There is a yearly swap meet here in San Diego. It's a three day event, and covers a lot of ground. I have been going for a lot of years. Maybe I just didn't notice but there was a lot of ford flat head stuff, I mean a lot. Bare blocks advertising for 1000.00 (probably didn't sell) Did I just not notice this stuff in the previous years. Makes me want to keep my 52. Any thoughts. Stan
People selling away stuff would make me think the opposite. But, as said above, the TRUE flatty guys are still around.
youve never seen the sign "flatheads forever" have you? They will always have a continued appeal to those of us that appreciate their massive influence in rodding history, or just how cool they sound and look.
A bare standard bore block in very good condition that has been magnafluxed will bring $1K to the right buyer.
They have never left for those of us who belong to, and frequent this site. Now there will always be the people who follow current trends..as in say Pro Street, Rat Rod, Pastel paint jobs, Mini Trucks, etc. Those people are like ships in the night, just passing thru..that is until the next fad comes along. Traditional HotRods (and their power plants) withstand the test of time, and never lose their popularity for us.
if you had some blocks hot tanked, jet washed, and mag'd and had to throw the badly cracked ones away or have them repaired you would not think $1000 was too high. Not to mention buying them and hauling them home first and tearing them down.....
Oh yeah, the Ford Flatheads are alive and well. Like someone said, they never really left. We took our `35 cabriolet on vacation last summer. It ran great on the back roads of West Virginia. It was a blast! Bud Rebuilt and ready to go back in. <O ] <O <O
They are making flathead valve covers for the SBC, I would say they just kick ass and have never left since 1932
WTF? I call bullshit on this post! No one can actually believe flatties stopped being popular, especially on this website.
Ford flatheads have the best staying power they are the definition of a hot rod motor. Aint no small block chevy trend
Just sold my 46 Ford 1/2 ton and am going to start on my 53 Mercury 1/2 ton. It will be flathead powerd. Engine was built by Luke Balogh owner of Luke`s Custom Machine & Design in north Vancouver B.C. Luke also built the engines in the book How to Build Ford Flathead V-8 Horsepower authered by George McNicholl. I will use a eddei myer hi duel intake with 97s and EAB heads with Fenton cast exhaust headers ,a S-10 five speed to keep the flaty alive on long hi way trips. plan to keep the 16" steel wheels and one more small consession from tradition with radial tires as this thing will see lots of miles when done.
Vendors don't lug around stuff that are out of favor and not big sellers. For years they were selling billet shit because all the lemmings thought it looked cool. Then the pendulum swung back and flathead stuff is hot again. It will change again someday. Fortunately I won't be around to witness it.
Hey I thought flat head ford is been the king since the 30s.. Look at my name,,,they are too expensive for this poor bastard but I still love them/....trade your bad ass flattie for a coe? hehehe jk
I just bought my first flathead. You should see my uncles eyes light up when I tell them. Then I sit down shut up and listen to the story's flow.
I've been "recycling" extra unneeded parts at Iola for 30 years, when recycling my extra shoebox stuff, couldn't believe how many younger (under 40) guys were looking for and building flatties......... have seen a huge resurgence of flattie-mania over the past 5 years....
For me it's not a trend, it is a chance to learn from all the old guys on here and in the rest of the hot rod world. The flathead never left it's probably just in your lawnmower.