Got the engine pulled and on the engine stand this morning. Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
'40 coupes had two types of seats and that is neither.. I am selling '40 coupes that are not a lot better and always wonder what they cost in Clips.. part of the country. Inquiring Mind? Fred A
Man, I really hope you marked where the hood and fender mounts were, before pulling the whole front clip off. '40 Fords are notoriously tricky, to get everything aligned up front, upon reassembly. Some install the hood first, then adjust the fenders accordingly. I would slow down on the whole "project teardown" action, if you want to keep things simple, man!
Metal Man is correct. Drakes rear panel and quarters look and fit the best. Much better fit and better looking than E.M.S. Also I used Direct Sheet metals floor kit. Don't know about anyone else's. Theirs is the only one I tried. Went in very easy. And they are all too happy to walk you thru a glitch if you have one. As for the power. What do you know. If you know Buicks, use that. If you know Chevys, use one. That's kind of how I ended up with a 426 Dodge wedge in mine. I was a little young to get the full taste of '60's hot rodding. But it seems to me guys used what they had, could get cheap or what they knew. To me as long as the motor doesn't have billet valve covers, a plated carb or M.S.D. dist. It doesn't matter what it is.
If you replace the flathead with a sbc, at least keep the forty trans and rear end........that's half the fun of driving these things.
just receintly installed a ems kit in my 40 sedan.. fit great. next step to install rockers I got from dennis carpenter.
Ha! Thunder road...great movie, in the first scene during the car chase, the guy rolls the shoebox and takes off again! gotta love those old movies... oh, great find on the '40...my thoughts exactly, get a few things in order then drive it, or it will sit in garage or drive and collect dust...
Make sure you keep us inform on you progress. The motor in my 39 was built with all NOS parts and balanced. That engine is the best running car of the lot. It sure does pay in the long run to build the engine the best you can, No short cuts. with the engine. Mike Kubarth is one of best sourse for information on 39 and 40 Fords. There others also for information also. I try to keep my 40 as Henry built it.
I'll be watching your build! I've got similar plans with a 40 Tudor, it too has similar rust issues, and I am going SBC because mine didn't have an engine.
I saw what was supposedly THE Thunder Road car in a "museum" that was in business in Lexington, Kentucky in the 80's and it was for sale. Would have LOVED to have been able to buy it. As I remember it was not outrageously priced by today's standards. Oh, and x 2 on the plan Clips. Get it runnin and drive the wheels off!
Cool car! I love to see another lost mechanical soul being pulled from the ocean of barn & basements! Heres some pics of the 40 coupe I found last winter while working the Jersey shore after Super Storm Sandy..... Its like a 25yr old cheer leader walkin up to ya and askin "where you been all my life?"....lol None of my biz but to share my recent experience with this car, I believe when you find one of these cars you absolutely have an obligation to try to make it run "as found". If you get it up and goin, apply only the bare minimum changes as to make the car safe to drive. Then give the old girl @ least 1 season on the road as it was. That will give you a chance to "feel" the car in its prior glory, If you give the car its voice back it will speak to you about what you should do moving forward. Any car thats been waiting that long deserves a chance to speak! My car was first modified in 64 with a SBC install w/ stock running gears. in 65 it changed owners and got the go fast full monty! 350hp/327, duntov solid lift cam, alum. flywheel, scattershield, swingin pedals, hyd clutch, T-10, tri 5 rear with eaton center and 5:38 gears. that guy sold in 71 to the guy I acquired it from. nothing had been changed when i found it, very little has changed now. I serviced the brakes (stock 40 in front, stock 55-7 in rear) new lines etc. new fuel line (cause they used copper) re-worked wiring as needed and moved the battery to the rear (for safety) installed an aftermarket electronic distributor (for reliability) and hid the box inside the firewall. rebuilt the carbs..... thats all! drove it all summer.... and I mean drove it hard! I am now so in love with this car just as it is. now everyone comes around the shop wants a ride in her. I just tell em... "if you soil yer shorts, you hafta take em off and nail em to the wall of shame!" just aint nothin like the feel of an old hot rod fishtailing in 3rd gear at speed! Its a damn drug!( if the flattie is stuck let me know I might be able to help you out) Keep it simple.... drive it sooner!
I just bought a set of Bradley front floor pans for my 40 ford coupe from Midwest ford. They had them in stock and i got them in about week. I also got a set of quarter patch panels and tool tray at the same time. But the tool tray does not have the holes for the bumper brackets so it looks like i will be buying one from Carpenter and reselling the one from Midwest ford.
Looks like a good start, and it was close to home. Love the body style. Good luck on the build and thanks for sharing the journey.
The stock '46 Merc 59A flattie in my car scoots it around with plenty of "GO". It is fun to drive, and sounds very cool. All I knew was it would turn over and wasn't seized, when I bought the car. I nursed it back to life, as-is, in the car, and it runs better and better everyday. I don't know what's going on with all of the "anti-flathead"/they're slow/expensive/fragile/complicated b.s...
Got a couple valves stuck in the flathead. If the engine needs rebuilt I'm wondering whether to rebuild it or drop a sbc in it... Flatheads are cool! Have a sound all their own. They can be a bit pricey to build, but nothing ventured....nothing gained. Soak the valves in Gibbs. that might loosen em up (gibbsbrandlubricant.com) There are some tricks to getting the valves out when they are stuck. try the gibbs first.
wound up pulling the engine down. pistons look good and the rings weren't stuck. the main bearings show lots of copper though. crank looks very good. Now comes the chore of coming up with some cash....
Looks like a fun project. Mine started with a seized up 347 pontiac last run in 1964. I went the flathead route as it was the easiest at the time, and after a good couple years and two engines, replaced it with a low budget street rod style 302/aod. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=742104 I'd like a t-5 but it was already a running assembly. Still working out some ratio issues but it's getting reliable. Bottom line you go with your budget and have fun! Dang that brown 40 is bitchin. I like how the exhaust goes through that fender slot there under the running boards. Last year I replaced the flathead with a 302, and was thinking of a similar route.
"Dang that brown 40 is bitchin. I like how the exhaust goes through that fender slot there under the running boards. Last year I replaced the flathead with a 302, and was thinking of a similar route. " Thanks Buddy ! I dig that sinister looking coupe yer riding too! You should hear it when I tickle the firewall with my right toes! The 3 sisters open up and start there singing and those long tube babies carry the sound down to those smittys. Sounds just like Falfa's 55 out on Paradise rd. make wanna put fenderwell headers on yer weedeater!
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