What are Denver heads?

[4t64rd]

I just came across a website with a 37 Ford coupe with "Denver heads". What are they and why would somebody want them? I don't know much about flatheads... yet. I'm about to get a crash course.

[RileyRacing]

I think they are higher compression to make up for the altitude? http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif

Jay

[Bruce Lancaster]

Ford high compression iron heads made for high altitude.
They made them for 221's (81S prefix) and apparently for 239's, 99S prefix.
the S in the prefix seems to mean "special". Normal prefixes were A for passenger, T for truck after the year and size designation.
I found a set at Hershey this year. The guy said I was the first person in years at the fleamarket to recognize them as something other than normal prewar heads.
They were an early speed secret and were also used by stock car racers restricted to stock Ford heads.
I haven't had time yet to checkemout and find CC's.

[Buzz]

The Ford factory made aluminum heads that were used for High altitude operation. They were about 6.9 to 1 compression ratio and around 63 cc s per cylinder. I guess they could have been called Albuquerque heads but the name Denver heads stuck. Actually, most of the cast iron heads flow better.

[mr57]

You mean they aren't the toast that goes above and below the eggs?

[286merc]

Finding a good set of pre war factory aluminum heads is pretty hard as they corroded very fast. In fact Ford offered trade ins for the S version iron heads.

In later years the Canadian built engines had a fairly tough version and Weiand built 'cheater" versions that looked like the Canadians.

[Nick32vic]

Hey 4t64rd,

That 37 is a HAMBer's! 37clbcpe. Hes a good guy, his coupe is pretty neat too! Hes too shy to post anything though. lol.

Nick

[Django]

Here is a blast from the past...

I picked up this '37-38 21 stud head at the Early V8 National Meet in Auburn this past weekend for $40!

So what is it? It is stamped with a W and M P 9 in the center of the head. It doesn't say Weiand in the water jacket, but it looks like it has been ground down with some sanding lines. I know it's not a Ford Canada head because it doesn't say Made in Canada anywhere.

Thoughts and does anyone have another orphan they feel like parting with? :)

http://www.hotrodhucksters.com/chad/36/cheaterhead.jpg

[greazhonkey]

It may be wrong but, an old timer told me that the EAC and EAB heads for the 8BA's were called Denver heads because they had a higher compression ratio.

[blown49]

It may be wrong but, an old timer told me that the EAC and EAB heads for the 8BA's were called Denver heads because they had a higher compression ratio.

I think he may have miss-spoke. EAB heads have smaller combustion chambers than the EAC heads therefore higher compression.

Jim

[Bruce Lancaster]

The Denver heads were iron and were made before WWII...the 221 ones are listed in the spec pages as 60CC. They were listed as for high altitude/natural gas...I don't know if that was the true intent or whether they were really meant as a back-door factory gift to racers. They were already rare by the time stock car circle track racers found them to be good stuff in the 1950's. Later stock car types discovered the '47 vintage Canadian C7RA heads that were slightly smaller CC than the iron 59A's, and later Weiand sold fairly close clones with all the Ford of Canada markings over the same chamber used on Weiand finned heads.
I have heard from a couple of people who have both sorts of prewar Denver heads, but they are very rare.

[AV8Paul]

Here is a blast from the past...

I picked up this '37-38 21 stud head at the Early V8 National Meet in Auburn this past weekend for $40!

So what is it? It is stamped with a W and M P 9 in the center of the head. It doesn't say Weiand in the water jacket, but it looks like it has been ground down with some sanding lines. I know it's not a Ford Canada head because it doesn't say Made in Canada anywhere.

Thoughts and does anyone have another orphan they feel like parting with? :)

http://www.hotrodhucksters.com/chad/36/cheaterhead.jpg

I found an orphan NOS head years ago at the Fitchburg, Mass swap meet. Got it for $60. Took me a couple more years to find a mate. That one cost me $100. They show up in Heming's Motor News once in a while for $500-700 for a pair. Keep looking, they're out there. You might try posting on the fordbarn.com swap site.

[propwash]

The term "Denver Heads" came into being in the 60s when a bunch of guys with some really good weed got together every weekend to huff on their fatties and talk about fixing up their motorcycles and VW buses...sometime...someday...

dj

[Django]

So is it definitely a Ford head?

[Bruce Lancaster]

Well, there were replacement non-Ford made heads in iron and aluminum. Look along top edge towards manifold...many prewar Ford heads had a PN along there. I suspect aftermarket on this though.

[Django]

I didn't see any other markings, but I will look again.

[NVRA #84]

Samrt Ass. I just figured they were people that followed the John Denver concerts, you know like Dead Heads.