I know the original ones were built in England because they commissioned Zora Arkus Dontov and his bother to pump up the power of it's comercial fleet (garbage trucks) but what year did this OHV Flathead conversion come out? Was it in '55 after the SBC came out, was it in '53 after the Y block came out or was it as early as '49 after Buick,Olds., and Cadillac came out with their OHV engines?
I would have to dig up the articles I have, but I seem to remember that they really became available in '48 or '49.
They were designed made and tested in England starting during WW2 meaning 1945 or earlier. They were first marketed in the US in 1947 as the above articles prove.
Might look here... https://books.google.com/books?id=S7E_gXmNbpAC&pg=PA139&lpg=PA139&dq=Ardun+White+Paper&source=bl&ots=KE0LNK9wBF&sig=lqQL-h8ImnMZs0fgBMH52bUVp5Y&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiX1_vh443QAhVU92MKHfjYCPUQ6AEIQzAE#v=onepage&q=Ardun White Paper&f=false or here...... http://www.allpar.com/mopar/hemi/chrysler-hemi.html
Zora, along with brother Yura ran Ardun Mechanical which was incorporated in 1941 and their primary source of income was munitions related. When the war ended Zora knew something else was needed to sustain the company and he began to design an overhead valve conversion for the Ford flathead. In 1945 he approached Ford officials and was turned away, seen as not having any credibility. He persisted with the design eventually hiring George Kudasch as draftsman in '45 and it was in Feb. 1946 that the first engine saw the dyno with reported results of 6000RPM capability and 160 HP. Soon after brother Yura who did sales/marketing left as did cousin Joe Arkus, the business manager. Not much interest was shown for performance applications so Zora looked to the truck market for commercial success. Ford looked but decided reliability wasn't good, but in any case it looks like the garbage truck story is just that- garbage. The heads originally came to market in late'46 early '47 and later in 1947 they were touted for trucks. It's well documented that there were many issues with the design and it was C-T Automotive that is generally credited with perfecting the design for performance use.
Zora raced an Allard with ARDUN power. He also raced a midget with the V8-60- ARDUN, I need someone to confirm that the V8-60 vesion was built in Germany. I don't know it this ARDUN powered midget is the same one Duntov raced or not. Bob
That is completely wrong they were designed for Zora by George Kudash in 1947 at the Ardun Mechanical Company located in New York City. Latter renamed the Ardun Engine Co sales office was located at 37 East 28Th street NYC It took two months from Georges design to the first prototype running on the dyno in September of 1947. The first sets of heads were cast on Long Island and machined in New York City. Eventually production was contracted out to a company in England after 1947 the actual date is unknown but we do know by around 1953 or 1954 the Ardun company was no longer operating. Eventually CT automotive and Grancor purchased the remaining stock which was shipped from England to New York. I have had the good fortune and pleasure of talking to both Zora and George Kudash to learn the true history about these great heads. Bob the V-8 sixty Adrun heads were also designed by George Kudash they were tested at a track located on Long Island the few sets made were also made in the New York area acording to what George told me. Ronnieroadster
Thanks Ron, the V8-60 ARDUN I had years ago had a small copper plate with 1001 stamped on it, I've always thought it was the first one built and run. It came from Long Island, and the spare parts were wrapped in German newspaper. That is why I thought they were machined in Germany. All I have today is one cam follower and a used head gasket. One of the top six items I never should have sold. Bob
This makes sense. Unless I ever see documentary proof otherwise, I cannot believe that in London England, during the war - with massive materials shortages and German bombs and missiles falling over the place - anyone would be designing heads like these and having aluminium castings etc. made and then testing them in garbage trucks. As I say, in a war zone. Even if there were garbage trucks patrolling the streets of London during the war, I doubt they would have been powered by Ford V8s.
Jaguar designed the XK engine in Coventry during fire watch at their factory, after hours. Big aliminium castings in that baby. If all sorts of machines and aircraft were designed and perfect in the UK during the war, why not a set of cylinder heads? It's not like OHV engines didn't exist.
When the shit hits the fan at home, I retreat to the garage and piddle about and find something to do. It ends up being very constructive.
OK, I'm not looking to pick a fight but the Times article from Aug.18, '47 says after two years of intensive engineering and tests the heads were ready. 1947, so two years earlier means the project began in 1945. Kudasch was a gifted draftsman but where is it said he had a racing/performance background like Duntov did? According to his biography Zora also was a competent draftsman but usually delegated that duty to others as his projects evolved. Zora came up with the concept and laid out the design and at some point hired Kudasch, a non-English speaking Russian immigrant to flesh out the fine details. I don't see how the heads were designed, patterns produced, ancillary pieces sourced and/or produced in such a short time span, testing accomplished and everything put to market in the two months stated. Especially when it was said they were designed by GK in two months which would be a July start date for the alleged Sept. '47 dyno tests. It appears The NY Times seers knew about the heads and their potential before they were even finished. Also, the blueprints sold online were dated in December 1947, it is certainly not uncommon for another drawing to be commissioned at a later date, but again, just one more thing that points to muddled history.
Fordors, What you just stated can be said for just about all Speed Equipment manufacturers going back to the Model T era. Very few people had any idea how well their product would work and keeping track of the date when things were first designed and built wasn't something then really thought about. In all the speed equipment literature I've collected over the years dates are the main thing that are missing on most of them. Bob
Well all I can say is what George personal related to me nothing was developed until he came to New York after leaving the refuge camp he and his wife Rita were living in located in Switzerland mid 1947. George told me Zora showed him the combustion chamber dome cutting tool and pointed to a flathead Ford V-8 block sitting on a work bench. Zora then told George he wanted an overhead valve head to bolt to the Ford block. When George asked Zora for the block blueprints he was told he had no block prints so George took paper and pencil and went to work coping the deck layout and then developed the overhead design layout from his drawings. He also told me the pattern makers would visit each time he had a design ready for patterns. If there was any design changes to be made they were made quickly so no time was lost. These were interesting times World War Two was over and there was an enormous amount of industrial might in the Long Island area just waiting for work. Patterns made one day were being used the next for casting almost no down time at all that's how the heads were designed and cast in such a short time and running on the company dyno in a matter of months not years. That's what I have been told by the man who did the work and until another individual is discovered who also had hands on experience in the design and development of these heads the facts are as stated. George told me he did not speak English when he arrived on Ellis island he was taught English by the janitor who worked at the Ardun mechanical company George Kudash was truly a talented individual.
Great points Ron, Long Island was turning out airplanes and all types of WWII supplies, so all the equipment needed to manufacture the first ARDUN heads was right there. Bob
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