The Engine That Might Have Saved Ford Motor Company from Bankruptcy The 1932 Ford Flathead V8

[@ellieprice363]

I was told this story of early testing of the Ford V8 by an older gentleman who worked as a toolmaker for Ford in 1932. It goes like this. (Not verbatim) “Henry didn’t believe an oil pump was necessary in his new V8. Earlier models had worked fine with only a splash system of oiling and he wanted the engine kept as simple as possible. And to save cost of course. His chief engineer, Charlie Sorensen, knew the high speed V8 would need an oil pump, but how to convince the old man? Several cars were secretly fitted with V8’s without oil pumps and tested at high engine speeds on crowned dirt roads. Drivers were instructed to sling the cars back and forth across the roads as fast as possible to starve the engines of oil until they failed. It worked. All engines failed and oil pumps were installed in all engines from that date forward.”

[@kensmithgallery4432]

Thanks for sharing this story!

[@SpockvsMcCoy]

After the Model A, sales of new Fords dropped dramatically due to the popularity of both Chevrolet and Plymouth. Except for the V-8, Ford was usually behind those competitors by being the last of them to offer such features as a 6-cylinder, hydraulic brakes, and independent front suspension. Economizing by offering a more basic car after the Model T and Model A was Ford's failing strategy.

[@ellieprice363]

@@SpockvsMcCoyThe biggest reason for Ford lagging behind other manufacturers was his obstinate personality. He was determined not to pay royalties to to anyone, regardless of how badly new inventions were needed. For many years Ford vehicles contained only parts made by Ford, including tires and all glass and plastics. It wasn’t until after Henry’s death that Ford became profitable again with the beautifully designed 1949 Ford.

[@tonycolca2241]

I really have a hard time believing that it is hard to argue with physics. I was born in 1946 my aunt had a 1948 ford sedan it vapor locked a lot I still remember looking up at the bumper helping push it. That was probably in 52 or 3.

[@davemckolanis4683]

​@@tonycolca2241 Vapor Locked Flathead Fords Were Due To The Fuel Pump Being Placed At The TOP Of The Engine. I Have A 1950 Mercury That I Finished Restoring, Putting Fiber Blocks Under The Carburators. But It Still Vapor Locked On A Warm Afternoon, After I Let It Sit And Idle Too Long. The Remedy Was To Carry A Couple Gallons Of Water In The Trunk, To Pour Over The Fuel Pump In Small Amounts, To Get The Vaporized Fuel To Move Through The Pump With Cooler Liquid Gasoline...

[@johnnyjones2255]

As an old car guy, nothing beats the sound of an old flathead Ford.

[@kensmithgallery4432]

I agree!

[@randymack2222]

The reason they (Ford flatheads) sounded different = 8 cylinders exhausted out of 6 ports!

[@MichaelAguilar-vj2nr]

Absolutely 💯% I hate 😒 when people put Chevrolet V8s in 30's & 40's FORDS 💙 A well built performance Flathead V8 can make up to 350HP with a SCOT Blower & Aluminum Ardon HEMI Cylinder Heads 😊

[@buzzwaldron6195]

The Ford flathead V8 made the more powerful Chevy OHV 6 look good!

[@theguy455]

I disagree, have you ever been in a Ferrari? I have, and I use to be a hotrodder in my youth, '32 Ford roadster chopped and channeled, w/ a Ford V8, triple Stromberg carbs, Edelbrock three qtr cam, the works. My friend's Ferrari sounds better, trust me.

[@Kybossls]

Enjoyed seeing the videos of the 20 million car and the 400A used as a camera car. As an owner of a 400A and an original survival 35 Tudor V8 with 31K miles. The difference between the 4 and 8 cylinder is impressive, great video of automotive history. Ken in Kentucky.

[@kensmithgallery4432]

Hi Ken from Kentucky! Thanks for commenting and watching!

[@leesherman100]

Hang on to that A 400. They are so pretty!!

[@johncaldwell-wq1hp]

I did my mech.apprentice-ship at the "Ford-Homebush-assembly-plant"-in Sydney Australia in 1962-we were working on Falcons,-but they had a bay set up for "flatheads" with torque tube removal & delco timing devices,-a lot of the "old blokes"worked on them I had to "learn the ropes"on the mighty "flathead"--I've owned 32's--but my "favorite-ford"is the beautiful 1936 line--of witch I own a 5 window Coup'e !!

[@kensmithgallery4432]

Thanks for sharing and watching!

[@alanprather8399]

the oldschool assembly line vid is awesome. i love the sob that picks up the cast tranny turns it and installs it to the block by hand. ive pulled one of these before. had to use knees to hold up on reinstall. i cant imagine doing that all day. people were tougher back then.

[@kensmithgallery4432]

The sure were tough back then. Thanks for watching!

[@photografiq_presents]

@alanprather8399 Asinine comment. They were dying at 63 years old 😆. It was also during the great depression, if you didn't or couldn't do a job, somebeody else would. After all, if Henry had no problems with his security shooting four workers, what would he care if somebody was injured on the job? Not tougher, desperate.

[@steveshoemaker6347]

This is a fine history video of the Ford motor company Flat head V8 engine and thanks very much..... Old F-4 Shoe🇺🇸

[@kensmithgallery4432]

Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for watching!

[@dennislaws5187]

I have been a Ford man for 70 years, My dad loved flat head fords I now know why, wow is all I can say,

[@kensmithgallery4432]

Thanks for watching and for commenting!

[@scotfield3950]

Helped a friend rebuilt one of these for small engine hs class in the mid seventies,everyone else worked on lawn mower engines. One of only two “a”s I got in high school to go into one of two five window coupes he and his father were restoring. Missing you rusty

[@kensmithgallery4432]

What a great story! Thanks for sharing!

[@picklerix6162]

Clyde Barrow was big fan of the Ford V-8 and the Browning automatic rifle.

[@kensmithgallery4432]

Sad but true... Thanks for watching!

[@chrisbrass8930]

Of course he was. The Browning allows him to outgun the Feds and the Ford flathead permitted him to outrun the Feds. He fully understood his role in society

[@SpockvsMcCoy]

Thanks for the great storytelling! The first V-8 in a low-priced car was an engineering triumph... as Henry Ford detested the concept of the 6-cylinder engine. However, in the 1930s both Chevrolet and Plymouth eroded Ford's once dominant market share with their 6-cylinder engines. The V-8 engine was a niche player in the overall low-priced market... as more buyers in that price class were looking for economy and relative comfort rather than higher speed performance. General Motors took over from the Ford Motor Company as the dominant player in the American auto industry at that time. Opposite to Henry Ford's domineering and "by the seat of your pants" style of management, GM perfected collaborative management, mass-scale manufacturing accounting/payroll, the annual model year changes, a hierarchical pricing strategy spread over multiple makes and models, and a smooth planning/execution of phasing out one model and phasing in its successor. Rather than concentrating on the V-8, engineering resources could have been better spent by Henry Ford in more quickly phasing in an independent front suspension (introduced with the 1949 Ford), hydraulic brakes (introduced with the 1939 Ford), and a modern 6-cylinder (introduced with the 1941 Ford). Despite the lingering Great Depression, there was still a need for a new car to satisfy the large price gap between the Ford Deluxe and Lincoln Zephyr (introduction of the 1939 Mercury).

[@kensmithgallery4432]

All good talking points. Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@dmcnamara9859]

V8 Model A cars were not exactly affordable. Then and Now, Factory Delivered very pricey Model As V8s to Dealerships; nearly impossible to get an affordable Base Model A then, reason majority were sold with an improved and more powerful version of Model T; because they were within consumers budgets.

[@SpockvsMcCoy]

@@dmcnamara9859 Prices ranged from USD $495 for the roadster, $490 for the coupés, and $650 for the convertible sedan. Production totals numbered from 12,597 for the roadster to 124,101 for the two-door sedan. Ford sold 298,647 V8-powered Model 18s in 1932, and except for the fact Ford could not keep up with V-8 demand, the essentially identical 4-cylinder Model B would have been a sales disaster: dealers switched customers to them from the V8, and even then sold only 133,539, in part because the V8 cost just USD $10 more. [Wikipedia]

[@tonycolca2241]

In 1941 what was modern about a flat head six. Also the flathead v8 was a very bad design the exhaust went under the intake manifold then between the cylinders before exiting the engine block. The first flat heads had a lot of problems and many were returned pin holes in the casting cracked blocks. All the problems were never completely worked out. The thing I don't like about ford products if you have a warranty problem the fight is on. You can have something that is obvious to anyone with any mechanical knowledge is on its way out. Ford's philosophy is it still moving when it completely broke we will fix it. You can state that the car is going to stop soon their response is we have dealers all over the country.

[@spaceghost8995]

What are you a GM executive ?

[@doctor78212]

One of the best automotive videos I have seen in a very long time.

[@kensmithgallery4432]

So glad you enjoyed it!

[@ronmailloux8655]

My father put the old flathead in his beachcombing and log salvage boat. It ran like a top and parts were a plenty. This was in the 1960s.

[@kensmithgallery4432]

That's awesome! Thanks for sharing!

[@2pugman]

Points, rotor and condenser for under five bucks. Plugs ? 60 cents. A rebuilt carb was five bucks at most parts stores.

[@williamforbes5826]

It cannot be done. Until it is. Imagine, doing something that no one had ever done before. Such heady days back then! The discoveries and implementation of new tech nowadays is usually not world changing. But back then? Wow! Good video! Where ever do you find such? Keep 'em coming!

[@kensmithgallery4432]

Thanks my friend. Ford's film library is truly awesome. Narrating and editing with a bit of foresight can be a bit unnerving, but I think I am getting better at it. What Ford Did with the V8 development in Edison's workshop is truly amazing.

[@SimonWallwork]

Can't beat a Ford V8!

[@kensmithgallery4432]

Agree! Thanks for watching!

[@dennisyoung4631]

“… can’t beat that engine for getting there, oil burner or no…”

[@kensmithgallery4432]

@@dennisyoung4631 Agreed!

[@dennisyoung4631]

Late in the vid, when the 32’s came out, they at first were known for *burning oil.*

[@Monaco-BuilditFixitDriveitEver]

Which one? They be lots of ‘em.

[@2packs4sure]

Man I thoroughly enjoyed this and appreciate it ! I consider myself a half ass Ford historian and I learned a couple of things I had never heard about.

[@kensmithgallery4432]

I'm so glad you enjoyed it. I am by no means an expert about Ford. I learn something new each time I make one of these videos and honestly, I enjoy learning probably more than I enjoy making them!

[@2packs4sure]

@@kensmithgallery4432 Yeah I can see that,, the research is fun !!

[@tomdonovan4842]

Excellent review

[@kensmithgallery4432]

Glad you liked it!

[@randymack2222]

The reason they (Ford flatheads) sounded different = 8 cylinders exhausted out of 6 ports!

[@kensmithgallery4432]

That would do it!

[@brucelyda4561]

2:11 yes Ford is great love them. Henry Ford was one more engineer. Smart man.

[@kensmithgallery4432]

He sure was!

[@johnsuwinski]

Great story. Seeing the tolerance he used, most lawnmower engines use tighter 90 years later!

[@kensmithgallery4432]

Great point!

[@davidcunico1673]

My dad had a '39 ford V8 PU. It was rough, welded fenders, etc, but it always started, always cold or not. Little squirrely in the rear end as it was light

[@kensmithgallery4432]

Great memories!

[@richb419]

HI, my father was working for New Jersy machine at that time, he had told me that Henery Ford was frustrated with the engineering people telling him the casting the one-piece V8 was impossible. while walking through the factory he spotted a young man sweeping and asked him if he wanted to go to metallurgy school and he would send him if he could cast the engine. as the story goes the young man did just that. I've always wondered if it was true, my dad sure thought so. Rich

[@kensmithgallery4432]

Hi and welcome to the channel. That sounds like a wonderful story that your dad shared. I don't know if it's true or not, but it sure makes for a wonderful story none the less! Thanks for sharing!

[@kensmithgallery4432]

Wow, that sure sounds like something Henry Ford might do. Who knows for sure! Still, that's a pretty cool story. Thanks for watching and for sharing!

[@DANTHETUBEMAN]

get some one who does not think it's impossible, makes sense 😊

[@SpockvsMcCoy]

The 1932 Ford was also unique in that it used a transitional 106-inch wheelbase. A longer 112-inch wheelbase chassis would be introduced in 1933 and last through 1940. Henry Ford believed that a design should last for several years... so it was a bitter pill for him that the 1932 Ford had both a one year old body and chassis. Ford had to quickly introduce a longer car in 1933 to remain competitive. The profitability of FoMoCo at that time is hard to determine because they did not use general accounting principles. When grandson Henry II took over in 1943 he later had the company audited only to find that FoMoCo was losing money. The 1949 Ford, Ernest Breech (accounting genius with both General Motors and Bendix), and the "Whiz Kids" (included Robert McNamara) saved the company from bankruptcy.

[@kensmithgallery4432]

Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@NYCS19339]

And then McNamara became the new problem for them.

[@terryeustice5399]

Seen this documentary! This was a little more detailed on the engine and the whole car.Thanks for sharing! 💯👍

[@kensmithgallery4432]

Hope you enjoyed it!

[@barryphillips7098]

After about 15 years the old flathead four just was not cutting the mustard anymore, more power/speed was needed to compete, the flathead Ford V8 was the first mass produced V8, there were others But not mass produced!! I have always liked the shape of the Model A, a coupe V8 in dark green with black fenders would me!! 👍👍

[@kensmithgallery4432]

That would be a nice color combo!

[@granddukeofmecklenburg]

Not true... Cadillac had the first mass produced V8 was introduced in 1914 with the Cadillac Type 51. 13,000 were sold...

[@kensmithgallery4432]

@@granddukeofmecklenburg with respect that is an incorrect comparison. 13K Caddy's is not a mass produced car. That same year 200K Model T's were produced. When Ford rolled out is V8 in 32, you could by a new car for as low as $500.00 I doubt you could have purchased a V8 Caddy for that price point. Yes, there were other V8 engines on the scene before Ford's but as the video states, not for the average consumer and not for the intention of it being mass produced at such a low price point. Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@jeffbrooks8024]

The Achilles heel was the three speed gearbox. The change pattern was a nightmare it used a cup system for the synchro. These cups would regularly jam in the out position, locking the box in one gear

[@barryphillips7098]

@@jeffbrooks8024 it was early days in motoring back then, all Henry Ford wanted to do was build AFFORDABLE daily transport for the general public, he did much Good for society back then paying a decent livable wage!!

[@stuart8663]

Great video. Although Best playback speed is at 1.25.

[@kensmithgallery4432]

Thanks for watching! I appreciate your feedback too!

[@mikeh.7499]

I will see your 1.25 and raise to 1.50 , fast but listenable.a fine documentary tho,very good .

[@sonicdewd]

I'll fold. But this is the first time I've heard a human voice imitate AI word mistakes :D (kidding, kidding) Good documentary.

[@Kevin-bi9nf]

My first car war was a 53 merc' with a flathead V8 ... best engine I ever drove .Bar none ... dependable / bulletproof and economical

[@kensmithgallery4432]

So cool!

[@hook86]

Definitely not bulletproof but glad you liked it!

[@richardchiriboga4424]

My auntie, a large woman, bought a 32 Victoria. The family called it the TB, for tremendous behind. That bothered aumtie so much that she sold it. We had a 49 Ford with the flathead V8. What a gas hog!!! Thank you for this fascinating presentation!!!

[@kensmithgallery4432]

Thanks for sharing your story and thanks for watching!

[@TomRiddle-ww5on]

I love t h e flathead ford. Im using my 1949 ford 8n in the garden. Love hearing it plug along. Its therapy.

[@kensmithgallery4432]

I bet it is!

[@DwightGoodman-u3t]

Restored a 1953 f100 which had a flathead. This was the last year they was used, their 50th anniversary truck. We rebuilt the flathead. Absolutely the quietest, smoothest engine I've ever owned!!!!

[@kensmithgallery4432]

That's awesome! Thanks for watching!

[@jimstepan3038]

When everything is fitted properly and adjusted to specs., the only noise a flathead V-8 makes at idle is the ignition points closing!!

[@kensmithgallery4432]

Wow nice!

[@williamromine5715]

I am 82, and my first car was a 1952 Ford flat head V8. The engine was shot. I bought a rebuilt from Montgomery Ward(you could do that back then), and ran like a top. When other cars wouldn't start on below zero on winter days in the mountains of Wyoming and Montana, it would start on the first try. It had a manual overdrive and would easily drive at 70 mph and got 20 miles to a gallon. And, you are right, sometimes I would forget that I hadn't turned off the engine because it was so quiet. Of course, it couldn't keep up with overhead V8s in its stock engine, and I couldn't afford to trick out the engine because I was a broke college student.

[@lawrencelewis2592]

The only flathead Ford I ever drove was a 53 that my boss acquired from an old man who had alzheimers. I drove it to my boss's garage. That thing didn't make a sound while it was running. It kept stalling at stoplights but I had a hard time telling that. That car was full of Canadian road maps and tourist info sheets from the 1950s and it had all kinds of clothing like shunken men's suits and so forth. Even had a fedora hat that shrank to where it might fit a G.I. Joe doll.

[@reubensandwich9249]

The more you learn about Henry Ford, the more people should respect him. The head of the 3rd largest company in the US and working on the design and manufacture of his products components. Were the products perfect, no. Where they a revolutionary compromise between cost, manufacture, and design, yes.

[@kensmithgallery4432]

Great points! Thanks for commenting and for watching.

[@deadend85]

You know he had a book made called the international jew where he had research on jews through history in europe and it didnt paint them in a good light

[@reubensandwich9249]

@@deadend85 Ahh, poor baby. A bronie weeb, like youself, should go to Penn, Columbia, or Harvard to fight antisemitism instead of accusing people who have been dead decades and there is no confirmed case of them discriminating.

[@Malama_Ki]

@@deadend85with the amount of pushback at the hebs and rising Palestinian support, I think the world is agreeing.

[@larryfinley9221]

I grew up driving Fords and credit them with turning me into a master shade tree mechanic. It was the only way I could keep them running. 😊

[@kensmithgallery4432]

Thanks for sharing and watching!

[@ericvantassell6809]

heal soon sparky

[@wb3161]

Oh yeah well we grew up owning chevrolets so we just walked everywhere 😂

[@MikeCasey311]

Thank you for the old Ford movie clips. 👍

[@kensmithgallery4432]

Glad you like them!

[@JamesHGroffSr]

General Motors had a straight eight flathead! The Pineys in New Jersey had them in there tunnel Garveys for clammers.They could REALLY HAUL ASS.I am proud to say i am related to Piney people who were hard working people and vetrons of WW2 and KOREA.My uncle William Benjamin Groff of PORT REPUBLIC made a mill saw from the rear drive of a junked automobile.

[@kensmithgallery4432]

Thanks for watching!

[@JR-pr8jb]

Wonderful video and info. I never had a Model B, but as a kid in the 1960's I had a 1930 Model A rumble seat coupe.

[@kensmithgallery4432]

Thanks for watching!

[@Michagan_outdoorsman_James]

Huge car nut myself. Great video, we have my wife’s grandfathers 1935 Chevy standard. I got it running and drive it all the time on the back roads it only does like 50 mph (and she’s screaming at those speeds) but you wanna talk about feeling connected to the road. That is it. Just you and the car nothing fancy

[@kensmithgallery4432]

Very cool! I so agree with you. Thanks for watching!

[@brianobrain8985]

Very nicely narrated video, easy to follow and understand. Well done!

[@kensmithgallery4432]

Thank you kindly!

[@HeinzGuderian_]

Clyde Barrow gave it 2 thumbs up.

[@kensmithgallery4432]

Yes he did!

[@andrewwmacfadyen6958]

The flat head turned the USA on to V8s and bigger displacements but the rival Chevy Stovebolt 6 in various sizes was a huge influence worldwide inspiring a great many manufacturers 4 and 6. cylinder designs of all sizes even diesels

[@kensmithgallery4432]

Yep, I could not agree more! Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@JeffKopis]

Ironically, the Dodge/Plymouth FLATHEAD 6 made more power than the last Ford flathead V8, 115 hp vs. 110.

[@TheScandoman]

All cylinders are not created as equal! 😉

[@kensheffer9539]

@@JeffKopis The 53 Mercury flathead made a 125 horsepower.

[@davidpowell3347]

@@JeffKopis I believe the '53 Ford outran the '53 Dodge in spite of the low horsepower number,perhaps they deliberately understated the number in order to make next year's new Y block OHV V8 look like a bigger improvement than it actually was. Those Plymouths and Dodges were sluggish although economical and very durable,didn't burn much oil most of the time. '54 Dodge Hemi V8 with 4 barrel carburetor,now that was another story. Also the heavier 1950 Pontiac Eight with only 108 claimed horsepower literally blew the doors off of those flathead 6 Dodges. I believe it was also quicker than the '53 Ford V8 although probably much less durable.

[@markmichlewicz5141]

Great job on telling the story.

[@kensmithgallery4432]

Thanks so much!

[@AlMeans]

Well done and interesting. Thanks!

[@kensmithgallery4432]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@akeeriksson84]

One of the reasons for the success was C.E. Johansson’s gauge blocks.

[@kensmithgallery4432]

Great point!

[@magnetocheck]

"Coo-pay" is actually the "right" way to say it, as it means "cut" in French, as in, the body was shortened compared to a 4-door sedan. Americans soon gave up the "ay" and shortened the word to "coop". So just like the body style, the word got shortened too!

[@kensmithgallery4432]

That's pretty cool to know that! Thanks for sharing!

[@MrTheHillfolk]

I love saying that when I get in my 91 2 door Jetta diesel 🤣

[@mortenjohansen4120]

No, «coo-pe», not «coo-pay». Same with buffet (pronounced «boo-fe». Il suffit de demander à mon ex-femme française

[@ericvogel1126]

A very interesting piece of automotive history.

[@kensmithgallery4432]

Thanks for watching!

[@ZacLowing]

The amount of metal they shaved off that piston made me think the casting process needs fixing, lol, wow. So much future refinement yet to come.

[@kensmithgallery4432]

Yes, and it eventually did. Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@g.n.b.3351]

The Ford flathead V8 used a cross-plane crankshaft rather than a flat plane. Unlike an inline engine where the piston weight only needs to be matched to the other pistons, the pistons in a flathead (and all other cross plane V8's) must be matched to the weight of the crankshaft counterweights. Therefore the pistons needed to be made with plenty of extra material which would ensure they could be machined down to the appropriate weight. Production variability in the crankshafts made this necessary.

[@KenFullman]

So much refinement yet to come is a bit of an understatement. Imagine producing a V8 in the modern day that only produces 65HP. You'd be fired.

[@pootispiker2866]

​@@KenFullmanFit for a dodge.

[@Alpha-ro8sc]

Anyone else notice how shuttering several plants, laying off 75,000 workers was delivered as a footnote? During the Great Depression no less. Perhaps this was not lost on my Great Grandfather who immediately left Detroit to open his own business...

[@reubensandwich9249]

It's common practice to do that when retooling an assembly line then, as well as, today.

[@kensmithgallery4432]

Thanks for watching.

[@kensmithgallery4432]

Indeed.

[@rare.phukin.spotted.halibut]

Would it have been smarter if he kept them open, and paid workers to basically do nothing?

[@Alpha-ro8sc]

@rare.phukin.spotted.halibut Not offering a solution. Simply identifying an aspect that is apparently overlooked, the human impact. Grew up in solid Blue Collar (middle-class) & lived through NAFTA. Specifically, the consequences of the North American Fair Trade Agreement. Working men, like my father, define themselves by the work they do. When the job is lost, furloughed or exported so is thier identity. Moreover, the ability to provide for the family is placed in jeopardy. This has a profound impact on not just the worker but everyone associated, especially the family. Those who have lived it understand completely. The summer I turned 14, I was working & my Dad was not. Put yourself in those shoes for a moment. Now imagine that times 70,000...during the Great Depression no less. That is what moved me to comment & ponder this practice.

[@BoostedPastime]

Thank you for making this video, you just got a new subscriber!

[@kensmithgallery4432]

Awesome, thank you!

[@BoostedPastime]

@@kensmithgallery4432 thank you!

[@christophercake7419]

Great video! Thanks for sharing!

[@kensmithgallery4432]

You bet!

[@barrytipton1179]

Thank you for the reply you forgot to mention Clyde Barrons love of the car and his legendary long distance escapes . As a kid in late 60s/70s the ford was a car to own in Uk

[@kensmithgallery4432]

I didn't know how popular it was in the UK! Thanks for sharing!

[@oliversmith9200]

Well done. Fun Ford history.

[@kensmithgallery4432]

Thanks so much and for watching!

[@Kelly-oq9nh]

Well done Sir.

[@kensmithgallery4432]

Thanks so much!

[@BBC42618]

I consider the 32 Ford two door coupe the first true American muscle car. It checks off all the correct boxes. Put a powerful V8 in a lightweight car give it some fancy styling and a reasonable cheap price that most people can afford. It was speedy and gave the average American a fast car.

[@kensmithgallery4432]

Absolutely! I so wish I had one!

[@ralphe5842]

The engine produced 50hp upgraded to about 85 in later versions

[@BBC42618]

@@ralphe5842 well that was alot for 1932

[@tomthompson5422]

You're making great progress. Hope to see you in September.

[@kensmithgallery4432]

I hope so too! I don't see why it won't be ready. The hardest parts of this build is the sub frame (now done) and the doors, (have not started on yet). Finished the B pillars and have the A pillars angle planed and ready to cut. Going to test fit the sub-frame next week.

[@scotfield3950]

Very well done!

[@kensmithgallery4432]

Thanks so much!

[@samscott9016]

Thanks So much for this video ❤

[@kensmithgallery4432]

My pleasure!

[@Tj930]

What a great video 👍 Have you got any more like that? 😃

[@kensmithgallery4432]

Yes I have! Check out my channel!

[@blumobean]

My grandfather bought a 1935 Ford Phaeton around 1942. Believe it or not, it was owned by a school teacher, had been serviced at the dealer religiously, and had very low miles. The lady was fearful that she would not be able to get gasoline because of the war. Grandaddy knew he could get fuel because of working in the defense industry. I can just barely remember when it was a complete running original car. Grandaddy cut the back off and built a flatbed out of it. We used it as a truck until he took the engine and put it on a trailer, 🎉 and made a portable welding machine. He then took the transmission, shortened the drive shaft, narrowed the rear axle, and made a garder tractor. I wish I knew how he got a Briggs engine to mate with the transmission, but I was young at the time. I only know it worked great. Years ago, in Alabama, taxes were paid in "mills" You would buy aluminum disc to pay your property tax that was less than a penny. If your tax was $17 and 48.3 cents, you used the mills for the 3/10 of a cent. Strange, isn't it. My daddy said you always kept a mill or 2 in your pocket. When the push rod for the fuel pump wore down to the point of no pressure, you put a mill into the hole. This made the push rod longer, and you were on your way. I had a wonderland of a childhood. Raised by great men and women.

[@kensmithgallery4432]

What a great family story. Thanks for sharing!

[@gelmgren]

I used the small lapel button from my shirt to restore the fuel pump push rod length. 54 ford flathead V8 85 mph in 2nd gear, once to often a piston broke at the oil ring groove. A buddy ended up replacing that piston and installed it in a log salvage boat. The flathead V8 is still my favourite engine.

[@billlittle4285]

Great video, thanks

[@kensmithgallery4432]

Glad you liked it!

[@danielcires1515]

I have 2 1936 fords humpback v8 flathead love the sound

[@kensmithgallery4432]

Such a beautiful sound too!

[@MarkHurlow-cf2ix]

All that handy work that went into one car. Wow nice. WHAT A FINE CAR. A stock Victoria,,,,,

[@kensmithgallery4432]

I know!

[@anthonyhendricks7377]

Fantastic video

[@kensmithgallery4432]

Thanks for watching!

[@Mark-s7d6l]

My grandfather bought the model B. I never saw it, but I heard her fond stories of riding in the rumble seat behind the cab. We forget that the typical highway speed in the 1930s was 35 miles an hour. (57 kph)

[@kensmithgallery4432]

Sounds like some great memories you have!

[@Steven-em5if]

One of my father’s biggest regrets is selling a 1932 model A coupe with the V-8. I heard many stories growing up about the performance of this car. The only thing he didn’t like about the car was the cable brakes and it was the first thing the police would check when they seen it was a model A.

[@kensmithgallery4432]

Thanks for sharing and for watching!

[@radioguy1620]

today theyll let a car go down the road with a broken ball joint or swayback frame ! not to mention no muffler.

[@Steven-em5if]

@@radioguy1620 I was pulled over by the cops because I had welded the leaf spring in a different spot on the frame. I had a 1994 ford ranger. It made the truck “dog track “

[@notyou6950]

I'm still enjoying that boundless power of a Ford automobile with my 69 horsepower 1987 Ford Festiva 4 banger.

[@kensmithgallery4432]

And I love my little 2000 Ranger 4X4 Sport!

[@MatthewWilson-vl7qc]

Well Done video ,

[@kensmithgallery4432]

Thank you!

[@v8pilot]

Interesing to me. Twenty years ago I owned a 1948 Ford V8 Pilot - a US style car produced by Ford of England. It had a 3.6 litre V8 engine. Its worst feature was that to set the contact points, you had to drain the cooling system and remove the radiator.

[@kensmithgallery4432]

Oh wow!

[@timmoore2289]

The narrator in the early footage of this film sounds very much like Groucho Marx....What Say You?

[@ellieprice363]

Early Ford V8 distributors were driven off the camshaft directly behind the radiator as stated. They had dual points and two caps and normally didn’t require much servicing. But, if service was needed they were very difficult to service. I met a man once who was on Okinawa near the end of WW2. He told me this story. “We found an abandoned Japanese 1939 Ford truck that wouldn’t start. After some checking we discovered the reason it wouldn’t start was a cracked distributor cap. One of the boys was a crack mechanic and wood worker who understood those old engines. He removed the cracked cap and carved a new one out of hardwood. After inserting the center coil and four metal wire contacts he put the homemade cap on the distributor and the engine started right up. ‘We drove that old truck all over the island.’ “

[@ohger1]

Point of correction - the V8 nearly bankrupted Ford Motor Company and Henry Ford himself. Ford shut down their assembly lines to retool for the V8 which wasn't even ready (there were days at the foundry where they had 100% scrap blocks). Henry Ford had to put his own personal cash into the company to keep it floating until they figured out how to cast the monobloc V8 in Ford sales volume. In retrospect, he should have introduced the '32 with only the 4 cylinder on time and added the V8 as they scaled up.

[@kensmithgallery4432]

Thanks for commenting and for watching!

[@hilldwler420]

He should have let his engineers do their job instead of locking them in Thomas Edison’s old shop and use the old tools to design and build the v8.

[@ohger1]

@@hilldwler420 Yeah, I wonder what his reasoning was?

[@jameshathaway5117]

Gotta love those cylinder heads that were so simple you could almost make your own with hand tools. As long as you had 1 flat surface you were set.

[@kensmithgallery4432]

Pretty amazing when you think about it!

[@geraldharkness8830]

excellent

[@kensmithgallery4432]

Thanks so much for watching!

[@Chris-ut6eq]

Wow, some of the '32 V-8 issues still exist in my 5.0 V8 Coyote engine on my F-150 ;-p

[@kensmithgallery4432]

Oh no!

[@Rushmore222]

I love when motor car companies would concentrate on the power plant instead of the body styling.

[@kensmithgallery4432]

I don't know of anyone who would say the 32 ford was a car that didn't have style. Ford had the style with the 32 because Edsel was behind it, but Ford knew he needed to develop a new powerplant to go with it. Thanks for commenting and watching!

[@bradjohnson4787]

We take the assembly line for granted now but Ford's was the most efficient and unique, so much so Ferdinand Porsche visited and used it as his later model.

[@kensmithgallery4432]

He really was efficient!

[@MostlyPennyCat]

The Universal Carriers of WW2, British troop carriers, all had Ford Flathead V8s. They build 113,000.

[@kensmithgallery4432]

That's a pretty cool bit of info!

[@MostlyPennyCat]

​​@@kensmithgallery4432 They rode them into battle with M2s, BRENs and 3" mortars. The original versatile support vehicle, adored by commonwealth troops. Picture a large 4 seat armoured skidoo with 4 guys full of machine guns and a V8.

[@kensmithgallery4432]

@@MostlyPennyCat Those sound awesome!

[@robj2704]

I remember my former father-in-law who was born in 1914 telling me he had a Model B at one time and it was the worst car he owned before or since. He said the B engine was totally unreliable.

[@kensmithgallery4432]

Thanks so much for commenting and for watching!

[@barriegregory6606]

RR built the first V8 long before Ford. I remember those Ford V8s in Britain installed in 2 ton trucks that when loaded wouldn't exceed 45 mph & Ford installed 2.4 litre 4 cyl motors free of charge & that solved the problem.

[@kensmithgallery4432]

Thanks for commenting and for watching!

[@leneanderthalien]

ok, but the first V8 are...french and with OHV , and was use mostly on aircrafts: all first V8 was a steam engine made by Louis Bleriot, who was finaly never use, but the idea from the V8 was adopted by a friend of Bleriot: Léon Levavasseur ,who made he's first gas V8 in 1902 and built it in serie between 1906 and 1912 for the Antoinette , the Bleriots, the Santos Dumont 14bis and many other aircrafts+ one runabout speed boat and and the british Adam eight car...

[@jackwillie2729]

My dad and his 2 brothers had a 49 stub nose for truck with the flat head V8..it had torque and a unique sound .....love that truck but thier were a couple of engine block in the corner of the shed as a reminder of its weak points...any that motors flat head is my favorite...

[@kensmithgallery4432]

Great story! Thanks for sharing and watching!

[@MarkHurlow-cf2ix]

Low cost,reliable,powerful car that is fast and stylish. That car is beautiful.

[@kensmithgallery4432]

Yes indeed!

[@brucegillies1694]

Henry was very hard on his employees and his Son ! A business vehicle had a flathead V 8 , in the summer you better not shut it off or you would wait an hour before it would start again !

[@kensmithgallery4432]

I heard about vapor lock issues with the flathead V8.

[@FranciscoAlvarez-db1dj]

The best engine ever made ford flathead

[@kensmithgallery4432]

I agree! Thanks for watching!

[@stephenspilker9334]

i have to laugh a little when the v8 had less horsepower than my ford focus 4 cyl. lol. but i must say after owning a few flatheads they were a very good engine for the day. it would be interesting to know who makes all the machines that make the parts. my dad worked at a ford plant and as a kid it was fun to go see the plant in operation.

[@kensmithgallery4432]

Yeah, my little Ranger has way more power than the Flathead, but doesn't look near as cool!

[@buzzofftoxicblog791]

❤😊love learning about engineering

[@kensmithgallery4432]

Me too!

[@jeffbrooks8024]

My dad loved his 1951 Twin Spinner

[@kensmithgallery4432]

I bet he did! Thanks for watching!

[@onefastcyclist]

Wonderfully done!Iindeed, the 32 roadster was an icon to the Greatest Generation -

[@kensmithgallery4432]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@gogogeedus]

My Dad's first car was a 1931 A model deluxe roadster, made in Australia.

[@kensmithgallery4432]

That's awesome!

[@markf2158]

Deigned and built with no CAD or CNC assistance. No computers in sight.

[@kensmithgallery4432]

So true!

[@patrick87100]

Thanks 😊

[@kensmithgallery4432]

You're welcome!

[@DANTHETUBEMAN]

A great engine for its day, to bad about the exaust valve heating up the intake in that design for hot rodders, the over head valve small block chevey solved all that. 😊

[@kensmithgallery4432]

Thanks for watching!

[@petervossos4816]

Imagine having that first V8 today..

[@kensmithgallery4432]

I can only imagine...Thanks for watching!

[@thechurchandthenations]

this could be the inspiration for the gigacastings of model 3 and model y of tesla

[@kensmithgallery4432]

Could be. Thanks for watching!

[@JamesHGroffSr]

Ford made the flathead V8 in two different models one was a 65 horsepower and the other was 85 horsepower back in the thirtys and went from flathead to overhead valves in 1954.We use to drag race and the overhead won every time.They used flathead V8 in stock car racing untill it slowly evoved out they were very ruggette engines.How you could tell the difference between a 65 horsepower and 85 horsepower is one had the distributator in the front engine and the other had the distributor in the rear of the engine.

[@kensmithgallery4432]

Thanks for watching!

[@TribbleBot]

Interesting that both grams and ounces were used for tolerances

[@kensmithgallery4432]

For sure!

[@rockymountainjazzfan1822]

Ford buyers in the Rockies hoped that the Ford V8 would be a better performer on the passes than the old 4-cylinders. According some old-timers that I knew who drove them, the early Ford V8s had cooling system problems as the engines could not be cooled evenly by the cooling system when the car was driven up a grade. That went on, according to those old-timers, for several years, until the V8 cooling system was modified. So Ford lost quite a few V8 sales for several years in a region that should have been a prime market for them. All that said, Ford's pioneering of the V8 in an affordable automobile led the way for the V8 to dominate that part of the American auto market until the late 1980's.

[@kensmithgallery4432]

Thanks for some great talking points!

[@Hojjiifp]

That is amazing...about 100 years ago...

[@kensmithgallery4432]

And it still is!

[@MarkStubberfield]

Clyde Barrow loved it.

[@kensmithgallery4432]

He did indeed. Thanks for watching!

[@teds2208]

In my opinion there’s not a better sounding v8 out there!

[@kensmithgallery4432]

It sure is a sweet sound! Thanks for watching!

[@zackmax7184]

Poor Henry Ford wouldn't know what to do now that they want to get rid of The V-8 Engine and do Turbo 4 Cylinder Engines that won't Last!!!!

[@kensmithgallery4432]

You could be right!

[@ellieprice363]

Well I don’t know about that. I drove my 2012 Kia Optima 2.0L turbo 98K miles before trading with no problems. 274 HP if needed with great economy and comfort on regular fuel. 5/30W synthetic oil with changes of oil and filter at 5000 miles. I miss that immediate turbo boost on my newer 3.3L Kia V6.

[@royarnell6824]

Imagine 274 hp in that 32 ford. The world wouldn’t have been ready at all

[@diegomontoya796]

Bronco sports tutbo 3 cylinder.

[@photografiq_presents]

Have you missed the last 40 years of automotive engineering? Take your head out of your butt sometime and look around.

[@barrytipton1179]

Was this the same engine as used in the UK ford v8 pilot

[@kensmithgallery4432]

basically, yes it was. Thanks for watching!

[@carlmontney7916]

Since the flathead V8 was known for vapor lock and overheating problems that really were never totally solved, not even towards last years when they used that engine. I'd sure like to know how many vapor locks and overheating issues they suffered in that Mojave desert torture test. In the book Ford in the '30s they talk extensively about the development of the Flathead V8. The engineers knew when they designed it that it was going to have overheating problems. Due to the fact that the exhaust ports ran right through the block. So naturally that heat was going to be transferred into the The cooling system. In fact the designers wanted more time to refine it but Henry Ford was having none of that. He wanted that engine and he wanted it now. To Ford's credit They did keep after the cooling issues and people easily put up with the vapor lock and overheating because a Ford with a V8 was a FAST car.

[@kensmithgallery4432]

Awesome notes that you shared!

[@carlmontney7916]

@@kensmithgallery4432 Thanks. When you think about it it actually is amazing that they were able to figure out how to cast a whole complete engine block at one time. Then when you consider how many decades Ford used that engine to power all of their vehicles it's pretty incredible. My older brother RIP had a 51 Ford flathead with the ford-O-matic tranny. We lived in Phoenix Arizona at the time and we would drive that car up to Prescott, Jerome, Sedona and the Verde Valley area. Sometimes in the summer it would overheat going up that long haul to Prescott from the valley. We would have to pull over and let her cool down a little bit. But it always started right back up again when it cooled down off we'd go. I miss that 51 Ford but I miss my older brother a lot more.

[@External2737]

Actually, OHV had problems frying the cylinder heads when the exhaust wasn't cooled. If there was a good cooling system, Flatheads were very reliable. Vapor lock was due too high fuel pump location. A better flow of coolant might have been enough.

[@ellieprice363]

They had two water pumps,two radiator hoses to the heads, very large radiators and they still ran hot. Racers used to remove half the impellers from the water pumps to pump “less” water through the radiator for better cooling.

[@larryfinley9221]

I wonder what Henry would think of EVs, if he were still alive today……

[@kensmithgallery4432]

And that IS the question!

[@NYCS19339]

His wife drove one actually

[@scotfield3950]

All the parts were still available at that time

[@kensmithgallery4432]

Ands they still are!