Listen, I have a 49 ford F1 with a flathead 8 (seized). I want to really hot rod it up, but on the other hand, I don't want to ruin a classic with a flathead 8 in it. My idea for hot rodding was to take a 302 to replace the flathead. I am really looking for muscle car (truck whatever) performance. I don't have very much money for this project and the body work won't cost me but maybe $300. Tell me what you would do in my place. I believe to rebuild the flathead would be more expensive than to buy a 302. Give me your opinon.

 

I had the same problem. My flathead was seized and to rebuild it cost just as much as a built 302. So out with the flathead and 4spd, in with the 302 and AOD. I've gotten as far as having the truck running and should have a driveshaft by next week. I might take it for a test run around the yard . Don't get me wrong the flathead is a good engine but for price to proformance ratio the 302 wins hands down. I know a guy that has a '40 Ford and by the time he's done with the engine he'll have $12 000 Cdn into the motor but only put out 350 HP. He's always wanted to have a rodded flathead.

 

You will get as many opinions as there are people reading this thread, from its a "classic" restore it back to stock to "modify everything" so you end up with a new truck with a old body on it. Most people go somewhere in the middle.

At the end of the day its your truck so build it the way you want it.

It will cost more to rebuild and produce less power than a OHV motor but I kept my flattie for the nostalgia value and the part these engines played in Ford's and also hot rodding's history. My truck was built in South Africa where they still used F.H's in 1954 so this is probably one of the last vehicles built by Ford with this motor.

It also sounds great and if I lift my hood at a cruise it gets a lot more interest than any modern motor

If you do go with the more powerful motor you must uprate your brakes and suspension to handle the extra performance so if cost is a factor consider this

Just my 2p worth

Stephen

Flatheads rule because they're cool

 

My 51 had been sitting for 15 years prior to my purchase. Looking back and $6,000.00 later I wish I had not jumped on it without further consideration, and had taken the money and looked for a drivable rig. Anyhow, the engine was siezed on it. I took Marvel Mistery Oil mixed it with kersone and poured it in the cylinders. I let it set for about a week, then tried to turn the engine over by hand with the fan and using a breaker bar on the crank, no luck. I even tried rolling it down my steep driveway and popped the clutch, no luck. Sooo I put in a battery and hit the switch the starter just hit the flywheel and the wiring harness under the hood caught fire, no luck. So last ditch effort prior to pulling the 6, I dropped the starter took a bar and attempted to move the flywheel, It broke loose in the reverse rotation that time. I got it turning over and the valves were all stuck open so I had no compression. I added more mistery oil and let it set for another week. The valves freed up on 4 cylinders and I managed to get it started. After it run for a few minutes the other two cylinders freeded up. I run a full tank of gas through it, but it was smoking a little and fouling 2 plugs. I then took a can of Bonami sink cleaner and poured half a can down the carb and that restored the ring seal and stoped the smoking.
My point to all of this is, if you are short on funds as I 'am, and would like to drive it until you get the funds to update the driveline you may be able to get that flathead running without a huge investment. Those engines can take a lot more abuse than later engines and still manage to run.