swap it. IF you dont like that, swap it for that honda motor

 

I drove A 27 T v8 roadster cross country and back this Aug, 4inch v8/39 trans/ 32ford rearend with torque tube and A nonpressure 32 ford radiator. All ford parts! my 2 cents, Jared

 

A honda! oh man LOL

 

$300 for just a good block would be a steal . A good 4" crank listed in the HAMB classified for $300 wouldn't last a day .

I didn't just make up some numbers . I'm in the planning stage , building an 8ba . I look for vintage parts on the HAMB classified , Ebay , and local swaps . I've priced new parts at H&H , SPEEDWAY , REDS , THE HOT ROD COMPANY , and FLATHEADJACK'S .New part prices are comparable . H&H will most likly handle the machine work . I'll do the porting , polishing , painting , and all the assemble myself .
This was just a rough idea on cost to HP , not the best deal you found on a used running FH .These are real numbers , + or minus depending on what you want to skip out on ,, why not run factory heads and intake with a signal carb ,, cheap pistons ? or used pistons and just do a ring job ? I don't think thats what he was looking for ,,, He was asking about MAX HP . I just thought I'd put some real numbers with it . $$$= the sky.

I know a few places I could buy one complete and running " with my credit card " , and for a lot less $$ . Makes me wonder what was done exactly in the "rebuild" . New paint and polished parts ? Anyway , I look forward to the build . Anyone can go on the web and price out parts . Don't get into it thinking your going to build a hot FH for a couple grand with out realy checking.

I think a SBC would be a lot of fun in your hotrod .

 

sbc? i hope you are kidding. i am well aware of what it takes and what it costs to build a flathead. i did one in shortblock form for about 3500. 59,4",3 3/8,potvin 3/8,french rods and all the other crap that goes with it. dont tell anyone, i bought it as a runner for 75.00 . parts properly sourced can save you hundreds even maybe thousands..

 

And any good hot-rodder is one that thinks outside the box. My man bashes my Plymouth flathead all the time, and yes, I may have only 85 or 90 hp, but I like it and it sounds BITCHIN'. There are some drawbacks to the flathead, but then again, the SBC has some too, such as the fact that they're in EVERYTHING. Bo-ring! Flathead, Flathead, Flathead! The most important thing is that it's your car, do what you want. Besides that, you've already built SBCs, how are you supposed to learn anything new if you don't expand your horizons? Go for it!

 

Good advice Mopar Moma.

I have a lead on a '39 tranny today.

As of right now this is what I'm thinking.

Flathead, '39 tranny, '36 banjo rear

I might as well go all the way "traditional"

 

What do you want to build?????? You said a 60’s traditional style car?? Well….SBC. Then you get to talking to Vern and a 40’s traditional style pops into your mind…..Flaty for sure. YOU decide what you want to build and get to the garage and start wrenching then post some pics of the progress. It’s all good just go get something on the road so you can start your next project, and your next, and your next, and your next.

Yeehaw I’m off to the garage!

Sandman
Barons
So. Texas

 

At the heart of a ford lies the flathead.Give old henry some love!

 

It's your car put what oyu want in it , I have two flatheads 50 Merc, 53 Ford, but I am using my 55 Dodge baby Hemi ( It is rebuilt the flatheads are not) I am putting the hemi in a 31 Ford tudor.