Hot Rods Best Ford power for your Model A, circa 1961?

[Bigcheese327]

Curious to know what would have made the best street motor for a Model A coupe, circa 1961? I'm limiting things to postwar V8s and deliberately omitting the small-block Ford.

In addition to your vote, please let me know your rationale.

Thanks!

[scrap metal 48]

I would say the Ford flathead because of their abundance.....

[need louvers ?]

None of the above... small block Chevy! Heh Heh...

[Bigcheese327]

Originally Posted by scrap metal 48

I would say the Ford flathead because of their abundance.....

It would make sense. They were sort of the SBC of the time. No longer a technological frontrunner, but well-developed, firmly rooted in the performance consciousness, and with an abundance of speed parts available.

Originally Posted by need louvers ?

None of the above... small block Chevy! Heh Heh...

True, HRM at the time is certainly full of 283s swapped into everything under the sun, but let's bench race about second place? Pretend I'm Doane Spencer and won't consider non-Ford power.

[Fenders]

Originally Posted by need louvers ?

None of the above... small block Chevy! Heh Heh...

That is the last motor I would put in my ride today (too belly button) but although you may have said that in fun, I believe in 1961 that would have been the most popular motor of choice.

[WornOutOldMan]

Well if you were talking 1964 I'd say 427 SOHC.

[SOHC427]

Originally Posted by WornOutOldMan

Well if you were talking 1964 I'd say 427 SOHC.

Hummmm, Somehow, I must agree!

[Evel]

Old, Cadillac, Nailhead, Hemi.

[revkev6]

drop a 390 in it and call it a 352. a stock 390 will make more power than all but the raciest versions of anything else on that list. more reliable, cheaper, lots of parts still available....

[Bigcheese327]

Originally Posted by revkev6

drop a 390 in it and call it a 352. a stock 390 will make more power than all but the raciest versions of anything else on that list. more reliable, cheaper, lots of parts still available....

I'd call it an Edsel 361 probably. I've already got the valve covers.

Are 390s really more powerful than a 430? Or are you making a power-to-weight statement?

[revkev6]

Originally Posted by Bigcheese327

I'd call it an Edsel 361 probably. I've already got the valve covers.

Are 390s really more powerful than a 430? Or are you making a power-to-weight statement?

yeah, I forgot about the 430. pretty sure that is making more power than a stock 390 but with the weight difference and the cost of parts I think the 390 might win in the end.

can you even get rebuild parts for those from anywhere other than kantor??

[born in the wrong era]

390 FE engine........if you want the best FoMoCo circa 1961 just a little biased though.

[Bigcheese327]

Originally Posted by born in the wrong era

390 FE engine........if you want the best FoMoCo circa 1961 just a little biased though.

Hard to argue with a 401 horse 390; but it's a lot of weight in the front...

[need louvers ?]

My last answer was just for fun. I actually voted this time, and I cast my vote for a 8ba style flathead. They look just right, they are not too heavy, and they certainly pakage and work well. None of your choices sans the FEs ever really made tons of power in their streetable form, and in this case I would go with pretty. I have a super low opinion of Y blocks though...

[porknbeaner]

Originally Posted by Bigcheese327

Curious to know what would have made the best street motor for a Model A coupe, circa 1961? I'm limiting things to postwar V8s and deliberately omitting the small-block Ford.

In addition to your vote, please let me know your rationale.

Thanks!

Think hot rod Lincoln.

In my time I haven't seen a lot of MEL/FE powered As. I have seen a few Y block powered A bones and a lot of those Lincoln motors.

[teddyp]

in ford motors at that time you got to go with a y-block ford to many late overhead motors caddy,s nailhead,s old,s hemi,s they all made more h.p. then most hopped up flathead,and by 61 alot were running sbc,s

[willbe]

Around north central U.S. nobody used flatties for hot rods. I remember seeing hundreds of 'em rusting into oblivian behind old buildings and in junk yards and in ditches, even. Of course almost all of 'em had SBCs and a few caddy ohvs. Y-blocks were plentiful and cheap and horse power was getting up there. That woulda been my choice of what you offered.

[milwscruffy]

406 C.I. Ford.

[Bigcheese327]

Well, so far the Y-block is way out ahead. Perhaps more interestingly, the flathead (in second place) is beating the FE! No surprise that the orphaned Lincoln motors are in the bottom half, with the Rouge 337 flathead sucking the bottom.

[Russ B]

Back then, if Ford, it was a flathead, and when it wore out, or you wanted more power, in went a sbc. Simple reason for both, they fit, they were readily available, and lots of available speed equipment. Everything else took more money and time. Most rods were primary transportation and you wanted it back and running ASAP. Very few folks chose anything but a sbc when they put an ohv in their Model A, too much of a struggle to make it work.