Thread: Opinions wanted regarding '36 Ford Slantback

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I just saw an interesting comment on another forum and it struck me as funny but true. Someone questioned the cost of building a good flathead, and the person who responded said "you will never spend so much money to go so slow." That statement is pretty accurate IMO, if a person is concerned with performance a flathead is kinda at the bottom of the list, but if you are looking for traditional cool, then it is a different story.

When I was young the OHV V8's were just starting to show up in junkyards, and we couldn't remove the flatheads fast enough to put in an Olds, Caddy, Buick, or even Studebaker V8 in it's place. That being said, I am still going to build a car around the flathead I bought recently, just for the cool factor.

Don

PS, I hope the weather down here changes in time for Turkey Run, it was 48 last night and only 65 today. They are predicting 75 during the days of the show in Daytona, so it might be ok.

[QUOTE=Itoldyouso]

PS, I hope the weather down here changes in time for Turkey Run, it was 48 last night and only 65 today. QUOTE]


Forgive me if I don't shed any tears, Don!!!!! Almost made it up to 40 today for a high temp!!!!

I do hope you guys have great weather for the turkey run, already looking forward to bunches of pics!!!!!

Originally Posted by Itoldyouso

When I was young the OHV V8's were just starting to show up in junkyards,........

That would be the first Chev V8s of 1917?

Originally Posted by Bob Parmenter

That would be the first Chev V8s of 1917?

Why no, Bob, I was in my 50's when THOSE CAME OUT!!


Don

Time to dig out my Geezer Crossing picture again.

Never did one, but I was just thinkin' that one way to extract some decent hp and torque from a flattie using a streetable cam would be 5 psi with one of the smaller blowers or a vintage Paxton/McCulloch with a blow-through carb.

Originally Posted by techinspector1

Never did one, but I was just thinkin' that one way to extract some decent hp and torque from a flattie using a streetable cam would be 5 psi with one of the smaller blowers or a vintage Paxton/McCulloch with a blow-through carb.

what is spooky is 3 main caps scat makes cranks rods so you can make it hold up ? crower makes roller lifters for then to$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

As I have said before I gave up trying to find a good flathead block from junkyards and local advertisements after looking a about five or so with the heads off and close examination. The most common problem is a crack between a valve and the edge of a cylinder but as Pat said the limit of only three mains is a problem with higher HP. Just for fun here is another site we have seen before that indicates the block will probably hold up to 175 HP but Ardun heads are not cheap!

http://www.oogabooga.ca/oogaboogapag40.htm

I recall some recent article in the last five years that compared a fully built up flathead bored, stroked, ported and relieved in which the two cams from Iskederian were compared. Both cams produced similar numbers for what I recall was a 284 cu. in. flathead and they both produced about 250 HP. What is interesting about this particular car is that apparently the block is OK as is and might be free of cracks. A cracked block may still run OK but if it consumes water rapidly it is probably sucking water into a cylinder on the intake stroke even if it does not fill the cylinder when the motor is off. There is no doubt that a simple rebuild of a SBC 350 is much cheaper and will produce more HP than a flathead but then that means an upgrade for the whole driveline. If it runs, as it seems to, I would really enjoy the time warp of driving the car just like it was "back in the day", but I would at least convert the brakes to hydraulic. I can recall coming over a hill in a '31 Model A to see a red light at the bottom of the hill and using both feet on the brake and just barely stopping. Later mechanical brakes were not much better!

Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/teen rodder