Hot Rods Is this 47 flathead worth anything?

I’m not a flathead guy but I need a little project to tinker with and saw this recently. I’m just looking for something to play with since selling my shop and trying to get a new one set up. I was thinking something like this won’t take up much room in my garage at the house.

It’s supposed to be complete and doesn’t appear to have any cracks but we’ve all heard that before. Head says 59 AB but I don’t know what the hell that means.

If I bought it or something similar the goal would be to tear it apart and rebuild it to just be as reliable as it can be. I’d probably just run it in a roadster or something similar.

Thoughts?

Thanks in advance.

-Ron

 

Ron, buying a old flathead's is like playing Russian roulette but not as life threatening, they are always a gamble because you don't know the condition until you take it apart.

I would say if it's reasonable go for it. HRP

 

With no guarantee I’d say it’s worth $200 if you can turn it over. Only $100 if it’s locked up.

 

I couldn't get $50 for a semi-complete locked up 59a a few years ago, I ended up giving it away just to get it out of my yard.

 

It has rare headers!
Flatheads are not inexpensive to build. If you are used to rebuilding SBCs and SBFs then the cost will shock you.

 

If it's locked up, and you gotta move/load it, 'free or they pay you' seems reasonable.....

 

Very interesting use of bolts and nuts on that header.

As was said, good running flatheads are valuable, but cores are a risky proposition, I would say more turn out to be junk than fixable, by probably a ratio of 4-1. If it's cheap enough, it'd be hard to lose out, some of the bolt-on pieces from this engine have decent resale value on the internet, even the oil filter housing, generator core, carb, and definitely the crab distributor on the front (if I'm seeing that right) are worth getting, if it's cheap enough, you won't lose out even if the block ends up being cracked. The old weathered headers would be great wall art if they're no good, and would resell as-is if they are good.

But you'd never want to pay an amount for it where you'd lose out if the block ends up being unusable, since that's always a very strong possibility.

 

Unknown condition.....$50 tops!

 

I agree $50 tops. For $50 you might as well give it away.

 

Generally, I have found that the more complete they are, the better the chances are that the block is good. Still having the carb, generator , and distributor on it are a good sign. I hope it works out for you. (To nit pick, that is not a "crab" distributor, but a "Rabbit Ear"; pretty much the same.)

 

Pull the pan and check the pan rail for cracks. If the engine turns over, is reasonably complete and there are no cracks...you probably increased your odds to 50/50 that it is rebuildable

 

Of course you will never know where this engine has been all it's life but buying one that's been laying around in a southern state like Texas might give you some comfort that it may not have gone through the freeze/thaw event like in a northern state. At the same time, any signs that the block was overheated, like paint burned off one side of the engine, might give you concern. Somebody here once said that "All flatheads are cracked, just a question where". While this is not quite true, unless the oil pan and heads are off for inspection, you are certainly taking a chance of buying a boat anchor. MHO? Roll the dice. Buy it. Just don't pay too much.

 

59AB- post war, 46-48

 

I just bought an 8ba for 200 sight unseen but stored inside. Rolls over. Its going to get cleaned, magnafluxed and pressure tested. Basically a 200 hundred dollar lottery ticket that'll cost me another 150.00 to scratch. Thats pretty standard around here. Not a great deal, not a ripoff

 

So what happens if it has some cracks? Can they be welded up? Hard for me to think that every Yahoo in the 50’s had their block magnafluxed but what do I know?

Guy’s asking $500 and says it turns over. He probably means you could flip it upside down in the yard. Ha!

Thanks for the reply’s.

 

To me the fact that everything is still bolted to it increases the chances of it being good. - at least it hasn’t been sitting in the rain with the heads off etc. probably some street rodder pulled it out of a running car to put in a sbc.......
Over here NZ $500 would be reasonable, but not where you are.

 

Question - not to derail this thread but I continually hear about how expensive the flatheads are to rebuild. What are the problems? Lack of expertise by machine shops? Scarcity of parts?

 

There are many types of cracks that are fixable. Pan rail cracks are a bad sign like it froze with water in it. Not good and in my opinion to be avoided.
500 bucks would be high here but a complete engine offers alot of value. Everything that bolts on adds up including hardware which is often overlooked when discussing cost.
You catch me on the right day and if I saw it in person and had a good feeling, I might buy that 500 dollar engine.

 

I try to give no more then scarp value on any engine, that way I can at least brake even if it is junk.

I view all complete used engines as nothing more then cores in need of machine work and ***embly.

 

59-AB is common as flatheads go. They were desirable a few years back. They are kind of a "late model" motor.

Building one or rebuilding one can be extremely expensive. A flatty in good shape can be as dependable as a hammer. But you have to bear in mind that they are not going to be as fast as the Jap daily that most guys are accustomed to.

I would not want to give much for one even if I heard it run. I have seen good 30s model motor go for 400 but they were running motors. If it is unknown you should not go in deep because it is probably going to cost you deep to own it.

 

I agree with both of you. Ideally the engine to buy is one thats been diss***embled and checked and is complete. Or a good runner but those too can have issues. If you can find a guy to sell you turning core flatheads for s**** weight then awesome but those are drying up around here.

 

looks wired up and ready to run. i would get a spray bottle of gas and a battery and run it on the ground. need to know more about it for 500, 200 max for unknown around here

 

LOL they are too heavy to pay s**** price for them.

 

I had a guy make me a hell of a trade about 5 years ago. He would give my a Merc flathead but I had to give him clutch and pressure plate back.

The clutch disc was worn down to the rivets but he wanted it back.

 

Yep, total **** shoot, and very spendy as others have mentioned. Got mine for CAN$100 in pcs, and 2 yrs and CAN$4k later (and still counting), I’m almost done. All for maybe 110 hp. Would I do it again - yes...

 

I think it may be because people think it has to be that way. I built my last engine (a 258 ci 8BA) for $2100 (including finned heads, dual carbs, an Isky MAX-1 cam, and a Mallory dual point). I will admit that I already had a good core (un-cracked block and usable crank and rods). I think the main things I was able to do was first, to buy a set of 3 5/16" pistons (with pins and rings) on close out from Speedway for $100 and then to find the guy at the local NAPA machine shop that had previously worked for a Ford tractor dealership. He had never done a flathead but had a lot of experience on 8N's and 9N's. He did the machining at their regular rates (the same as SBC's and SBF's), and I did the final ***embly. The "speed equipment" was picked up used (eBay). The one expensive part was the Isky cam and kit.

 

Some of the small parts off that engine would sell easily, if you parted it out. The crank pulley, the timing cover, the distributer, the coil bracket, and the oil filter are sought after. The heavy parts, not so much.