Starting the Flathead

I love the sound of that Flathead Ford!

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• Flathead
• Ford
• engine
• Model-A
• roadster
• 1932
• frame

[shartne]

what if you rev it up and it torques of the bricks and the fan chops your hand off that would be tragic. cool motor and your a brave man but not too careful.

[fluxu8]

@shartne

It did fly around the room like a cartoon motor a few times, but I luckily had a string tied to the back so it didn't get out of the garage. I forgot to tape that.

[Wholelotofshakingoin]

I'm told the flathead is a bitch to keep cool is this true.

[fluxu8]

They do have a history of being hot running motors. Usually because people bored them out to the largest diameter they could, making the walls thin. Also, after 50 years of water and coolant in the block, the water passages get smaller. But they were not that way when new. That was the V8 that Ford offered from 32 - 1953. They wouldn't have stuck with it for 21 years if they were junk.

[cj15941]

@DaDuttFire I sure as hell won't ever be caught driving some little import plastic pos. I'm riding in my moms 02 grand-am rift now and feel like a stray pebble could come through and take me out

[DaDuttFire]

@cj15941 dont ever take a new car their not worth it i have a 1971 VW super beetle

[cj15941]

Man I love these old engines!! I'm 17 and really wanna build a "rat rod" as my daily driver. I have a 81 Bronco now but id rather have something old and rusty and powered by a flatty or an old Blue Flame Six. All my friends think I'm retarded for not wanting a new car. Hell, if my mom offered me a new car I'd tell her no lol. Btw, looked like you might have had a front main seal leak?

[fencer94bro]

are those 32 frame rails next to it

[McmullenEJ]

@shartne he is one with the flathead :)

[82thetots]

@shartne check out my buick 430, it almost rolled off a couple of times

[justforever96]

@fluxu8 Well, that makes the problem worse...fact is, having the exhaust ports pump hot gasses through the block to the manifold tended to soak a lot of heat into the block itself. Go figure. IF the cooling system runs as intended, it can keep things in check, but even a small loss in coolant flow can make things hot, especially if the engine is hopped up at all. But I don't care...I figure the Flathead Ford is one of histories Great Engines, with the air-cooled VW and Chevy Smallblock.

[ezzzstang1]

I am sorry for the negative but you might want to take the fan off,you don't need it due to the lack of radiator in front of it...lol

[Renatubie]

Sweet machine. I am intrigued to ride a flat head powered vehicle. Still, that's scary right there...

[shartne]

@68knative K