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 Flathead Ford V-8
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Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 1,026
Learned Hand
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OP
Learned Hand
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 1,026 |
I saw a flathead Ford V-8 motorcycle yesterday at a car show. It was a interesting looking ride. I dont know if it was one of these, but it did look similar, although not quite as nice a the pics here. http://honestcharley.com/V860.htm
Our Liberties We Prize and Our Rights We Will Maintain
If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and will never be.----Thomas Jefferson
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Re: Flathead Ford V-8
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Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 948
3/4 Throttle
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3/4 Throttle
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 948 |
What memories flatheads bring back!
Nothing sounds as good as a flathead with glass pack mufflers. I had a Crosley (http://www.hubcapcafe.com/ocs/pages01/cros4801.htm) station wagon with a Ford 60 V8 in it, cut down torque tube Ford read end. That little V8 barely fit in that Crosley.
For a block or so it would pull a '55 Power Pack Chevy but ran out of gears. I used the rear tires and wheels off the old Harley 3-wheel police bikes.
These 60HP V-8's were quite popular in the '50's and '60's in motorcycles as were the later 85 and 100 HP flatheads. If you bored out a Cushman motor scooter to go from 3HP to 4HP, you used a V-8 60 piston.
Redbike7
2006 America
No amount of skill can overcome gross stupidity. Ask me how I know...never mind, I forgot...
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Re: Flathead Ford V-8
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 4,074 Likes: 83
Loquacious
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Loquacious
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 4,074 Likes: 83 |
Maaaan.. I loved those old flat head Ford V-8's. Back when I was a youngin' working in an independant garage, the guy I worked for pulled in an old 40 Ford from his aunts barn. It was in amazing shape for having sat nearly thirty years. I got some good gas and a battery in it and the thing started and ran like a champ.. smooth and quiet.. quite a machine.
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Re: Flathead Ford V-8
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 8,639 Likes: 3
Old Hand
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Old Hand
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 8,639 Likes: 3 |
The V8-60 was a really popular engine swap way back, especially in Indian 4s. '40 wasn't really the last year for that engine though, just the last year they were used in Fords. They were made for a while for industrial applications. Sometime after the war, the 60 was revived and used in the Vedette made by Ford in France. The car looked like a miniature '49 Mercury. Later on, Ford sold the Vedette and the line continued as the Simca.
Now, I'm not known for saying nice things about Ford products other than mentioning the convenience of having plenty of hot water available, but the flathead had a flat crankshaft which gave it a near perfect left-right front-back firing order. This resulted in the nicest sounding American V8 ever.
Let's hope there's intelligent life somewhere in space 'cause it's buggar all down here. -- Monte Python
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