longivity of a flathead block

[Lanny]

I raced this car for about five years on various dirt tracks around Minnesota.
The 276 Ford flathead with 2 carbs still ran great.
I sold the car then, and the fellow put an overhead engine in it, and put
the 276 flathead in his street driven 1940 Ford coupe hot rod.
Ford flatheads are tough ol' motors.

Click on pics to Enlarge

 

[Brendan]

How can we substantiate a ridiculous statement made by your neighbour?

If you understand there are variables, how can you ask how many runs they will last?

Come on, ask something reasonable.

For what it's worth I've just thrashed the living daylights out of my old 21 stud pump in block motor and it lapped it up and came back begging for more.

Mart.

you should see my Friends eyes light up when you talk about a 37 21 stud motor, he says they are the best. he had one in a 47 coupe and beat the daylights out of it

 

[5851a]

Wow, guess that says something for old iron.

 

[dwick01]

That's awesome Lawrie.

 

[blucar]

BLUCAR THE BUICK stright eight ENG was a far better eng not popular with hot rodders.

I would have to agree with the above statement.. The inline Buick 320 CID engine was, and still is today, in some circles one of the fastest engines every built.
When I was a teenager living in Eastern Idaho during the early '50's I was involved with a '40 Buick Century coupe that a friend owned. The car was street legal, full fendered, 320 CID, five carbs.
We took the car to Bonneville in September 1951, it set a worlds record. Hot Rod Mag did a big write-up on the '40 Buick in the November 51 issue. A year or so later the engine was pulled out of the '40 Buick, installed into a dragster and went on to live for several seasons of racing in Eastern Idaho.
Another very famous Buick race car is "Old Yellow", it has been brought back to life many times, the last time in the early 2000's.

 

[Ol' Ron]

I spent aprox. 8 years doing the engine work at the Danbury speed way. There were about 70 flathead cars there along with one Cadalic, one Buick, and one Chevy 6. After 8 years I only know of a few (2 0r 3) engine failures. During that time I used 3 blocks. 2 were 258ci one 296. all survived. The track rules went to the OHV route and the flatheads went into street rods.

 

[KiWinUS]

I spent aprox. 8 years doing the engine work at the Danbury speed way. There were about 70 flathead cars there along with one Cadalic, one Buick, and one Chevy 6. After 8 years I only know of a few (2 0r 3) engine failures. During that time I used 3 blocks. 2 were 258ci one 296. all survived. The track rules went to the OHV route and the flatheads went into street rods.

Ron the flathead that the late Jimmy Smith raced at Danbury is now in his 39 coupe street car . His son now owns it , you probably seen it race .

 

[Ol' Ron]

Jimmy Smith was a great driver, him and Paul pedit would duke it out. My memory of those days is slipping, but one thing I remember was 20 flatheads heading for the green flad at the stert of the fecher

 

[blucar]

I have a friend in Eastern Idaho that I went to school with, he is still very much into flat head engines. A couple of years ago he built up a flat head which I believe was an 8BA, he put it in a '41 Nash club coupe, which he called the "Grim Reefer". The car turned some very good numbers during Speed Week at Bonneville in the early/mid 2000's.