$10,000 flathead??

If you had £10,000 to spend on a Ford V8 flatty what would you hope to get and who would you get to build it???
Is there a dollar/hp rate, ot is it cheaper up to a certain point and then suddenly gets much more expensive?
So how much hp can you get for the 10k?

 

To be sure what you're asking is it 10k in Pounds or Dollars? You've put both.

 

Why in the world would anyone spend $10k on a flatty?

Dont get me wrong... There hella-cool motors. But why would you want to pour that much money into a flatty? Even if you had full custom forged internals made for it, installed hemi OHV heads on it, and bolted a supercharger on top of it, you'd be hard pressed to break 400 hp with one... Even running it on nitromethane.

There comes a point where a flatty simply will not suit your needs, and throwing more money at it wont help the problem... Kinda like spending $30k on a small block chevy so it will make big block power......... Why not just spend $4k for a big block instead?

 

If you want to throw money at a flathead, talk to Ron Main. He knows how to through money at a flathead. Dick Landy built his, but I think Dick is gone now. Or check out Rick Yacoucci (Believe he has a web site) for one like this.

 

I guess it would be in dollars (all respect to the US) and I like throwing money at things, that is, if some of it sticks!!
With regard to money and flatheads, it seems expensive to tune any engine past the norm, I just wondered with the wealth of experience on here that I might get some usefull information......

So, if its got to be flathead and a Ford V8 to boot, and I want 300 hp how close would 10k (dollars) get me??

 

I believe you could easily exceed $10K with a full on Motor City Flatheads alloy flattie.

 

H&H will supply a nice flatty with carbs for around 10k, maybe more depending on the shiny factor. I think 300hp will not be cheap, that's a lot for a flatty, you'll need all that 10k and some, but I assume you want a driveable one as well yes? 300 may be over ambitious for a street engine.

Of course wiser heads here will be able to tell you more.

 

Hi thanks for the response so far,does anyone have personal experience of going out and buying a high horsepower ready built? If so what did you get for your money??
The engine is going to go in a sprint car, i.e. about 45 seconds of uphill twisty course, but would like to also very occasionialy run on the road (just for the hell of it).
Keep 'em coming.....

 

Ok, so now we know the application, basically a race engine. Period style?

 

russ i got more than $10k in my flattie and its nowhere near 300hp.. dont think you will get anyone to build you a 300hp flattie for $10k, not even close to it - i know pete at nordian is building a 300hp flathead, no idea how much its going to cost him though but there is some serious work around the valves and the bottom end to help it make/take 300hp and be reliable - with only 3 bearings on the crank it needs some work to help support it take that 300hp before it wants to leave the block

some rough costs for my build were -
£300 for my engine block
£370 to balance it
£300 for machining costs
£200 to port it
£400 heads
£200 pistons/rings
£100 gaskets
£500 two 97 carbs
£400 inlet manifold

just for that lot above its just under 3k - and for the guys in the states these are the prices we pay once everything is shipped over here to the UK or we buy it here - yep it may seem expensive but thats the way it is, we normally pay £1 for $1 when it comes to parts - if its bought over there you need to factor in shipping/vat/duty etc. as well.

then add in things like paying someone to put it together, valves, cam, springs, stroked crank, bearings, new bolts, ignition, clutch to suit engine, starter etc. etc. etc. it all mounts up very quickly. and with the $$ dropping quickly against the ££ your $10k is getting smaller and smaller all the time.

 

I would have Mark Kirby from MCF build it....I work with him everyday building and designing the 339 C.I. Aluminium Engines... and he is a Genuis....I Just had him build a 327 C.I. Cast iron flatty for my shoebox...Got alot of stuff for free from him but did all the machine work myself..Or H&H mike is awesome also....Great guy...

 

gooseta tell us the spec on your 327 CI flattie please.

 

Money well spent.

 

Mark gave me one of his blocks from him pallets of them...Took it to 3-7/16x4-3/8-inch, used ford rods and gm bearings, some wiseco pistons, MCF crank...used marks own MCF grind cam and solid non adjustable lifters that mark makes..valves 1.7-inch intakes, 1.6-inch exhausts...Used his MCF finned heads,just relieved them a little,Polish and port job. MCF Intake and 4 97's.... It is basically the same engine he built for jon's halls T minus the Blower...

Sorry that was a 48 Merc. block...

 

Thanks Weemark, (are you going to the 'HotRod Drags'?) what sort of hp do you have in your engine, and same question to gooseta2 ?? With anywhere near that figure what sort of trans ate you both using?

 

I'm using a Tremic 5 speed.....It's about 260 to 280 hp??? Maybe 350 ftlbs torque... never put it on a dyno....I was thinkin about takin it to Roush when we dyno the aluminum engines....But I don't really care I just wanna drive the thing before snow flies...Just as long as it is LOUD and makes little kids cry....He He just kidding

 

On pump gas you'll never even come close to 300hp without a blower. (with exception to a HUGE engine like above). Even with a blower 300 hp is going to be hard and very very expensive. All I build are flatheads and Arduns and for what you're looking to do, I'd say it's not going to happen.

10k can get you either a really pretty (lots of chrome & polish) 160hp engine or a not so pretty 200hp engine, but that's about it. Guys throw around HP numbers on flatheads that I always find amazing. After 20 years of building and countless dyno runs, I've yet to figure out how guys get 250hp out of a naturaly asperated flathead on pump gas.....oh yeah, and they did it themselves for $3,500.00.

Mark Kirby is a good guy and knows his stuff. H&H will do killer work as well and also good guys. I won't say that my shop is on par with them, but I feel I can do a pretty nice job for you also if interested. Please feel free to PM or email me with anything I can help with.

Matt

 

Does anyone on here have experience of running an injection setup with or without a blower?

 

OK OK....Ill do it!

 

Doesn't even come close for an "alloy" flattie. We have one of the nationally known flathead "gurus" (supposedly) in our area. People spend $10K with him all day long. H&H in California can make $10K go away real quick too. Dumbest thing I can think of; but it's not my $$ so I'll shut up.

 

You want HP?

www.ardun.com

My blown street motor is 450+

but it costs money

 

Thanks Bluto, but I don't think 10k would get me very far into Ardun territory, and I'd like to keep the valves in the block, having said that if you want to sell yours??????????

 

I am aware of a Flathead that had only the best of the best, or should I say rarest of the rare parts in the build. SCoT blown, Ardun heads, ect, ect. Ended up with over $75K invested.

 

russ sorry no im not going to hotrod drags this year.. dont know how much hp i have in mine, it wasnt dyno'd.. im using a 39 3 spd trans behind it. got another 21 stud flattie im going to use a t5 behind though as I hear they wake those little flatheads up.

 

Russ,
Jim Turnbull runs both on his '32 roadster 12.7 second 1/4 mile @ 109.8 mph

 

$10,000 won't buy you the trans

But you knew that didn't you?

 

I do need to talk to him!

 

Oh Bluto you're such a tease, and yes I did know that...unfortunately

 

There are far more than one of those motors around

 

He should be at the races, assuming he has fixed the front axle following the Hayride 'incident'