What flathead is best flathead?

If you are down in Fullerton you ought to give Tim a call on his, could save you a lot of trouble................
use the search and type in flathead........

 

Neal put together a sweet looking and running flathead.




TP

 

The engine in the green roadster behind it was my best running flathead ever.

Couldn't find really a better picture.
It was a 21 stud with milled aluminum heads,
basically stock but a little ported and most importantly balanced.
(cheap power)
and a new mallory dual point distributor.

The one thing that is contrary to this thread,
is it was a 221 cubic inches, a baby flathead.

I have/had the 4" 8cm and the 239 8ba/59a,
and this thing could out-wind all of them.
Probably the balancing and maybe the lighter rotational mass.
Of course it was on a very light 29 roadster too.

TP

 

Damn, Zibo beat me to it! I have the car above in my shop right now at the tail end of some improvements for it's current owner "endlessearth". I have to second that it is one of the nicest running flattys I have ever pressed a pedal to. In a light weight fenderless Model "A" you just don't need any more than what is there on tap. And it is damn easy on the eyes too. It has given me a whole new respect for not only flattys, but for 21 stud engines as well. That said, if it was mine, it would sprout a S10 five speed and adaptor to the closed drivetrain so that it could be hidden as well as possible in a hurry. Something that runs that well deserves an overdrive so that it can go fast and not be overstressed.

 

definitely my favorite, this engine is by far perfection all the way, every time i see this motor my jaw drops and i never fail to appreciate how good this engine is,its a thing of beauty

 

Probably already been pointed out, but (in my humble opinion) the '37 to '48 flatheads are to me the most asthetically pleasing, with their centrally-located water outlets and front-of-the-cam distributors. The '49-'53 flatheads are more powerful & easier to service (insert vs. floating rod bearings, "modern" distributor). My choice would be a French flathead, a 59A flathead w/ late or aftermarket Merc crank, or a later 8BA flathead, in that order (assuming money was no object!). Anyone making new blocks yet, or did the economy kill those projects from MCF & Speedway?

 

Yeah, when it comes to flatheads, Neal is hooked up with the prom queen!

 

I'm kinda partial to this one its taken me all over the left coast......