Anyone ever race/rod a Flathead Ford?

[RH]

I've often thought a gas flattie altered/dragsterwould be a neat niche nostalgia car to run.We had quite a few around here in the late 50s -early 60s. I've heard that alky and fuel pose heat/cracking problems due to the basic engine port design but that gas is pretty reliable.

My only practical knowledge is that we had a rusted up 53 sed that my cousin knocked the front off of in about 65 and we ran the thing sans cooling and with dubious oil level 2-3 years and used it to haul timber out of the woods.The thing would not die!

Anyone have any experience with them?

Ron

[jim sanders]

never tried to abuse them Ron but i have a pair of 8ba cars in my driveway.. (dad's cars)....

[Lippy]

Yes. LOL. Nitro causes many problems with a flathead ford. LOL. Like blowing the heads off and stuff. LOL. Ron, this is the same car that's in my avatar, a few years ago.

[RH]

Lippy,you have pretty much echoed what I've heard about running the yellow stuff.I've also heard that you should not run a flattie unless you are in tight with a good cast welder/machinist.
That being said ,a gas car running high 6s-low 7s in the 1/8 should not be too volatile I think?.
Then again,I think that bluewater fishing shouldn't be too volatile but here I am with 11 screws in my arm and my 3rd fishing related injury in the last 5 years so what the heck do I know

Dang,that's a pretty looking ol' bullet in that picture
I can see why you blowed it up ya' forgot to put enuff header pipes on it

Ron

[RH]

never tried to abuse them Ron but i have a pair of 8ba cars in my driveway.. (dad's cars)....

Jim,

What models?
There's a clean solid 53 2 door wagon on RJ right now for 5k.
2 doors are hard to find.

Ron

[jim sanders]

a 49 coupe and a 50 2dr... i'll post a couple pics in a bit..

[jim sanders]

dad's cars..

[RH]

dad's cars..

Jim,
Couple of nice looking rides there and some real jewels for sure! Love them coupes
Thanks for the pics.
Buddy of mine Buck Anderson had a 50 Ford coupe with s/b Chevy and straight axle that he ran for years at BPs old stompin' grounds MIR.

BP,
car was red and had MR.Schlitz on the sides in gold leaf,should have been running when you were track announcer there but maybe a little earlier.If not you might remember his next car which was Malcom Durhams old AWB 65 with a rat on hilborns and alky-Rat's Nest.Ran out of Schwartz Bros.Speed Shop in Alex. Actually,both of these may have been before your time you young whipper-snapper

Ron

[draglist]

HI Ron. Sorry... don't remember that car and I sure would have if I saw it. I was there from 1986 to 2002... bp

[jim sanders]

dad's cars..

just got word that both cars are now on e-bay... guess i need to get them both fired up and wash the bird poo of of them in the rain today