Henry Floored
Well-known member
What’s so great about the Flathead Ford V8?
So this is a question that has as many different answers as there are people willing to supply an opinion on the subject I would venture to say.
I admit the inspiration for this thread was provided by an opinion voiced in another thread that questioned why people even bother trying to build horsepower in a Flathead at all.
This got me to thinking of course. One only needs to drive a new Mustang or Camaro to experience two or three times the horsepower that a good Flathead will ever make. You can buy, lease or rent this horsepower with nothing more than a credit check a valid driver’s license and a place to let the horses run free.
Why do we struggle to make 150 horsepower? What sort of attraction does the Flathead engine and the vehicles it came in have for us.
If we do have a strong running Flathead that say put out an honest 150hp is that the exact same amount of performance that another more modern engine like a garden variety 302 Ford or 305 Chevy putting out roughly the same power? To my butt a decent Flathead backed up by an adequate transmission can give darn right impressive performance.
Thinking about it a little further I could only come up with 2 or 3 side valve engines that were even considered to be high performers. Of course the Flathead Ford and it’s little brother the V8-60 were the most popular and prevalent in that category but we cannot forget about the Hudson Hornet 308 or the Ford 4-bangers as well. Last but not least Cord had a pretty powerful but exclusive and expensive V8 with the Lycoming engine in both the N/A and supercharged form.
In my opinion the Flathead Ford V8 wasn’t just a great engine it was the cars and trucks they were placed them that together formed the “whole package”.
The power dense V8 was short in length, low in height and narrow in width. This kept the engine mostly behind the spindle centerline and low in the chassis which provided better handling and braking by virtue of great vehicle balance.
Most inline 6 and 8 powered cars did not possess the agility of the little Ford’s. This is huge because when fellas went looking for more speed and handling the Ford’s were an easy choice. The quest for more power is precisely what created hot rodding and the aftermarket speed merchants.
There’s more though. It’s no accident that Ford’s were top choice. How about the great oiling system and the insert rods and mains (early on) supporting a reasonably lightweight rotating assembly.
Then there’s the superior fuel distribution via the paired intake ports located as closely to the fuel/air source as possible. This all breathing through a dual plane intake designed to separate intake pulses in such a way as to not rob air charge from one port to another.
How about the pretty good to excellent ignition system? (depending on year)
Then there’s the all that meat there to help increase displacement and even a factory stroker crank to go even farther.
No in reality your wife’s modern minivan can give most hot rods of the 30’s and 40’s a run for their money. For that matter a basic Mustang with the Ecoboost 4 cylinder could dust 90% of the 60’s muscle cars.
We don’t soup up Flathead Ford’s because we’re going for the fastest ride on the road today. We’re souping them up because we want to feel what it was like in simpler and dare I say better times.
Lastly I know plenty of guys think of the Olds, Caddy or sbc as the second coming but I actually think the OHV’s killed the old Ford’s and hot rodding in a way. That’s when we started to see butchered cars with split wishbones and hacked firewalls and frames. Out went the torque tubes and banjo rears and in came the chunky clunky GM parts. Lost was the exquisite simplicity and balanced design of so many beautiful Ford’s.
I’ve seen Porsche’s with sbc’s in them that are probably faster down a straightaway but I never would own one because that which makes a Porsche a Porsche would be all gone.
The comments above are just the ramblings of an old codger, but if you too have feelings one way or the other it be great to hear them.
So this is a question that has as many different answers as there are people willing to supply an opinion on the subject I would venture to say.
I admit the inspiration for this thread was provided by an opinion voiced in another thread that questioned why people even bother trying to build horsepower in a Flathead at all.
This got me to thinking of course. One only needs to drive a new Mustang or Camaro to experience two or three times the horsepower that a good Flathead will ever make. You can buy, lease or rent this horsepower with nothing more than a credit check a valid driver’s license and a place to let the horses run free.
Why do we struggle to make 150 horsepower? What sort of attraction does the Flathead engine and the vehicles it came in have for us.
If we do have a strong running Flathead that say put out an honest 150hp is that the exact same amount of performance that another more modern engine like a garden variety 302 Ford or 305 Chevy putting out roughly the same power? To my butt a decent Flathead backed up by an adequate transmission can give darn right impressive performance.
Thinking about it a little further I could only come up with 2 or 3 side valve engines that were even considered to be high performers. Of course the Flathead Ford and it’s little brother the V8-60 were the most popular and prevalent in that category but we cannot forget about the Hudson Hornet 308 or the Ford 4-bangers as well. Last but not least Cord had a pretty powerful but exclusive and expensive V8 with the Lycoming engine in both the N/A and supercharged form.
In my opinion the Flathead Ford V8 wasn’t just a great engine it was the cars and trucks they were placed them that together formed the “whole package”.
The power dense V8 was short in length, low in height and narrow in width. This kept the engine mostly behind the spindle centerline and low in the chassis which provided better handling and braking by virtue of great vehicle balance.
Most inline 6 and 8 powered cars did not possess the agility of the little Ford’s. This is huge because when fellas went looking for more speed and handling the Ford’s were an easy choice. The quest for more power is precisely what created hot rodding and the aftermarket speed merchants.
There’s more though. It’s no accident that Ford’s were top choice. How about the great oiling system and the insert rods and mains (early on) supporting a reasonably lightweight rotating assembly.
Then there’s the superior fuel distribution via the paired intake ports located as closely to the fuel/air source as possible. This all breathing through a dual plane intake designed to separate intake pulses in such a way as to not rob air charge from one port to another.
How about the pretty good to excellent ignition system? (depending on year)
Then there’s the all that meat there to help increase displacement and even a factory stroker crank to go even farther.
No in reality your wife’s modern minivan can give most hot rods of the 30’s and 40’s a run for their money. For that matter a basic Mustang with the Ecoboost 4 cylinder could dust 90% of the 60’s muscle cars.
We don’t soup up Flathead Ford’s because we’re going for the fastest ride on the road today. We’re souping them up because we want to feel what it was like in simpler and dare I say better times.
Lastly I know plenty of guys think of the Olds, Caddy or sbc as the second coming but I actually think the OHV’s killed the old Ford’s and hot rodding in a way. That’s when we started to see butchered cars with split wishbones and hacked firewalls and frames. Out went the torque tubes and banjo rears and in came the chunky clunky GM parts. Lost was the exquisite simplicity and balanced design of so many beautiful Ford’s.
I’ve seen Porsche’s with sbc’s in them that are probably faster down a straightaway but I never would own one because that which makes a Porsche a Porsche would be all gone.
The comments above are just the ramblings of an old codger, but if you too have feelings one way or the other it be great to hear them.
