Hi Dawford, That is very interesting.Sounds like it is a good application for a Ford Model A. Thanks for posting. Ralph
For the record, I would put a visor on it, and stick a fork in it and call it done! Now for a later model 4 cylinder swap with a carb, think about the Ford OHC 4. Check out www.esslingerracing.com, this will give you some ideas of what can be done with that engine. Good luck sir, beautiful rig!! I spent the better half of a year putting 28 cab corners on my 26 Pick up. You have to love the phone booth pick ups, TR
m.ralph, I forgot to mention that both of the Mercruisers have the Chevy V8 bellhousing pattern. I will set them up with T-5 5 speed overdrives or 2004r GM overdrive automatics. Either one will work well with the right rear end in a light car. Dick
TR , thanks I will check that site out.Do know what the years that they had carbs, on the Ford OHC 4. And yes I love the 28/29 Ford pickups. This is my 9th truck that I've owned. Dawford , you had my interest already and keep sweetening with more information. Thanks Ralph
m.ralph, Another great feature of the 470 Mercruiser in a model A Ford is an actual weight saving of more than 100 lbs less than a stock Model A engine. At about 300 lbs dressed it is a natural for a light car and the weight saving over a sb Ford or Chevy with a weight to hp ratio of about 10 to 1 saves you about 250 lbs equal to 25 hp making the total equivelent hp about 250. The additional benefit is in greatly improving the front to rear weight distribution making the car handle better and get better traction. Being carburated it would be a simple matter to turbo the 470 if more hp were desired but I think the car will be very fast and manageable with 225hp and 250/ft/lbs of torque in a 300 lb package. The engines have an 8.8 to 1 compression ratio the way I set them up and should run on regular gas. With 6 to 10 lbs of boost and premimum I think that they will produce about 300 hp. For the cars I am setting up I think that much hp is overkill. I build reliable drivers not dragsters of race cars. I love sleepers and these engines being 4 cylinders sound similar to strong bangers and will provide the thumping kind of torque from low RPM that good bangers provide while also being able to produce great power at 5500 to 6000 RPM. Dick
drop the project and send to me so I can save you all the pain of a new build. Lol I am sure you will do her proud. Bob
Plymouth1952 , It would cost too much to send it to you.Besides I doubt that the mailman could carry it to your mailbox.I better keep the pain of another project.That's why I retired so I could do them.When you retire, you can only fish, play golf,so much, then you have to have something else to play with.
Sounds like more HAMBers are for keeping the old engine.I've gotten some real good ideas from everyone.Still haven't made up my mind yet. Having too much fun with my last project, started going to the local hangout to show it off. Meeting a lot of people with the same interests.
If you guys that advise Ralph to leave it stock were to read Ralph's Personal Profile you would see that he has restored about 40 Model A Fords already. I think that he is about where I am with Model A's. I have owned 3 nice drivers only 1 of which I installed Hydrolic brakes on. I loved driving them around town but hated driving them any distance. I personally think that Model A Fords are some of the most beautiful cars ever made. Not fancy but well proportioned. They elicite a smile from almost every one who sees them. 32's 33's and 34's also fit into that era and are amoung my favorites also. 35 to 48 fords are also some of my favorite cars. Other Makes during that period are kind of on a hit or miss depending on year and model. Anyway Ralph has experienced the satisfaction of driving one of the most satisfing style cars of that era while also enjoying the performance, safety and reliability of later model cars. I know some of my friends enjoy both worlds with their Model A's but I have observed that some find it hard to turn back once they have had the satisfaction of keeping up with or pulling away from a modern sports car at a signal. My favortrite cars are sleepers and Model A Fords can be made into great sleepers. Most people won't notice that the car is a little lower and has 16" wire spoked wheels. If the car sounds like a 4 cylinder banger they will asume that anything done to the engine will only slightly improve the performance. In reality with the proper parts set up right they can be made into pretty fast, safe and reliable cars. The bonus is that all of this can be done on a budget and is easily done in stages over time.+ I am hoping that this kind of hot rod will become as popular as the 32 3 window with the Chrysler Hemi. Well thats not likely but I believe that they will become more main stream as the costs of building the quasi-essential hot rod continue to sky rocket. I will probably always have one of my Model A's running a banger but even that car will have a good transmission, suspension, stearing and brakes. 2 of my cars I still crank start and do so often to illistrate how good they run. That is about the only thing that I will miss with my Modified Model A's. Dick
Since you are still in the planning process, here is my 2 cents. Engine: Inline 6 with a tripple carb setup. an aftermarket steering column with the shifter on the tree (makes some space in the cab) Throw on a minor rake (either run big\little tires or lower the front some). Shine up the wheels (if your droping the front some, otherwise run baby moons) Throw a coat of black cherry metalic paint on the outside, white on the interior. White engine compartment with a tiny bit of pin striping for details. If you want to get crazy, throw in a Corvette or jag suspension set up for that real smooth ride (assuming it will fit, not sure of the measurments off hand). Add an AC, Power windows, maple bed kit, and some other creature conforts for drivability as needed. not 100% traditional because of the paint and other fun stuff, but the metalic black cherry with white will give it alot of visual punch and the AC is needed where I live (central valley CA). That would be how I would build it if it was my project.
That's one thing that I will not do , is chop or channel the truck.I like the looks of the truck stock full fendered.
Ralph, I would cherry it out using the stock body and box girder the frame to handle some significant HP. I like the 4 cylinder Mercruiser because it has a chevy bellhousing and can be easily hocked up to a T-5 5 speed . I use 48 to 52 Ford f-1 front spindles and brakes on 46" axles with a 4 bar setup. The F-1 brakes are 11" self energizing and are 5 on 5 1/2" lug pattern. I like to use Ford of Kelsey Hayes 16" spoked wheels and they need 5 on 5 1/2 to 5 on 5 1/2 spacers and spoked wheels disks to make them work on the F-1 drums. 46" axle keeps them at 63 1/2" total track which will work on a full fendered Model A. I use 78 to 92 Ranger 8.8" posi rear ends which are also 63 1/2" wide after installing 5 on 4 2/2 to 5 on 5 1/2" spacers with wire wheel disks. The wire wheel disks are a flat disk about 16th " thick that have a raised flange in the center that mimics the raised portion of the earley ford brake drums. Without that disk wire wheels that are bolted to modem flat drums are distorted and will fracture after time. The Mercruiser 470's that I set up with aluminum heads put out about 225 hp normally aspirated And can be Turbocharged to more than 300 hp. That is out of an engine that weighs about 300 to 335 lbs complete. That is about 200 lbs less than the stock Model A engine. A 2100 lb Model A pickup that looks stock and has 225 to 300 hp. is quite a sleeper and will handle, ride and stop better than most modern cars while retaining the look that most people like. Dick .
I'm just jealous hahaha I like the idea of a period build , maybe like it would be done post-war. my .02cents
I placed an ad to sell the motor, transmission, and rearend from my 1928 Ford Closed Cab Pickup..Bought some boxing plates to strenghten the frame. Decided to replace the rearend with a S10, I used this on my 30 Ford coupe and it worked great.I used American Coil-over shocks with a very comfortable ride.Still haven't decided on the engine and trans.Like the thought on the Mercruiser 470 engine suggested by Dawford. I need to do some checking on availability of this engine.I would like to run an automatic transmission.Still looking for ideas, anyone have any for me. Thanks in advance. m.ralph
m.ralph, The Mercruiser bell housing uses the standard Chevy pattern. It can require 5/8ths" to be machined off the bell housing to have the right depth for a 2004r auto over drive. I have figured out how to use it as is for a T-5 5 speed overdrive. Ralph, I also girder the frame before I box it. That makes it very ridged and will work well with the torque of the 470. I appreciate all of those who suggest that ralph should keep it as is but after reading m.ralph's Personal Profile and seeing that he has restored and owned more than 40 Model A Fords I realized that he wanted some different out of this one. Dick
Sold the engine, transmission, and rearend. Got the frame all boxed now. Getting ready to install the S10 rearend next.
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