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Projects engine dilemma banger 8ba 59ab early hemi what in what

Discussion in 'Traditional Hot Rods' started by peter schmidt, Dec 15, 2014.

  1. peter schmidt
    Joined: Aug 26, 2007
    Posts: 660

    peter schmidt
    Member
    from maryland

    So I'm in some sort of dilemma on which direction to go on my model a's now that I finally have a little bit of free time.I have a 31 full fendered coupe pretty much stock has a banger in it now. It's staying full fendered and unchopped. I also have a rough 30 coupster body that is a shell of a old east coast hot rod was heavily channeled with bobbed fenders welded to the quarters. I kinda picture the coupster with its heavy channel with the banger with the few go fast goodies I've purchased mechanical brakes and stock 19s. Banger allready runs good. Then there's the coupe.. I have an 8ba I tore down last year that (looks) good I can use in it I have some go fast goodies for it as well but machine work ain't cheap and neither is my 3 year boy old or my 6 week old girl lol then there's the hemi it's stuck but I pulled it out of a complete decent 52 chrystler that looked decent and I'm pretty sure it's not bad inside. No speed parts but I do have an early ford trans adapter but again machine work ain't cheap. Then I hear about a flathead sitting in a warehouse down the street it was pulled from a running truck that was restored with the right year engine. The engine is a 59ab all complete for 300 obo I think these fit into the model a's a little better and it's suposed to be ready to drop in. What drive train would you guys use in what if you were in my shoes? I'll post pics of the two I gave up on build threads because it takes me so long to have progress.
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    Here's the coupster body sitting at my old place it's now in my garage. It's just resting on the frame but if you notice the plates across the door opening that's where the old floor was as far as I can tell. Crazy channel. I'm not going that far
    Here's the coupe
    [​IMG]
     
  2. If I was in that position, I'd banger the coupe and do it nearly stock and flathead the coupster and hotord the crap out of it. We need more pics of course and don't forget about them babies!!!
     
  3. 73RR
    Joined: Jan 29, 2007
    Posts: 7,175

    73RR
    Member

    Well, there are a couple of Hemi coupes in process and they sure look sweet, but there is no denying the appeal of a flathead.
    The cost of machine work really should not be a lot different from one engine to another unless there is some 'special' things happening. It is the cost of parts that will eat up the budget if you get carried away with eye candy.

    Hard to go wrong either way. Just tally up the potential pile-o-parts and see where you are with each one.

    .
     
  4. peter schmidt
    Joined: Aug 26, 2007
    Posts: 660

    peter schmidt
    Member
    from maryland

    Yea my kids are first and Christmas wasn't cheap this year lol. I was thinking the banger in the coupster ,but at first it was going to stay in the coupe it's the original motor in it. I have a Bubbas dizzy nice police B head downdraft zephyr intake chrome 97 and a header flange cut for it ready to be installed as well as a t5 adapter kit and trans and a open drive banjo.
     
    patmanta likes this.

  5. peter schmidt
    Joined: Aug 26, 2007
    Posts: 660

    peter schmidt
    Member
    from maryland

    I think it's between the banger and the 59ab just need to decide which in which I guess. As long as the 59ab turns out as good as the guy says thsn there both runners so it should help with cost alot more than building the hemi or 8ba
     
  6. Bruce Lancaster
    Joined: Oct 9, 2001
    Posts: 21,681

    Bruce Lancaster
    Member Emeritus

    59 with proper choice of accessories like '42 distributor cap is the best fit into a Model A, but since the 8BA needs rebuilding it is a backup for same job as it cam just be rebuilt with earlier cam, pumps, distributor and other front stuff and built to same dimension as a 59. All the excess length is in the front accessories. I would go with 59 in coupe and banger in coupester as an excellent ans presumably cheap solution.
     
    kiwijeff likes this.
  7. robmac85
    Joined: Jul 17, 2011
    Posts: 14

    robmac85
    Member
    from wantage nj

    That coup is a beauty. I'd hop up the banger in that then go flatty in that roadster. The coup is all set to go, get her done up quick then you have a nice driver while your hands are full on the other project. Just my .02 cents.
     
    patmanta likes this.
  8. Carter
    Joined: Mar 18, 2006
    Posts: 1,522

    Carter
    Member

    I'd say keep the banger in the coupe, it looks to be driveable. If you go for flathead in the coupe, then you'll have two full blown projects and no driver. The channeled coupester is already a project, so take your time and V8 it. Then you've got a car you can enjoy driving and one you can enjoy working on. That's my .02.
     
  9. patmanta
    Joined: May 10, 2011
    Posts: 3,872

    patmanta
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    from Woburn, MA
    1. MASSACHUSETTS HAMB

    I'm with @robmac85 here on the coupe. $300 obo is a steal for that flatty. I'd buy it, then try to get the HEMI unstuck, put the 8ba back together, and sell them both to finance the coupester build. See if you can trade off the 8ba speed parts to someone who's got 59ab stuff.

    What region of MD are you in? I grew up on the eastern Shore.
     
  10. Rusty O'Toole
    Joined: Sep 17, 2006
    Posts: 9,657

    Rusty O'Toole
    Member

    It's all according. If economy is an issue, leave the banger in the coupe and use the flathead in the roadster. You don't have to rebuild it or hop it up, maybe just tear it down for inspection and put in new rings and gaskets.

    If it turns out the flatty is no good, you might consider the hemi, although it will be harder to fit in. But, a stock hemi will have more HP than a real gone flatty. Once again, if it is going to take more than a ring and valve job you may need to reconsider.
     
  11. peter schmidt
    Joined: Aug 26, 2007
    Posts: 660

    peter schmidt
    Member
    from maryland

    Thanks guys. I'm from cecil county md it's right below pa and next to de in the upper eastern corner of md. The coupe is overall in good shape but the previous owner was not kind to it in regards to bondo abuse on the fender to splash pan seams and the roof is filled with aluminum and has some kind of ruberized paint on it to make it kinda resemble fabric. So i need to blow it apart to just clean it up and go over it. I think I'll stick with the banger in the coupe since it is original to it. It compression tested within one pound across all 4 cylinders but the wiring to the car was terrible and the distributer was trashed so I'm hoping the few bolt ons and new wiring will have it up and going with a little more pep. I'm going to check out the 59ab after the holidays and see if it looks good if it'll spin over and no visual problems think it's ok at 300? I can't hear it run its out of the truck in storage so I'm just going off the owners son says. His dad passed and he has no interest in cars. What's a good core price on a 59ab because not being able to hear it run or pull the heads I'd be hesitant to pay more.
     
  12. patmanta
    Joined: May 10, 2011
    Posts: 3,872

    patmanta
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    from Woburn, MA
    1. MASSACHUSETTS HAMB

    Flathead prices vary wildly based on where you are and what people think they have. $300+/- for a complete, turning 59ab is good IMO. Some folks would be asking $500 - $1000. Up my way, a locked up flathead seems to go for anywhere from $50 - $100.
     
  13. I would leave the coupe together and running. Build up the coupster chassis. I would leave the banger in the coupe and use the flathead for the coupster but you can put off that decision until the coupster chassis is done. My daughter is eight now and I can tell you that you don't have the time to have two cars in pieces at the same time. I would forget about the mechanical brakes and run hydraulics, early Ford or Lincoln if they can be fit into the budget.

    Charlie Stephens
     
  14. peter schmidt
    Joined: Aug 26, 2007
    Posts: 660

    peter schmidt
    Member
    from maryland

    Thanks for the advise I think I'm going to focus on the coupe for now I've allready robbed the 33 axle ,early front juice brakes ,model t rear spring, reversed eye front spring ,and open drive banjo from the coupster parts stash to use on the coupe so maybe I can get it ready to drive hopefully by late this summer but I'll see. I'm going to pull the body off as soon as I get my garage space back next weekend because it needs body blocks in the rear pretty bad but I have everything to install a t5 (i know its not traditional)so that will be easier with the body off as well and give me a chance to clean up and paint the frame and send the fenders and running boards to a blaster to get unbondofied and repaired correctly. I'm going to go into purge mode in my garage over the holiday and organize dispose of and sell as much as possible to make room and money to get this project started. If I get enough done I'll start a build thread.
     
    patmanta likes this.
  15. Leave what you have together, together
     
  16. carmuts
    Joined: Jun 17, 2009
    Posts: 858

    carmuts
    Member

    I am definately with the others to leave the banger in the coupe and the 59 in the rdstr. Nearly the same delima here, but since both projects came into being several years apart the banger will go in the delivery and the business coupe will get the 59 if it is rebuildable. If not I always have the 37 21 stud as a backup plan. Rod
     
  17. peter schmidt
    Joined: Aug 26, 2007
    Posts: 660

    peter schmidt
    Member
    from maryland

    The coupes not together the distributer is pulled because it was cracked had bad wiring and bushings. The intakes off because I got a nice downdraft to put on and it couldent run more than a couple miles without filling the sediment bowl up with rust and clogging the carb from a flakey cowl tank. I have a 32 tank I'm going to use with an electric fuel pump. I would just do the engine upgrades and drive it but the back driver wood block is gone and there's some issues with the brake rods. I've learned to be a pretty patient person so I'd rather do it now than regret not doing it down the road.
     
  18. Tudor mark
    Joined: Jan 27, 2015
    Posts: 2

    Tudor mark

    Looking for place to buy model a banger t5 adapter
     
  19. Well ifn it were me Id put the 8BA into the roadster, the 59ab into the coupe with T5 and sell the Hemi and Banger, but what do I know?
     
  20. Hot Rod 50
    Joined: Jul 30, 2007
    Posts: 500

    Hot Rod 50
    Member

    As the other guys say. Keep the coupe a banger and hot rod the shit out of the roadster. I think the heavy channel lends it to a more 50's style with a flathead. 19 inch wheels will look weird imo too. Steelies and blackwalls would be my choice.
     

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