Buying a flathead

H

Hotrodshelly

Junior Member
Hi there all! I'm looking at wanting to buy a flathead motor my price ceiling would be$7500. I imagine an 8ba would be the best option? I have a stock 34 Tudor sedan with a 21 stud ( non running nor hooked up) car has been partially dissembled. I'm looking at plug and play, want a car that can Cruze 80-85 mph on Hwy and can spin tires at a stop light. Never driven a flathead before so I'm not sure their limitations.

I'm familiar with h&h online and flathead city, little intimidated calling for prices as I am in the looking stages,( however am impulsive enough to purchase if a good engine is available)

I'm located in Edmonton Alberta, not the best location so I realize I may have to drive 30plus hrs one way to pick up so I might not be overly worried about where I'd have to go. Just looking for excellent reputation and good price.

Any recommendations much appreciated and links to said builders. or even opinions on prices, peferred parts on a build,or any other advice
 
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I had a 33 3w coupe that was a complete turd I paid good dollar for, enjoyed for 6 years with a 327 and recently sol,so I'm familiar with 33/34 a little bit but I'm a carpenter and don't enjoy turning wrenches( just lack of knowledge mostly). So I'm familiar with the "39" being the transmission of choice? Not sure why? But I guess this is what I would go for? Also would like to go absolutely bare bones for this car interior wise and have the original trans cover in original fabric I'd like to utilize.

Honestly not sure if the engine I have is any good or not,but being a 34 this has poured babbits? ( whatever those are lol) so I'm not sure if I should get it rebuilt? The 24studs seem to have more aftermarket heads ect to dress up a motor and seem to be the way to go.
 
the later 8BAs did not have valve seat inserts and were more prone to cracking in this area, a real concern considering how you intend to drive it. I would opt for a 49-53 Merc engine, it has more cubic in. and probably would suit you better.
 
Cruise 80-85mph? If that '34 has a 4.11 rear, and you use a 3 speed transmission, your engine would be turning about 4000 rpm. That is a little unrealistic for a flathead. You are going to have to go to an overdrive at a minimum and maybe a higher rear ratio.
 
Hotrodshelly said:
Hi there all! I'm looking at plug and play, want a car that can Cruze 80-85 mph on Hwy and can spin tires at a stop light. Never driven a flat tyre before so I'm not sure their limitations.
Click to expand...

In addition to what 40cpe said, I'd be looking for a heavy duty brake system as well.
 
80-85MPH???????? NO WAY!!!!! Tires, Brakes, Steering, Suspension. It just ain't safe.

A 34 Ford was designed to travel on dirt roads at, at the time, a fast 50MPH. And that was when road conditions permitted.
 
Cruisen 80- 85mph. The stock steering box is another piece of the pie to consider. If you got the road all to yourself is one thing but with the amount of nutty drivers thats another...good door latches is another
 
I owned and operated an aircraft piston engine rebuild facility for forty years. So I know about how to rebuild piston engines.

When I needed a flathead Ford engine, I chose Mike at H&H. He knows how to do flatheads. Period...
 
With a desire to cruise 80-85 you need a very very good brake system and tires to boot. The tire contact patch will be critical as well - oh and safety belts will be helpful but at that speed survival will be a challenge. No matter what flathead and gearing you end up with - I would suggest you set your sights down a notch or two and aim for 60mph under the right conditions.
 
I just finished getting my 39 PU back on the road after 40+ years of sitting. I like wrenching and have some background at it. This was my first flathead and first pre-war car experience. It took me 2.5 years and twice as much money as I anticipated and I did everything myself except tanking the block and radiator. I went through the steering box, replaced the kingpins, fixed the brakes, went through the rear axel, replaced worn parts in the trans, went through the engine, and every system and component. I put radials on it for better handling but with all of that, I still find that 50-55 MPH with a 3.7x rear end is about all the drivetrain will do comfortably and even at 30 MPH, a manhole cover, pothole or rut in the asphalt is a sphincter-puckering experience. I have hit bumps that thrust me 1/2 lane out of my desired direction of travel and when you consider the entire vehicle is high-centered on the transverse springs it is not a great wonder. I don't want to put my limitations on anyone but considering your aversion to wrenching, maybe you might consider buying a street/hot-rod or already completed car that someone has properly modified to eliminate the original limitations of the design? I can appreciate your desire to keep the the 34 you have, who wouldn't love that, but in it's stock configuration, the design does not lend itself well to your stated performance and wrenching objectives notwithstanding the engine choice, 21 stud or 8ba. Please post pictures of your car so we (or just me) can live vicariously.
 
Check with Bill Boomer,He may be able to help you. Believe he is in Regina.
He has built some good engines.
 
The transmission was updated with a decent synchronizer set up in 1939 time frame so that's why it is a good update plus it is still a closed drive set up like was original to all the early V8 cars. The suspension and rear axle would need a lot of work if it goes open drive. The 33 had a different trans case that can't be easily upgraded so that's the reason it comes up. With the later 3-speed transmission, a mid 40s 59 series V8 could also be in the running but an 8BA family of engine is likely easier to find. It just needs the 49 through early 51 Mercury or F1 pickup half bell housing to bolt it up. The 59 series engine would already have a clutch & flywheel that would work with the 3-speed. The 8BA flywheel would have to be drilled and you would need a rear sump oil pan from either the 49/51 Merc or an F1 pickup to clear the wishbone. There are other alternatives but these are the long time favorites.

You might have to consider an overdrive set up to get those speeds but the old Columbia units for the early V8 cars are hard to find. One could be built for a 33/34 from later parts but it would be a big expense. A Mitchel overdrive might get the speeds up. It's part of the torque tube on closed drive applications. Hydraulic brakes would be a must for stopping. The MT reproductions of the 39 Lincoln set up would be a good old timey choice. The 34 steering box will work OK but it can be updated to a later Gemmer II type design since it has the rotating sector gear instead of the old hard gear drive. Might be something to consider anyway. Anything that helps with steering or stopping these old cars is a good thing in my book. Especially after a person makes them go faster than they were intended to.
 
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60 to 70 will be a much more realistic cruising speed. If you want to cruise and also peel rubber from the stop lights, you better look at an overhead.
 
Be sure to check out anyone that you are considering buying from in the archives, here and on HAMB. If it was me I would rebuild the 21 stud and drive a little slower. What year is the 221? You should put your email in your profile.

Charlie Stephens
 
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check on the Rolling Bones guys.....they like to drive flatheads on the road at those speeds....i think....Mike
 
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