In considering all kinds of options for the '48 Ford I bought recently, I've been looking for engine transmission adapters. I did find a SBC adapter to mate it to the stock '48 transmission, but years ago it seemed there were many other options. In fact, many years ago I had a '40 Ford with a 389 Pontiac mated to a top shift early Ford transmission. Has supply and demand just dried up options for such adapters? Lynn
Bendtsen's in Ham Lake, MN makes a bunch of adapters, and I think Wilcap in California still has a bunch (their prices are eye-opening though). If I were you, I'd advertise for what I needed on here (and possibly "The Ford Barn"), and you should be able to find a used one. Also, put a couple of "Saved Searches" on eBay. It may take a while, though. Over the last three years, I have managed to acquire an adapter to put an Olds Rocket against a '49-'64 Ford transmission (including the starter "switchover"), as well as one to put an early Hemi against the same transmission, and another to mate a SBC to the same transmission. If you're patient, you should be able to find what you want. I do have a spare adapter to mate an Olds Rocket to a '32-'48 Ford transmission, if that's any help.
My searches turned up all that were mentioned above, and then some. It appears though, that Wilcap is possibly the only supplier that offers the type adapter I'm interested in, and I found them too. Just thought that maybe another company was out there that didn't come up in the various searches I did. Lots of options to put automatics and T-5s behind almost anything, but that's not what I'd want an adapter for. Your suggestion, tubman, is probably a good way to go. I'm pretty patient but I don't want to wait and wait for something of interest to come up on e-bay, so that might help decide the direction my'48 takes. Right now I am just looking at and probably narrowing down options. Thanks to all. Lynn
Bendtsons is just a few miles's from my house. World famous. Expensive too. But nobody said this was a cheap hobby...
Many many years ago I bought an adapter to put a Ford FE in my 52 ford truck. Got it from good old JC Whitney for about 35.00. Wasn't the smartest thing to adapt an FE to a granny gear no syncromesh 4 speed but it worked.