Hopefully in the next few months I will be bringing home my grandpa's 31 ford roadster. He kept it full fendered, and so will I. It was a 50's build and I am going to leave the body alone, just do a restore on it. From looking at it I think its lowered, and has a great stance. Grandpa did alot of cool stuff to this rod, but the one thing he didn't do was swap out the banger. The lack of speed parts on it makes me think he had plans to swap out the motor, probably to a flathead. But, Flatheads are out of my price range, and for the $$$ I cant see spending all that money to get 100hp. Any ideas on what would be a cheaper, period correct swap? Something my grandpa would have done when he was in high school if he would have had the money. My grandpa was also a die hard ford guy, so a SBC is out of the question. Ive been thinking of just using a 2300/T5 so it will go down the road nice. I'm a drag racer at heart, so HP is king with me! But, I probably wont be abusing the car. A trip to the track wouldn't be out of the question thou! Here is a pic of the car. I still have to get it talked over with grandma. She wants it original, but I don't want to keep the banger. Id like to have a drive train plan before I talk to her about it. Thanks for any tips!
Grandpaws options in the '50s if he was a ford guy would have been flatty or Y block. Maybe later in the '50s would have been a MEL or FE. They were building a valve in head 6 at the time but I don't recall it being a very popular engine. No doubt there is someone who does but I don't. Olds, Nail Head, Caddy, and Pontiac were all popular engines as were poly motors and hemis. But they are all pretty much made from expensium or unobtanium or both. The 2300 is a Pinto Banger right? If you're after a later engine why not look for a 302 or 289. Lots of go fast stuff for them laying around and although they are a little longer than an SBC you can still make one fit.
Once you start pulling shit apart and putting whatever you want in there, it's another 2010 pretend 50's build. Seriously, if its mostly there, really consider hopping up the Banger. Those hopped up 4 banger cars reek of cool, cool on a level most guys can't get to when randomly assembling a bunch of parts. Be different; check out the monthly Banger thread on here for some great inspiration. At least try to get it running and driving before you rip it out. I bet that's what Gramps would do, and you might learn a thing or two.
I will attempt to get the banger running, believe me! I want to see what it sounds like and what its like to drive one. I just know I will flat not be able to afford to rebuild it. That, and I want to drive the wheels off this thing! 45mph is just not safe IMO in my area. If it is pulled, it will be saved. I don't want to do anything to this car that cannon be easily redone. The reason I was leaning towards the 2300, is when I mentioned "hot rod" to my grandma she told me I couldn't cut up one of her old fords to make a hot rod! So, the 2300 I think will be easier to convince her off, cheap, and will get the job done. The hood for this car is in front of it, and it will be ran. How hard is a Y block swap? I think I stumbled upon one of these the other day at a buddies house. It was a non-flathead V8 in mid 50's f-600, and it looked original.
Also my grandpa graduated in 58. Met my grandma around 58-60 (cruising this car!). So thats were I want to keep it time wise. The car hasnt been touched since the mid 70's.
No swap is any harder than any other. The Y block is going to be heavier and a little larger in outside dimension than an SBC. But they do have cool factor. El Scotto made a point about restoring it rather than hot rodding it. That's not exactly what he said but it is what it comes down to and it looks as though in order to not hurt granny's feelings that is what you need to do. I'm not real big on family, I just don't care much for mine, but when grandad was still alive I wouldn't have done a thing in the world to hurt his feelings. He was important to me as your granny should be to you.
Chevies out. HAS to be a ford motor. He was a hardcore ford guy. Ive been doing a little thinking any MAY go 260-289. My grandpa was big into mustangs, each of his 3 kids had one to drive when they turned 16. My mom had "recived" a 66 289 convertable! This was about 75, my grandpa bought it wrecked and fixed it. Once he found out what it was worth, he took it away 6 months after he gave her a 66 coupe with a six! he kept it for her, and she still has it. In fact, all three kids still have there mustangs. Ive also heard a story about a shelby mustang getting cutup for parts because it was to rusty in the mid 80's. Another picture of the car I have shows the 67 K code fastback that is on the other side of that red A. The more I think about, the more I think this project got pushed to the side once he could afford mustangs. But, if your a mustang guy who owned a model A rod in the 50's, wouldnt putting a mustang motor in it in the 60's seem like a good idea?
If you were to swap the engines I would save up until you could afford the flattie, much cooler than the banger and period correct. Yea not much hp but the cool factor should outweigh that part. I would get the banger going and start eating bologna for a while and get your flattie.
I'm running a 66 289 in my 34 truck, lots of power, but I'm also going for a 60's look with it. I'd put a flatty in yours, since your going for a 50's feel.
He was a Ford guy. If the T-Bird Turbo Coupe were around in the '50's I bet that would have been of interest. That HOT little 4 would keep it all Ford, would keep you from having to cut the car up, would feed your need for speed & would be affordable. Tell your grandmother that you have absolutely NO plans to deviate from FOMOCO 4cyl power. You said you were running a full hood right? JH
On the cheap side, how bout a 300-6 cylinder? There is a buttload of performance parts for these. I have one in a 63 f100 and have a 4 bbl intake and headers for it. Good motors.
Id love to go to a Turbo 2.3. Ive always wanted one. Im a 2.2 turbo dodge guy at heart, and the 2.3 is kinda like a RWD version of the K cars Im so in love with, lol! I think the wistle of the turbo would kill the experance thou . A 300 would be a great swap, but I doubt it would fit! Thats a LONG motor!
Build the banger...... They aren't that expensive..... in fact know of a known good runner for $300 bucks. Hard to beat that for price.
I was just thinking the same thing. Problem is its going to take a pretty big chunk out of the firewall to keep it behind the radiator. Its just a shame that Ford was't building a decent banger back then. I'm still leaning towards restification as long as Grandmaw is in the picture. But mayby I'm just looney toons.
Here you go best bang for the buck! http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=483468&highlight=nailhead
I love buicks, but its not a ford. Has to be a ford motor! Hopefully I will drag it out of the barn and poor some gas down the carb and it will fire right up! haha... In fact its a updraft cant even poor gas down in it! Like Ive said before, if the banger will saftley go 50-55 I will be happy. Anything under that just isnt safe where I live. And ya... I want the car but, I have to satisfy grandma. As much for me as for her. Thats why I have NO intention of doing anything to the body. Im just going to straighten it and paint it the color it is now. The RED wheels with WWW wil stay too
Turbo, I can understand your aversion to Chevrolet engines. Would it help if I told you the one in my car was a Merc (actually Mercruiser Marine)? I painted it Ford engine green. A standard adapter will mate it to an early Ford transmission (the V8, not the Model A) and you can run the original drivetrain. It looks a lot more like it belongs in the car than a 2300. When someone wants to restore the car everything unbolts. The only "damage" to the original car was 4 holes in the frame for the front motor mounts. Charlie Stephens
Really what about early Olds V8 and early Caddy V8s. They were stomping flatheads asses in the early 50's. They were out 6 years (1949) before the small block Chevy in 1955.
Hopped up banger with an overdrive transmission. Car is light, doesn't take alot to get it to cruise at highway speed. Worth the few extra bucks. Flathead V-8 are overdone. Keep Grandma happy. Neal
I wouldnt Screw with a survivor, do bangers really cost that much to rebuild? Drop a pinto engine in there and alot of guys on here will be sick to there stomachs. Flatheads are cool, but expensive especially for the hp. Theres something very cool about bangers, and soon as you start changing shit, other things will definately have to be changed and that will cost you way more. my $.02
The Jalopy Journal
