Re: What is the price of a rebuilt flathead??
 

Picked my short block assembly from the machinist a couple weeks back. Total bill with tax was CAN$2,400, but I supplied the parts I previously posted. Of that, only $900 was for labour to clean and assemble the block which to me was very reasonable, but the engine was disassembled when I brought it too him. The cost for the rod and main bearing was $700! which really surprised me. There was also the cost of the crank regrind plus shipping in there which was about $350.

Re: What is the price of a rebuilt flathead??
 

Given who you had build it and what it now is . . . that is a fair price. You'd have spent a lot more with some of the boys on the Westest Coast - and I'd place bets that the engine you have is a better engine (for your purposes), than if you'd gone many other places.

Good luck . . . now get it fired up for us! LOL

B&S

Re: What is the price of a rebuilt flathead??
 

Not really true the Ardun engine in my roadster is all original to date its the highest mileage set of original Ardun heads out there. Been to the West coast twice last round trip over 7000 trouble free miles with a blower on top no less. Also many thousands of miles here on the East coast. Theres details needed to make the heads work perfectly especially oiling improvements. Everything i designed myself in the garage typical back yard Hotroding. The drive train in my roadster I will say has seen a lot of strain from using the options that be the loud pedal but other than hurting the fuel economy that being the only draw back. So a proper combination using original heads is just as good as the new heads.


Dale the most recent set of Ardun heads i just acquired are in the low 200 number range. To add more actual facts to the Ardun head history I personally talked to Zora in 1991 at Watkins Glen where I asked him during lunch what the total production number was for heads he told me between 225 to 250 sets. And a final note the Ardun engine in Zoras 1951 pre production Allard he ran at the Glen in 1951 was powered by the first prototype Ardun engine the one used on the dyno at the Ardun Engine Company in NY that engine was purchased by Joaquin Arnett from San Diego of the Bean Bandits car club. I was able to see those heads earlier this year and they actually have four numbers with the number 1 as the first digit the only know set that way. The heads were cast out in Long Island the foundry used for the initial parts. Theres lots more to the history including George Kudash who in 1947 did the actual design of the heads working for Zora. George lived in Milford CT about a 30 minute ride form me He worked for Sikorsky designing systems for helicopters until retirement.

Ronnieroadster

Re: What is the price of a rebuilt flathead??
 

So this is my halfpenny addition to this thread. I have always desired a set of Ardun heads but never owned as of yet. In 1976 I looked at 2 sets of brand new in greasy cosmoline paper in Warren Goodalls shop in Sydney Australia. Early 2000s seem another brand new set while waiting for LA Roadster show swap meet to open owned by another Aussie (name escapes me)oh he sells that new 34 roadster pickup body. They were over the top complete. He told me he collected parts from all over Aussie to make complete.
Now late 1990’s held on to another low mileage set at Pete Taylor’s shop here in Charlotte they were ready to bolt on a short block he had built. Not for sale at the time. Purchased from Speedy Thompson on Monroe rd here in Charlotte many years earlier & supposedly raced by Ralf Earnhart (Dales Dad) He later sold them to “Wasted Willie Glass” (I was also blessed to meet Willie in 90’s) after Willie’s passing Ray Everingham purchased several of not all of Willie’s heads & has some for sale now. Sorry for my tale.
Cheers
Tony

Re: What is the price of a rebuilt flathead??
 

My friend Dave Harvey, biught one of the first set offered in 1950/51 for $ 505. Can't remember the exact date. Installed on aSsears rebuilt block, never ran right. I bought an Ardun engine complete for $ 300, Wish I still had it, but????

Re: What is the price of a rebuilt flathead??
 

Hey Ronnie - interesting note on the low number heads that you have. The funny thing is that they must not have made all the number sequential - or they would have had to make more than 225 - 250 sets. Who knows . . . it is not really important anyway as none of us can really know how many are still around the planet. I'm sure a lot of them were "lost" along the way. Are you running the stock rockers in your 32 . . . or a set from Ferguson?

Re: What is the price of a rebuilt flathead??
 

Hi Dale the reason the head numbers are all over the place was due to the fact when a set was sold at the New York office a call was then placed to England where the foundry was located that made all the parts. Once a pair of heads was ready to ship to NY the serial numbers were then stamped on the heads. Since this took place at random times after a while no sequence was used just random numbers were eventually being stamped on the heads. The rocker assembly's I use today are the Ferguson rollers. I changed to the rollers for the added ratio the rollers give. The original rocker assembly's from my high mileage heads still look like new the oiling system I developed provides the needed lubrication that eliminates any wear.
Ronnieroadster