Sounds like a great hobby you got going there! If you were my neighbor, I'd want to hang out at your place to watch or help if you'd let me!

Come on down. I'll show you how to set lifters on these old
buggers. There are no side covers. They all came with dual
point front mounted distributors and you had to remove them and set it on the bench. Lots of fun. I know where there was an Eaton blower for this engine. I hope the guy still has it. You can still buy them brand new but not spending that kind of money. You are more than welcome to help out. You know the old saying. " Real hot rods don't have valve covers ".

A lot of those old Ford flat heads had poor design manifolds, from the stand point of even air flow, that is. A rumor was floated that when a young enterprising engineer discovered the manifold problem, he suggested changing to a better design, but then, the engine would have a much more even exhaust note, not the loopy, characterestic rumble of the Ford V8. Old Man Ford wouldn't hear of it and would not change it. He thought that the sound was part of the sales appeal and it telegraphed power, when in fact, it was power robbing design.

The hot rodders of the day knew about the mainfolds, and all they had to do to get more power was to order out a set of mainfolds and headers from EdleBrock and bolt them on - no engine modification. The power gain was good. However, the intake manifold might be a tad taller than the original because it would be of the 'cross over' design: using a 2 barrel carb, one barrel fed 2 cylinders on the left bank and 2 on the right. The other barrel fed the other cylinders. This necessitated that the intake runners 'cross over' each other.

Yeh! Those were the days. A guy could tinker with this engine.

So, what you going to do when you get these engines cleaned up and running? Maybe put them into something that can be in parades?

How that is the 64 dollar question. I have no idea. Probably put them on stands until i find a doner body or
add them to my parts collection. Fire them up from time to time to bring a tear to the eyes of the old timers. My brother's kids were over yesterday. Suggested i put in a
honking big PowerStroke into my 53 with a custom flat deck
box and up swept 6 inch boom tubes. I'll have to think about that one.

That power stroke probably would generate too much torque for the drive line: Clutch, transmission, differential, and U-joints. But then, these pieces are supposed to be stong enough to spin the wheels on dry pavement, so maybe it would work. Wheel slip limits torque.

Here's a thought: Locate a 32-34 Ford Roadster and drop the engine into it. This is a 2 seat coupe, rag top, suicide doors, with rumble seat. Paint the thing bright yellow or orange. Remove the fold up part of the hood to expose the engine to view. When you drive it, you will look like 'Archie" of comic book fame.

Old guys will wipe a tear when you drive by; Everyone else will want to pet it when it is stopped. And if you never drive it, its a good display.

Then, go ahead and drop a power stroke into the truck - make the kids happy.