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Featured History Is the flathead making a comeback?

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by Busmania, Dec 30, 2025 at 8:44 PM.

  1. lothiandon1940
    Joined: May 24, 2007
    Posts: 32,476

    lothiandon1940
    Member

    .......I so feel your pain. We must be Bruthas'...LOL. thumbnail (2) (1).jpg
     
  2. chevyfordman
    Joined: Oct 4, 2008
    Posts: 1,516

    chevyfordman
    Member

    Around this part of the country, I would say that they are not making a comeback. Not enough people with lots of money to build a flathead.
     
    guthriesmith and lothiandon1940 like this.
  3. CSPIDY
    Joined: Nov 15, 2020
    Posts: 985

    CSPIDY
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    When the clouds block out the sun, it’s still out there
    so as for the ford flathead v8, it may have been overshadowed by other engines but it has always been there.
    In/out of style? The answer is the flathead is the definition of style
     
  4. hotrodlane
    Joined: Oct 18, 2009
    Posts: 472

    hotrodlane
    Member

    I think in the last 10 years the flathead has become more popular because price of them and parts have gone up and gotten harder to find. I personally wish everyone would preach and believe these old myths about them and stick with their SBC and the trendy LS engines. That way V8 flatheads and parts for them would become worthless. Then I could buy all the rare speed equipment and hard to find blocks I could ever want. The flathead is a very reliable engine, most guys who talk down on them have had very little personal real experience with them. My uncle and aunt Drove their 50-ford shoe box all over this country of ours and used it for the daily in between all these trips. Due to today's highway speeds the fact is the old 3 spd has got to go as you will kill a flathead engine trying to maintain today's speeds. The T5 5spd is a flathead fords best friend and will breathe new life into a flathead ford. I personally love the ford V8 flathead. I personally own over 35 of them and at this point in my life I do not plan to ever run any other engine in any of my builds.
     
  5. quickchangeV8
    Joined: Dec 7, 2010
    Posts: 594

    quickchangeV8
    Member

    Flatheads have been " in " ever since Bud Bryan installed that flathead in the Rod & Custom magazine 1929 highboy project car. That was back in the late 1970's. Flatheads have been gaining popularity from then until now. The flathead has never been more popular than it is today.
     
  6. jimmy six
    Joined: Mar 21, 2006
    Posts: 17,137

    jimmy six
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Maybe for thee but not for me….never owned one even tho I was a teenager in the 50’s and certainly have no intention at 81. Many friends still have them and I am genuinely happy for them..
     
    49ratfink likes this.
  7. gene-koning
    Joined: Oct 28, 2016
    Posts: 5,854

    gene-koning
    Member

    By the time I was into cars, the flathead era was pretty much gone. A few inline flathead 6s were still around, but that Ford flathead V8? The only one's I knew about were steam gushers, they were lucky to make it across town during the summer.
    The flathead inline 6 motors were slow, low power slugs, only suitable for low power or slow applications, like fork trucks or farm equipment.

    Not being a Ford guy, a flathead V8 only means trouble to me, I don't ever see myself owning anything a flathead V 8 would belong in, so I don't need to pay much attention to anything flathead V8 related. I do own a couple of Mopars that originally came with flathead in line 6 cylinder motors, neither vehicle came with a running version of that flathead 6, and neither will ever live here with one in them. I did own a running Mopar inline flathead 6 once, I was thrilled to unload it to the guy that was willing to hand me $75 for it.

    Is the flathead (any flathead) making a comeback? Only to those that are excited by that prospect and want to see it happen. Some people just like to see old things come back into style, it makes the hoard of stuff they have kept for years become more valuable.
     
  8. Bandit Billy
    Joined: Sep 16, 2014
    Posts: 16,113

    Bandit Billy
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    And that is me! I love the V8 I have but what I am looking for...longing for, is a flathead, straight 8. Packard, Buick...I want to buy a runner, preferably with the transmission, tins, manifolds and bracketry. Hell...frame, cowl and grille too. Anyone hording some pre 30's Buick goodies? And not you reading this on the east coast in your jammies! I need a Westie to respond. You can't transport over the Rockies this time of year. How about a complete project pre-30 Buick? I'm your huckleberry.

    Hell, they're out of date, not as cool as SBC, not fast, too heavy, not desirable, too expensive to work on, not dependable, can't buy parts at NAPA... I'm willing to take it off your hands. I'm doing you a favor here! PM me.
     
  9. tubman
    Joined: May 16, 2007
    Posts: 8,249

    tubman
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    It's like asking a Harley guy what appeal is.

    'If you have to ask, you won't understand the answer".
     
    guthriesmith, lostn51 and 49ratfink like this.
  10. Hemi Joel
    Joined: May 4, 2007
    Posts: 1,654

    Hemi Joel
    Member
    from Minnesota


    Flatheads Have been making a comeback for about 30 years now. And for many good reasons. I appreciate your enthusiasm for them. It is surprising to me though, that you just found out about them. I guess that means that they don't get enough exposure in the modern world.
     
  11. 49ratfink
    Joined: Feb 8, 2004
    Posts: 25,046

    49ratfink
    Member
    from California

    so true. back in the 80's my buddy had a Sportster then stepped up to $12,000.00 worth of FXR SP while I rode my $2500.00 1984 Ninja 900 and had 5 times the fun than he did. if I were going to spend 12 G's to go slow I'd have bought a Knuckle or Panhead.
     
    guthriesmith and lothiandon1940 like this.
  12. LOU WELLS
    Joined: Jan 24, 2010
    Posts: 3,580

    LOU WELLS
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    from IDAHO

    IMG_0191.jpg Still Love The Flathead After 60 Years...
     
    RMR&C, guthriesmith, Petejoe and 4 others like this.

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