Rolf

Yes indeed Mike, the SBC's are called "belly-button engines" everybody has one, and there is so much speed equipment for them that they are reminiscent of the Ford flathead V-8''s from '32-'48, way back when, but the flatheads were pretty, and a full dress one like these pics are not rivaled by the most built SBC ever, so a lot of people only have taste in their mouths-

I would be hard pressed to recommend W also, some unpleasant dealings in the past-

A funny (hopefully) Mustang story for you Cece, in 1973 there was a '65 fastback advertised in the local paper, my son Doug and I went to look at it, it was a car that was given to a teenage daughter who hit everything in Santa Cruz with it twice, one look, and I said to Doug, "this 'stang is too beat even for me", I was a body and fender man back then, he replied with, " Let me test drive it Dad", he did, and said excitedly, "buy it Dad, buy it", so I plunked down the $250, and we drove the best running mustang I ever saw home, 289 4 bbl, C-4, rally wheels and rally pack on a automatic, thought that was funny. I cherried it out, and painted it black. Doug used to "borrow" it, and go down to Beach street on friday nights, and clean up on the Chevies, I drove it until the '90's, and stupidly sold it way too cheap, $5K. Here are some before and after pics, again "hopefully"-

A possible explanation Jeff, is that some states used to require the VIN # stamped on the engine, on Fords and probally Lincolns on the left front side of the intake manifold deck, and the 56H would apply to a postwar engine, as Bill said, no one yet has ever been able to make any sense of those casting numbers on the bell housing, maybe a clever fellow like you can prove all us old fogeys wrong, and come up with a clear analysis, good luck

Lyle has a '37 sedan without a trace of any WS wipers, C'mon Mike and Cecil, help him out-I have a motor he can probally use, but nothing else, unless some of my arms and blades would work for him

Yeah, the mobility is great, I have a couple of butchered '40 hubcaps I may try to adapt to it, and then maybe a '41 stoplight housing in the back, good conversation piece at the weekly bingo games here in the park, opens a whole new world for sure, and I have to devise a trailer for hauling parts around the estate, 3 little storage sheds. A converted Zephyr hauler would be great, but I would have to hire a chauffer, preferably a pretty one

Yes Phil, I too had a regular walker for the last couple of years, but it is now too hard to make even short distances. This 600 is electric with a top speed of 6MPH, totally maneuverable, and kind of fun, and I am no longer tied to the trailer, "Free At Last"!!!

So does this Jeff, was supposed to be a "Woodie", but got finished off like a "'Vette", still gorgeous though

Dave is right, fortunately we have some experts close by here, on proper adjusting of the mechanicals, which when properly done will stop better than hydraulics, and Bill U, who is really in the know about brake linings. The hydraulics first appeared on the '39 models, some say a few of the late '38's had them, I don't know frankly, but '39 for sure

Now html

Yeah Phil, I guess I need the other Phil (K) to help me again, must have something to do with the type of file options, I am using gif-jpg, as it is a jpg pic, but there is still html?? Or "all files", I will try that now, see ya, Rolf

You know, the airplane I think is most like the Zephyr to my mind is the WW2 German fighter, the Meserchmitt 109, it's design was taken from a famous racing plane, and I really like the looks of them. This pic if it will come up is a 109K, which had a hopped up water cooled V12, and would perform like a P51 Mustang

Far out!! I didn't think it looked right for a zero, but the meatball threw me, I wonder if the Confederate airforce has any that still fly?? They used something pretty close in the "flying Misfits" or what ever they called the Pappy Boyington TV series. I always thought it was funny that when ever a bi-plane is needed in the last 40 years, they always use a good old Tiger Moth

Do you need any hubcaps Phil?? Here is my brand new Quantum 600, the task now is to make it in to a '41 Z, don't get old, you won't like it

Norm, Is that actually a Japanese Zero behind your Connie?? If so, where were you and when???

I used to run BW OD transmissions in a lot of my old Fords, the main trouble is the column shift. This '41 Ford Pickup I built in the '80's had Lincoln brakes, a BW OD, and a converted Z distributor, a '40 Ford car column shift was a bolt in for it, I chopped the Ford driveshaft, ran 4:11 gears, and had the best of both worlds, excellent acceleration from a dead stop, and effortless cruising at high speeds, and with the 4:11's, it would even accelerate enough to pass cars, and pull steep hills without shifting out of OD, it was a fun truck, and I love the grilles, and the sound of the hot flathead

OK Jeff, here is one that might qualify, this is the car my son and I began in 2002. It was completely rusted out and bent besides, there is a funny story that goes with it, my son Doug called me and said, Dad, where can we get a curved windshield glass for the Z, I was just tightening the frame and it cracked." I replied, "Doug, those windshields are totally flat, what do you mean curved?". It turned out the car had been hit so hard from the left front, it had driven the WS opening back about 2". With a lot of help from Merv Adkins, it is now a very nice resto-rod, with a 302 SBF, AOD etc, Doug has grown to really like the car, so the tradition continues-

Oh boy Wes, you open up a can of worms here, I dearly loved my '41 Continental, but I have to say I loved this immaculate '41 club coupe more, even though it was 14 years old at the time, it was as like new as it could be, spode green, always garaged, and totally pampered by it's elderly owner, the funny is that when I, a precocious 21 year old answered his newspaper ad, and he fired it up and let me listen to it in his driveway, it was making an ominous knocking noise in the V-12, and after a few minutes made a distinct breaking sound. All attempts to re-start it failed, and the 12 whirred like a sewing machine. I told the man I was sorry, but I could only give him $35 for this broken Lincoln, he countered with $50, and as I started to walk away, he hollered, "WAIT", and we towed it home with a rope, which you could still do in 1955. The timing gear had broken. Not too funny I guess, but true-

OK Abe let's go "bench-racing", we have 2 equal cars, power, transmission etc all the same, you have 3:78's in yours, I have 4:11's in mine, we line up at the stoplight, the light turns green, and guess what, this crazy old curmudgeon who lives in the past is way ahead of you at the next corner, and you can take that to the bank, a very noticeable change in the early Ford ratios, believe me

OK Mike, my "vast" experience goes back to driving mostly Fords in the "Old Days", I even had an obsolete Ford parts store in the San Fernando Valley in the '50's and '60's,(see pic, my name was Joe then), and my experience was that the default 3:78 ratio 9-34 rear end gears were fine in a lighter Ford body, and with a few beans in the engine. In my Ford trucks, usually with stock 100 HP 59A flathead V-8's, I always used 4:11, 9-37 gears, with those I could be heavily loaded, and still be agile enough to maneuver in LA traffic, and on the freeway 65/70 MPH was easy, and I tried to never "lug" a flathead, 8 or 12 down, Henry designed them to "buzz" a little, and with a good set of "pipes", they just sound so good at speed, nuff said, but 3:78's are too high for a Z

How about that, you fixed it Mike, your a genius!!!

Trying again

It didn't work, what a surprise!!

Just trying the new user name/signature dealie

Point taken, and firmly disagreed with, if you only want to go "Zephyring" as you call it, and not enjoy the full experience of the V-12 and it's potential, so be it, but you are sadly selling yourself short prematurely, and forgive me if that is all you want, just an old V-12 racer spouting off-