Technical when did the flathead stop being king?

That's true. One of my friends graduated from high school in 1966, and his car was a '53 Mercury with a hot flathead. He bought the engine--EAC motor with Offenhauser heads and 4 bbl. intake, Mallory distributor, Belond headers, 3 5/16 bore and some sort of hot cam---for the outrageous sum of $75.00.

 

!!!

 

Yep what he said.

 

Still KING!! King of eye candy that is! Nothing better to look at than a Full House flatty and to hear it rumble! Its like a Harley a sound of there own.

 

About the time the guys got tired of feeling bad about getting dusted.

 

You got that right.

 

As soon as there were Chrysler Hemis in the wrecking yards.

 

This guy had it right:

http://youtu.be/WLFTO0Bx9-E

 

I love how these posts bring out the flatheads forever types. It's a history question fellas, calm down. We all know that flatheads basically suck hind tit to a traditional OHV if you're after horsepower. Can a flattie go fast? Yes to that too, if you have the cash and the will to do it. Valuable? Our brother Cabover here on the HAMB had a shit ton of the things and couldn't give them away. They're only rare and valuable when you really want one and can't afford it. Nobody was beating a path to his doors, so what does that say? I have 2 flathead v-12s. I'll bet they're worth a fortune in the context of this thread. Got 2 or 3 Zephyr transmissions too.

My dear departed Dad prefered the Cadillacs and made some really fast hotrods with them back in the day, but the Olds was also desireable. Cheap and easy power. It doesn't get any more traditional than that, does it?

 

I can't believe that it took this many posts for someone to get it right! Although flatties will always be king. The chrysler hemis changed every thing about making horsepower before sbc's were ever produced. and the hemispherical combustion chamber still remains the dominating design in drag racing and most performance engines. BUCKD

 

Really? It seems like all the little books have small blocks in the FAST rides on the covers in 56-7-8-9

The stock early hemi valve trains sorta sucked when you really pressed them.

Don't forget about the hot ass straight 6 crowd that would also hurt a flat head EASY

Sorry -

 

If, as you say, "flatties will always be king". then they never got it right.
Read the thread title again.

 

A good healthy ford flathead trad thread on the traddest HAMB ever on the eve of Thanksgiving. Long live the FLAT motor and all that have them and keep them going. Another 20 years and the LS assholes will be talking all kinds of smack.

 

King of nostalgia.

 

You must be talking magazine covers. But at the dry lakes early hemis were kicking ass in the early fifties. Most flathead guys and hemi guys didn't get along to well with the sbc crowd after they started becoming popular. Sorry BUCKD

 

Don't forget Canada still got them in '54! We are behind the times up here!

 

My uncle dropped an OHV Olds "Rocket" in a near new 48 Chevy pickup.
My cousin's daughter still has it.

 

Yep...
Hemi's were available prior to 1955, as well. Also Lincolns in 1952. If you wanted to go fast, you had a few choices long before the sbc....

 

so the small block guy has always been unpopular?

 

when the hemi took over ''

 

when did the flathead stop being king?

What? When did this happen? Nobody told me Boy I hope you're wrong

 

the year 1957 whom was stated by my father in law joe whom raced a flathead in his 40 ford sedan.... chevy came out with fuel injection on there power packed 283 cu inch...he said he didn't loose a street race till then....flatheads are still king w/him,,,,even in heaven....

 

i didnt realize that "BANGERS" & "FLAT V8s" were out of style ! ... must be a myth .. steve

 

I ran a Flathead in my Merc until 58 when I put a Olds J2 in it
ran it for a Couple of years until it Blew apart coming back
from FL. had to be Towed 150 miles back to NY
tok it apart & the Engine was Toast, took the old Flathead put
a Strocker kit in it & ran it until 78 & put a SBC in it
& still have init now
just my 3.5 cents

 

Reference this thread and go from there. Lots of killer mills from all families
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=7172055#post7172055

 

It's never stopped being king the engine hasnt been in production since 53 and yet I can build one from scratch with readily available parts...The king Still reigns over the kingdom. Fact is fellas this engine is an icon it is the heart of hotrodding, it's a friggin legend and it's not going away. Doesn't matter how many shitty SBC engines you piss and moan about. We will always have this discussion and you will always have people like me dedicated to it's survival

 

you should try this with your flat head
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oaN9y6VuFhY&feature=bf_next&list=FL8vQlNcwYBaYKFFnu6ok7Aw&lf=mh_lolz

 

Calm down I love my flathead and I dont plan on ditching it especially for a sbc but I was curious in general for speed.

I love a flathead's sound. a plain jane flathead sounds so unique and great. So far my favorite motor I have owned.

 

Agree, but the SBC drove the final nail in the coffin, so to speak.
In the late 50's & 60's, no one was running a flathead. Who wanted to settle for under 100 hp when you could have over 200 hp easily?
It was a no-brainer for those who wanted to go fast.
Every car we had, got the flattie pulled in favor of pretty much anything else.