BUSTED for Posession: GRANatelli CORporation 8BA heads!

I've been after these buggers for a while now... my intention was to build up a jewel of a flathead once I got 'em, but right now I've got too many things going and I'm trying to focus both funds and energy into my '40 Ford sedan and starting up my own upholstery business- so they're just going to have to sit on the shelf for a while!


Two of the spark plug holes are helicoiled... but other than that, these heads are really nice.

Anyone knowledgeable about these heads please share info- I've heard that there were only 300 sets made but I suspect a few more. Thanks!

 

they look to be made of Unobtainium...

 

Sweet!!!

 

Don't worry Larry- It's an alloy...

 

Holy shit! Those are cool looking!

 

Oh my....

 

I have no ifo for you but I can't wait to see what you build around them!

 

All my info says they aren't that rare.....But I've never seen a set in person.....so who knows......I've got a grancor 2x2 for a flatty and I'm looking for a set of grancor 59AB heads...Hint Hint

 

I have a 2x3 grancor intake and a set of heads for a 59AB but these are 10X cooler than the ones I have. Mine just look like edelbrock heads with the grancor name. These will look kick ass on your flatty and I'm Jealous.

 

Differant Style

 

I have a friend with a set of those and I'm dying to see them on something. They just sit on a shelf polished begging for attention.

 

Oh and nice score!!!

 

Ive seen the early style a few times but not the 8BA's and those are way cooler!

 

I have one head, passenger side 8ba. looking for driver side. Thanks, John.

 

I've got a 3x2 intake that I've been thinking about selling.

 

i have seen these in person...and they are amazing! wish I had the dough to get these.

tok

 

I've got a set of Grancor heads and intake like in post #10. I usta have a later 3x2 intake, but sold it long ago.

There's a kinda-local fella that is looking for a single Late Grancor head like yours to match his lonely single. I forget which side he needs.

All in all, I think Grancor stuff could be considered "rare". People think Eddie Meyer stuff is rare, and you see lots more E.M. stuff than Grancor.

 

I gotta agree with that, I had a line on a set of grancor heads, but it fell through. At least I got my down payment back. I haven't seen another set for sale yet.

 

I bought mine for what I consider a "song" about 20 years ago. The previous owner asks me about once a year if I want to sell them back to him.

 

Thanks! In my opinion they're one of the more beau-t-ful flatty heads.

I've got a 8BA block, Merc crank, 3 5/16" pistons, Potvin super 3/4 race grind cam, a polished aluminum timing cover and a Mallor Mag-Spark distributor... if nothing else I could set up a real neat looking boat anchor for now!

I wish I could help ya... I think there are more of the 59AB GranCor heads available- they pop up on Ebay every once in a while for $800-$1,000 depending on condition.

Thanks! Don't get too jealous- it's only aluminum.

I definitely don't want to end up like that guy!

Gracias!

Wish I could help ya. Does yours have a number stamped on the backside of the water neck opening? if so, what is the number?

Ideally I'd put an Eddie Meyer high-rise intake with these heads on an engine- I think they'd look good together.

Thanks for the comments guys! If anyone's got a pair of these things let me know what number is stamped on the backside of the water neck opening. Thanks for looking! -P40-

 

nice stuff there
just drove past the Granetelli bldg at Auburn tonite after we ate
they made a bingo parlor out of part of the museum!!!!

 

Thanks Eugene- did you get some snapshots?

 

Anyone else have any info on these? Is it possible to nail down production numbers?

 

No info but back when I was about 12 or 13 we lived in a house on Bainbridge Isand Wa that had a cabinet full of old Mechanics Illustrated magazines from the early 50's in the hall way. I read every one of them many times in the time we rented the house and a few had articles by Tom McCahill about having The Granatelli brothers modify his Shoebox Ford.
I'm pretty sure a set of those heads were one of the mods.
Found a reference on Wikipedia
In the 600 road tests he performed and reported on, his favorite cars were the 1953 Bentley Continental and the 1957-62 Imperial, each model year of which he owned as his personal vehicles. In 1950 he purchased a new Ford and proceeded to acquire the assistance of Andy Granatelli in "hopping it up" by switching to high-performance heads and manifolding. He then tested the car extensively and noticed a 90 mile an hour cruising speed. The car became known as the "M.I. Ford" as it was frequently featured in the Magazine. The wise and considerate McCahill de-tuned the car before selling it with 32.000 miles.

 

Cool story! Nothing like finding reading material worth reading! I'll have to see if I can find the articles!

 

Hey, Pinstriper40;

I had a set just like yours, years ago. When I blew up the pics, I wouldn't bet that those aren't my old ones, but the polish on the letters looks just a little nicer on yours, IIRC.

Mine also had helicoils in them, can't remember which plugs, though. Somewhere, I've got some pics of them...

I looked all over creation+ for info on those things (pre-internet days), & I do remember hauling them to a StreetRod Nats, just to see Speedy Bill, where I politely asked him what he knew about late-model GranCor heads. So, after he told me he could tell all about them (history, etc), if I brought them to him in person, I did. I didn't realize that those little bitty chunks of feather-weight aluminum could get so heavy, in such a short time - & that was just on the way over to see him. Imagine my enthusiam, when he informed me that they weren't rare, popular or wanted, weren't really any good, didn't make much power, had been cut (ok, no problem), the #290 on each head under the t-stat housing wasn't representing a matched pair of heads - just the original cc's for compression (neat, & no problem), & that he wouldn't give me $100.00 for them, esp since they were polished, been cut, been used, had helicoils, blah/blah/blah. I said I didn't wasn't trying to sell them, just trying to find background info, as there was little out there. Apparently, he wasn't enthused about helping me w/info, because that's about all of the "info" I was given - somewhat curtly & a bit rudely, & he then turned his back, even though nobody else was there at, or in, his Speedway booth. Speedy Bill, to this day... "Kiss my ass".

Anyways, in Granatellis' book, 'They call me mr. 500', there is a very short mention of these heads. More info about the early style. Someone I ran into years ago said that these smooth 2-fin heads were a very short-lived run, & weren't real popular, as they didn't have many fins... Supposedly, guy said, there was another run of late-model heads made w/ typical fins - but I've never seen a pic, nor heard mention of them in any print. & he didn't know much, either - but was at least rather nice about it... .

Only heard of one late model manifold, & IIRC, it was really stupid $$$ - & this was before the flathead craze began.

I had my heads for ~ 20+ yrs, wanting to build a mill around them. I finally figured out that was never going to happen, esp since I liked other flatheads better, & sold them through the MSRA Linechaser to a guy in southern MN. He said he had to have them to build a motor around. But I've never seen it, or them. Hope you actually get to see them on your running mill. You other guys, too. & I'd like to see pics, esp w/sound... .

FWIW.

Marcus...

 

I think that this intake would look killer with those heads. Plus, some more unobtanium for your vault.

 

Daaaannnngggg! Those are pretty

 

A pair sold for less than $600 back in 09.........

http://www.rmauctions.com/CarDetails.cfm?SaleCode=rw09&CarID=L144&Currency=USD



wonder how many people here wish they'd have known .......


if only i had something to bolt em too.......


.

 

What does elicoiled means?

Anyway, Granatelli is a nice name. Granate in italian means granades, so its kinda like saying Granader or little granades or something along those lines...and that is probably why they look the bomb! ahaha
Should have stuck w/ the full name rather than goin GranCor....