Thread: ford flatty powered fiat?

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I admit to it, ive got more projects than I know what to do with. Though I was just told to get rid of my 69 fiat 124 sport ragtop since "youre not doing anything with it". Well she blew a headgasket?, well anyway theres no oil pressure and oil in the water and the carb was messed up before the motor popped.

So I was looking around the garage and I do happen to have a good 50 ford 8ba flatty sittin there with a 3spd with o/d out of a 53 merc next to her. I figured I could try to shoehorn it in there. The only problem I have is that ill have to reccess it at least 4 inches into the firewall and then linkage will be a royal pain in the butt. Im unsure if ill have to beef up the stock ifs.

Anyone got any ideas on this one?

Gee I'd love to mess with an 8BA flathead, I might know what I was doing with that instead of the SBC I am building. However as I recall the flatheads were HEAVIER than the modern SBC, in the range of over 600 pounds. Surely that is close to TWICE the weight of the Fiat engine? Beyond beefing up springs, what about understeer on a short wheelbase going into a corner "heavy". Still with finned aluminum heads that could really be a show car with new paint and top, but on the street it might be a beast (but one that I could enjoy cruisin in). Seriously an aluminum Buick/Pontiac/Oldsmobile 215 might work but the flathead is a tad heavy for that size car? Why not buy a Speedway or TPI T-frame and adapt the Fiat body after you put in the engine; only a few years work!

Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/teen rodder

Actually a ford flatty weighs in at a mere 460lbs, where as a chevy small block is roughly 550lbs.

The dohc fiat motor is a cast iron block with an aluminum head, ive got no idea what it weighs, but the ford flatty cant be that much heavier.

I wish I had an aluminum gm 215, unfortunately its a flatty ive got sitting in the garage, it runs but is real tired.

I just dont want to jump into another project here that I cant finnish.

Well it may be my third or fourth error this year but on one of the Flathead V8 sites the weight of a '53 flathead is listed as 569 pounds with the early '32 V8 at 525 pounds including the cast-in bellhousing and iron heads. The '53 would be an 8BA so I guess the 569 pounds is with manifolds, iron heads, generator and water pumps, but surely you would only save a little with aluminum heads and tubular headers; if that saving is 100 pounds your 460 pounds would be about right. Anyway I guess I am saying that a rebuildable 8BA with an OD trans would be worth a lot to some people and maybe you should just think about another car/body. I certainly understand the idea of using what you have. I have seen a Ford V8-60 in an MG-TD and also a Buick 215 in an MGB but they are much lighter engines. I am just chatting, you make your own decision. I also recall seeing a VW beetle with a SBC in the front seat so anything is possible, but this engine looks to be a bit too heavy in my opinion. On the other hand it might be fantastic on the straightaway!
Hey you say the engine is out of the Merc, so the 8BA is a Merc 255? I can't believe that would be lighter than the Ford 239 engine, but the combo of 255 block and OD transmission would really be interesting to someone building a resto-rod. Anyway the Merc would certainly weigh close to 600 pounds; the crank is heavier if nothing else. Suppose the OD trans is from the Merc but the engine is a Ford 239, that is still a combination I would have bought for my '29 roadster-to-be before I made the decision to go with SBC350/350 and someone else might offer you a good price for it and then you could replace the Fiat motor with a rebuilt Fiat, just an idea.

Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/teen rodder

Don Shillady

569lbs?, thats just odd. I got the 460lbs from one of Tex Smiths books, How to Build Real Hot Rods.

No, im not sure if im going to do anything with it. Its just im taking alot of flak lately from my girl about all my projects and that ive only got my plym running and registered.

The 53 merc flathead that I had in my 41 ford truck weigh in at 555Lbs. and that was a complete engine stock engine.

I remember seeing a MGA with a V8-60 and 3 spd at a used car dealers lot in Long Beach, CA in 1968. Also, there was a Hemi Powered, tube framed VW Beetle running around Imperial Beach, CA about the same time. That thing was quite a ride. So anything is possible.

If it smokes your shorts, put it together.

eh, maybe ill try to get the specs off one of those buick v-6's. My problem is length in the engine bay, not width.

Still the car has the potential of being a screamer.