curtiswyant

I've been wondering this for this for years...lots of theories but nobody with any real-world experience

I just replaced two of my original rims with new Wheel Vintiques 15x5 w/3" backspacing. I had a lot of trouble putting radials on the older rims...required hard-to-find oval valve stems and they leaked around the bead. The WV wheels take a standard valve stem and are, well, brand new. Just my $.02

I'm curious as to why you want to swap out the current trans. Are you having problems? Unless you go to an OD tranny, you won't really gain any extra MPG or driveability. Plus the autos hog a lot of power which is scarce to begin with on our flatties...

I've heard of this being done very often in the past with Ford flathead V8s. One head was normal while the other acted as the "compressing" side. I don't know how they modified the intake, if at all. Seems like a fun project

That's much easier said than done if you have no savings, no car, family to feed, etc. The more money someone has, the more they can afford to give back, i.e. pay taxes. Right now we need an influx of money to jump-start the economy and alternative energy projects. Many corporations and oil companies are acting out of pure selfishness and self-preservation; Andrew Carnegie they are not. America was at its best when we had a thriving middle class. Under Bush, the gap between the rich and poor has only grown and the middle class has suffered. I'm not saying it's Bush's fault entirely but his administration has consistently been blind or slow to respond to problems, and the list of mistakes is long (Katrina, Iraq, Guantanimo, bin Laden, budget overspending, etc.)

First of all, I don't think we have anything to worry about. The biggest threat to the old car hobby are gas prices. Car show attendance was way down this summer and I know lots of guys that had to park their cars because they could barely afford to fill their daily. Our cars get driven so little that their contributions to carbon dioxide emissions are negligible. Our main goals right now should be to get our country off oil and invest in renewable energy. They will still be making gasoline for a long, long time although it might become more expensive and less available. Once hybrids and electrics start taking over, I think we're going to see lots of backyard builders changing their rods over. It's actually kind of exciting. It may not be traditional but it would be a whole new era of hot rodding and innovation. Personally, I would love to have a hybrid/electric-modded old car in 10-20 years. If that's what it takes to keep it on the road, that's what we'll have to do. As a "car guy" myself, I would actually be in favor of nationwide year-of-engine-manufacture smog checking (like they have in Cali) and, more importantly, safety inspections. Some of the stuff I see on the road is just unbelievable!

I asked the same question on the HAMB a while back and got some interesting answers. I think with an old car, the car itself will fare far better than a newer car, but a newer car will protect the passengers better. Straight steering columns, metal dashes, no seat belts, no crumple zones, etc have all been mentioned. Your chances of dying in an accident today are much lower than it was 50 years ago even though speed limits and traffic are much higher.

This may be a dumb question, but if I currently have a fluid drive + Gyromatic trans behind my flattie and I want to install a T5 5-speed, what the heck do I use for a flywheel? Do I need to get a non-fluid drive (shorter) bellhousing and flywheel? And will my crank accept a pilot bushing/bearing?

Hi, just wondering if anyone has installed a PCV valve setup on their old flathead? Thanks

Wow! That is too cool. I want more info (hp gain, etc).

Rule of thumb I've heard with these old flatheads is 10 psi per 1000 rpm. So at idle it would be under 10 psi, at speed around 25-30 psi.

That quarter mile picture is fantastic

Ebay will generate a lot more views from people all across the country, which in theory should get you a higher selling price. Craigslist is great but it's regional and isn't very useful for selling high dollar items if you live in BFE

Mine runs 190 all the time, idling, highway, in town, whatever. If it's not puking, you're ok

I put radials on my stock wheels and one leaks occasionally. I should have cleaned and painted the wheels first, or just bought new Wheel Vintiques. Make sure you get the screw-in type valve stems.

I used welding cable on mine. It's much more flexible than auto batt. wire.

After all the other work involved with the trans swap (driveshaft, linkage, etc), making a simple trans mount/x-member is cheap insurance IMO

Some appear to be in good condition while others are full of bondo. Might be a good deal for someone.

I might get a good running flat6/3spd combo from a friend. My engine runs good but smokes.

If you jump your car with 12 volts, shouldn't it start twice as fast ??

Hi, has anyone swapped a gyromatic semi-auto trans to a standard 3-speed? Both trans are fluid drive. I'm wondering if the gyromatic shift linkage will work with the 3-speed. ??

Replace it.

Agreed. I can "smell" an old car going by, with my eyes closed

Found this on allpar.com...interesting? Charlie Pfefferkorn: "In the early 1960s, my 1953 Firedome needed a little extra help. By placing a switch in line with the kick down circuit, I was able to use all four speeds. After the pause shift from low-low to low-high, I would then throw the switch as the shift lever passed neutral. The Desoto was then in hi-low with the next shift the normal pause shift into hi-hi. The switch had to be turned off any time before the last shift or it would just free wheel after letting off the gas peddle. The best acceleration was achieved by short shifting lo-lo to lo-hi. The split shift was the quickest. Then wait forever for hi-hi. I drove it like that for a long time with no trans trouble."

Thanks for the link! In the back of my 'ol Dodge manual, it looks like the ignition coil interrupt is wired directly from the trans to the coil and does not involve the carb at all. If I never left it stopped in gear, would I need the dashpot? Thanks