I enjoy the shit out of reading all the forums and posts on here but I have a few quick questions so I can understand a little better. I was raised SBC,IFS,th350 or BUST if you see where I'm going with this so please bare with me. My questions are what does OT mean, I see it in some posts and can't seem to figure it out? Also if your a flathead nut I would love to know what different types there are and the one I want to use if given the chance, if I remember right I've seen ole timers on here use terms like 8bt... And so on. Any info would be great , and if anyone is going to the frog follies post a pic of your ride and let me know were you will be parking, I love Talkin to old school true hotrodders!!!
OT means off-topic for flathead info, check out www.vanpeltsales.com for starters also http://www.btc-bci.com/~billben/flathead.htm others will chime in welcome to the HAMB P.S. pretty cool you're from the same town as the Dillards
OT is "off topic" - means anything that is not pre-64 hot rod/custom related. I'll let others provide you with their reams of knowledge about the hallowed flathead and its many permutations. dj
The VanPelt site is definitely a good reference, but it won't tell you desirability. If you run across an 8CM, (late Mercury flatty) that's the one to toss aside and send to me. I'll gladly hook you up with a strong running 8BA (late Ford flatty). All kidding aside, the Merc engine is generally the first choice among Ford flatheads, followed by the 8BA. Some may disagree, but these two are singled out because they are the last of the Ford flatties which combined decades of engineering and manufacturing knowledge. Others, such as the 59A are desired for a period correct build-up, have slightly different idiosyncrasies, but share many Ford and after market parts.