Shh it's a big secret.

dodgedifferent2

dodgedifferent2

hung like a stud field mouse and
Been waiting for the dart to return from paint so I have been a keyboard commando in my boredom.
I stumbled on a listing for a 30 model a 5 window coupe body for sale. Low and behold it was a mile up the road and I didnt know it.
I really wanted a model a truck but this will be cool too.
Plans are a hairpin I beam 4 inch drop axle. Run an a833 4 speed od trans
8 3/4 axle.
Just have not decided on the engine. Thinking a ford flathead v8. I sold both my 354 hemi's . Not planning an extreme horsepower build. More of a 60's style hot rod.
Any ideas for engine? Or just go simple 318 mopar?

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I can say from experience that a flatty to find & build is almost as much as Hemi dollars. And that's not even adding in the cost of a bell housing/adapter to fit an 833OD. (I don't even know if they are available) Or, gasp​, you could keep it all ferd. just find a fox body with a small V8 & T5 combo. You can salvage all kinds of parts from it. Front suspension, steering, rear end plus the drive train. Those mudstain T5's are everywhere for peanuts.
 
69.5CUDA said:
whats a complete 354 worth these days?....still sitting on one
Click to expand...

Like everything else, it's what someone is willing to pay. I've heard of bare, worthless blocks bringing $250 to be used as coffee tables. A lot of the speed parts for gen 1 Hemi's are still being made, but costly. Flatty speed parts have been out of production for decades. About all you're going to find are re-ground cams.
 
Speedway Motors had tons of flathead speed parts last time I looked through one of their catalogs. I reckon a feller could make upward of 130HP if he tried really hard and spent a ton of money. Whale-engine speed parts aren't that hard, provided you've got a 392. That engine morphed into the Donovan 417, which was being used by fuel racers well into the 426 era... plus there are places like Hot Heads that, while pricey, have much of what a feller needs.

Barring an early Hemi, my vote for engine would be a Buick Nailhead. Yeah, this is a Mopar board and I'm a Mopar guy, but barring a whale nothing else Mopar would look right in there (although a multi-Weber Slant Six... never mind). The nailhead would be a period-correct (and once-common) swap, and parts aren't insanely hard to find for the 401/425 engines. It might set you back a bit more than more-common engine, but they've got a look and sound all their own along with monstrous torque. A Super Wildcat induction setup would be killer, but those are like hen's teeth. Hell's Gate Hot Rods makes lakes pipes kits, intake and exhaust flanges, and has a set of cool finned valve covers for the Nailie. They used to make DIY intake kits as well, but I don't see 'em listed anymore. Transmission? There are GM A833 (NP440) transmissions that are Mopar pattern on one side of the transmission face and Muncie/BW/Saginaw on the other. They were used from (at least) '82-'86 in 2WD Chevy trucks. That was during the "uni-bell" era (transmissions and bells that bolt to both Chevy and B-O-P patterns) but I can't swear that those bells are dual pattern. Other than the main case and input shaft (different spline), they're Mopar transmissions front-to-back in every respect. They use the A833OD gearset, but if you prefer closer ratios that's a simple swap. I see two or three of those transmissions at every Jefferson swap meet, usually inexpensively, and even more bells.

My contribution from left field. :D
 
id agree with doc on both the whale, slanty and nail, howver ill toss one more era correct bastard in there that would truely be correct 292/312, they arnt that tough to find have a sound totaly unique and parts for em are easily sourced tho still not "cheep" and it will look right...thankfully due to the t-bird guys and the 57 fairlane guys theres plenty of speed parts still made as well as COMPLETE finned aluminum parts headers lake pipes..pretty much if you want it it exists...me ive got one in my 58 and love the sound pulls good for being stock, i dont want the t-bird finned crap but something cleaner "brandless" and theres a guy on ebay churning out quality stuff as well as some other place id found
 
Never even thought of the nailhead.
I did think of the old 409 or even the smaller 348 w engines.
Guess I will have to keep an eye open in the local classifieds for something to pop up.
 
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My neighbor has a factory 3-carb setup for a Y-block ferd. :hmmm:
 
agreed on the caddy..but parts for em are nuts..speed parts even more nuts

bet that 3carb setup is SEXY

the y-block stuff is EVERYWHERE..one just needs to look, hell industrial aplications ran well into the 80s in south amaerica
 
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