Last year I mistakenly posted in the Ford Barn asking for suggestions about installing a 1953 Oldsmobile engine in my 1939 Ford Deluxe coupe , wow did I get some great responses along with a few negative comments about staying off their PURE Ford Barn so the moderator removed all of my post ,I guess it was O.K. to discuss how to add hydraulics to the Fords or Ardun heads ect but no engine conversions unless its later Flat Heads . I did like the comments from many who really enjoyed describing their adventures in early hot rods so now I am on this site , lets roll !
Yeah they get a little off kilter when you talk like that. Anyway hell yeah go for it and put up a build thread.
We like old timey hot rods here... here’s my 40 with a 331 caddy Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
My 1939 Ford Deluxe coupe was a hot rod in 1962 when my high school pal Jim Black bought it in Robinson , Illinois for $300 . The car was drag raced at George Field , Illinois where it turned 102 in the quarter mile . It had a 303 Olds engine adapted to the 39 transmission with Lincoln gears and flex tubing exhaust . Love that car but he sold it to a local girl Gayle Snivley who only kept it for a few weeks before she sold it to a local John Farris who removed the Olds and reinstalled a flathead and that's the way I found the car many years ago . I played with it that way and then decided to reinstall an Oldsmobile 303 engine so I began the quest of locating all of the bolt in conversion pieces to reinstall the Olds just as it was in 1962 . I now have every thing ever made to adapt the Olds including a set of NOS Fenton exhaust manifolds . I have the correct starter changeover to adopt the starter to the passenger side of the engine , some have suggested putting one of the light weight mini starter in place of the original heavy starter , undecided about that .I do have a light weight aluminum flywheel but it was suggested the Olds likes its original heavy metal flywheel and I just purchased an original NOS flywheel along with a NOS Shieffer 11 inch pressure plate , the only part lacking was the transmission input shaft extension which I ordered last week from Ross Engines in Ohio has not arrived yet . Will begin the swap in the spring , fun fun !
Good move dealing with Ross. I did when I had an Olds in my 40. Excellent products and great to deal with. Tony is most knowledgeable concerning Olds and others types of motors as well.
I remember discussing this with you on the Barn also. That was a good read. It was all good till the old lady's got involved. Keep at it. I will be following this thread. Still have my 58 olds 371 tri power engine with the 38 cad lasalle trans behind it. Still looking for an old ford to put it in.
I have told this story before, but I believe it bears repeating. In the early '60's, a friend of mine bought a '39 Ford Standard 2 door sedan in incredible original condition. We bought an Olds motor from Carmichel's junk yard and the adapter plate and motor mounts from J.C. Whitney. When we tried to put the engine in the car, we found the starter (in it's stock location) wanted to to live right where the steering box was. We ordered a starter "changeover" casting, again from J.C. Whitney. When this arrived, we installed it, and the found that the oil filter wouldn't fit. At this time, I told my buddy that we now needed a remote oil filter fitting and went home. He ordered the adapter plate, but nothing else and installed it on the engine. Since he didn't have a remote filter, he put pipe plugs into the adapters ports. I got a call later that he had gone down to the local high school parking lot (which was deserted because this was the middle of summer) to do some burn-outs (performance testing), and after a couple, the engine just quit. I helped him pull the engine and drop the pan; the bearings were blue. He sold the car a week later.
I have the block off plate and remote filter plus my car still has its F100 steering box , remember your story
My kind of guy! I have a SBC with stock trans and rear in my '40. People tell me every day need to change it to something more modern. I like the old stuff! About 100,000 miles later, I think I'm right! Way more fun to drive!
I also have a 40 coupe that is destined to get a 303. Have not got to that point yet in the build but it is a part of the plan. I have the hydro still attached to it and will probably go with that. Slow moving build thread in my signature. I will watch to see how you do yours. Sent from my SM-J327V using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
I put a 303 olds in my 46 merc, I got the adapter and flywheel clutch and pressure plate from wilcap out in ca. got mini starter from tony at ross racing clears steering box, there was a guy on ebay selling hurst style motor mounts but not sure if he still does
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