Inliners International Forums General Discussion Ford 38 Ford panel truck w/300 L6

I am looking at buying a pretty beat 38 panel truck and I was thinking about installing a 300 in it. Im wondering if anybody can tell me the distance between the radiator and firewall?
I do not have access to it right now, so I can't check it myself...

Thanks

Bryan,Did you try searching over at
www.stovebolt.com ?? I know it's a Chevy site, but somebody might know.

i no longer have immediate access to a Ford of that era, but after 1941 the Ford flathead six fit in the same space that the v-thing occupied. So if we knew the length of the 226cid flathead and the length of the 300cid overhead, then we should have a better idea of the labor involved. The vertical dimension may also be an issue for hood clearance, unless you plan on using the factory fuel injection. The overhead will certainly be taller than the flathead six, if not also longer.

Of course, with time, money, and sweat, anything fits in anything! GMCs have been installed in many an early Ford, so the big Ford six should surely be possible (he said, smiling).

God's Peace to you.

d
Inliner #1450

Somebody over at the Fordbarn.com said it's 31" from firewall to radiator. Looks like some firewall mods would be in order...

Gearhead, You could save yourself a lot of grief if you just drop a SBC in that 38. I making this assumption based on past experience with 30's era vehicles

Hey, why mess around with that old beat-up frame, suspension, and sheetmetal? Just order up a chassis out of a catalogue, and have somebody repop a body out of plastic. Then order a 350 crate motor, and all the trimmings: 350 automatic, power steering, electric windows, the works. Then you'll have a true "street rod"--"pre-'48" but no part made before 1990. Pretty, reliable (maybe), surely expensive, but not "the real thing." One thing about these old inlines and that old chassis and sheet metal: they're a lot of trouble, but they are real. Trouble is real, and real is always trouble.

Some of us would rather have a real hot rod, but like the man says, it's "a lot of grief." i'd just as soon go to a dealer and buy a loaded PT Cruiser as to assemble a plastic street rod from modern parts. But . . . let us each do what makes us happy . . . and be happy with the happiness of others.

God's Peace to you.

d
Inliner (for sure!) #1450

KUDOS 1 THOUSAND TIMES OVER!

though, if you wanna stay inline, have something different (don't we all) be fast, and fuel efficient, and stay Ford, why not try a 2.3/2.5 liter out of a ranger, depending how brave you are when it comes to electronics, you can keep it injected with a distributerless ignition, or get an older engine and have points and a carb, or anything in between, you can turbo it, or run insane compression on it, and run E-85, or E-98, the sky is the limit with those motors, or you could run a DOHC zeTEC in it, which make pretty mean offy look alikes (i know its not original, but its HELLA cheaper, and the last time i checked, ford still pumps these out like mad, not the case for the offenhauser 4's, and thats what hot roddings all about, right? recycle what you have, use whats cheap and effective, etc)

or, if you wanna go with six, but cut back on the length, why not try a SB ford six?