The Ford Barn

mrtexas · 04-09-2013, 05:35 PM

With the risk of opening a hornets nest....

I just started up the stock 37 inserted 85hp motor with fresh rings and rod bearings and Stromberg 97 in my 36 woodie and took a ride around town and out of town today, about 75 miles. It easily gets up to 60-70mph when I put it in Mitchel 37% overdrive. I got to thinking. The Ford v8 was supposed to be "high" performance.

I don't find the acceleration of my woodie to be anything special. It is no better than the 28 Model A roadster pickup with a freshly done 4 banger motor with a high compression head. It certainly doesn't compare to my Honda Ridgeline pickup or Honda Odyssey mini-van for acceleration.

Am I missing something here about the lack of acceleration? Is it the heavy woodie? The stock Stromberg 97? Something else?

ken ct · 04-09-2013, 07:08 PM

It will never beat a Honda Civic off the line or anywhere else,you only working with 85 ponies what did you expect plus wood is heavy. ken ct.

Henry/Kokomo · 04-09-2013, 07:29 PM

I think the "high performance" is compared to its contemporaries. Lots of weight per advertised HP when comparing with modern vehicles.

I still would love to have one.

Walt Dupont--Me. · 04-09-2013, 07:29 PM

Put you 37 motor in you 29 roadester pickup and I think you'll find ity's faster than the 4 bagger. The woody is alot heavier. It's easy to get 85 hp out of a 4 bagger.

Fe26 · 04-09-2013, 07:30 PM

About those 85 Ponies...Fords competitors (allegedly) tested his motor and variously found old Henry had overstated the number of ponies he was hiding in there, estimates were around 70-75 (Then again they would say that wouldn't they).
Curiously the little French version of the Ford 60 hp engine actually made 85hp.

KiWinUS · 04-09-2013, 07:37 PM

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Fe26

About those 85 Ponies...Fords competitors (allegedly) tested his motor and variously found old Henry had overstated the number of ponies he was hiding in there, estimates were around 70-75 (Then again they would say that wouldn't they).
Curiously the little French version of the Ford 60 hp engine actually made 85hp.

Larger displacement , built much later with many updates over an orig. v8/60

Bassman/NZ · 04-09-2013, 08:13 PM

JWL discusses this in his book. An 8BA with quite a few miles on it got nowhere near the rated 100hp.

4dFord/SC · 04-09-2013, 08:27 PM

The warmed up 85hp in my '40 with Offenhauser heads and Holley 390 is certainly no match for a 350Z or the like, but it will push you back in the seat between 50 and 60 in third gear, and has plenty of pep for passing in OD at 70.

38 coupe · 04-09-2013, 08:52 PM

Try driving a stock 36 Chevrolet for comparison. Also remember the splash lube Chevy motors didn't like to spin fast so 50 m.p.h. was about top cruising speed for them...

Flathead · 04-09-2013, 11:51 PM

It worked OK for Clyde Barrow. A few years earlier, but still relevant for that time.

Bruce Lancaster · 04-10-2013, 10:08 AM

Ford had published minimum performance standards for its cars; they were to give a quantifiable check on customer performance complaints using the vehicle and the Zenith mileage tester on level roads. Minimum here means that if a car could meet the standards, the dealer could tell the customer he needed to learn to drive...if it couldn't, the customer had a complaint!
1937 85 with 3.78 rear: 23.5 mpg at 30, 17.4 at 60
10 to 60 mph in high gear, 23 seconds, top speed at least 85.6.
I'm guessing a woodie would be at lowest points on here. To illustrate the effect of weight and gearing on 85 horses...a 4.11 85 was 3 seconds quicker to 60, and a '34 Ford with 4.11 and probably close to 1,000 pounds less weight than your woody went 10-60 in high in 17.5 seconds...
These were again minimum standards...a car worse than these numbers had a problem, and so presumably there were many that could beat the numbers by significant margins.

04-09-2013, 05:35 PM	#1
mrtexas Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Sugar Land, TX Posts: 4,420	Performance of 85hp 37 motor With the risk of opening a hornets nest.... I just started up the stock 37 inserted 85hp motor with fresh rings and rod bearings and Stromberg 97 in my 36 woodie and took a ride around town and out of town today, about 75 miles. It easily gets up to 60-70mph when I put it in Mitchel 37% overdrive. I got to thinking. The Ford v8 was supposed to be "high" performance. I don't find the acceleration of my woodie to be anything special. It is no better than the 28 Model A roadster pickup with a freshly done 4 banger motor with a high compression head. It certainly doesn't compare to my Honda Ridgeline pickup or Honda Odyssey mini-van for acceleration. Am I missing something here about the lack of acceleration? Is it the heavy woodie? The stock Stromberg 97? Something else?

04-09-2013, 07:08 PM	#2
ken ct BANNED Join Date: May 2010 Location: stratford,ct Posts: 5,971	Re: Performance of 85hp 37 motor It will never beat a Honda Civic off the line or anywhere else,you only working with 85 ponies what did you expect plus wood is heavy. ken ct.

04-09-2013, 07:29 PM	#3
Henry/Kokomo Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Kokomo, Indiana Posts: 1,731	Re: Performance of 85hp 37 motor I think the "high performance" is compared to its contemporaries. Lots of weight per advertised HP when comparing with modern vehicles. I still would love to have one. __________________ Henry

04-09-2013, 07:29 PM	#4
Walt Dupont--Me. Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Gardiner Me. Posts: 4,200	Re: Performance of 85hp 37 motor Put you 37 motor in you 29 roadester pickup and I think you'll find ity's faster than the 4 bagger. The woody is alot heavier. It's easy to get 85 hp out of a 4 bagger.

04-09-2013, 07:30 PM	#5
Fe26 Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Sydney, Australia Posts: 949	Re: Performance of 85hp 37 motor About those 85 Ponies...Fords competitors (allegedly) tested his motor and variously found old Henry had overstated the number of ponies he was hiding in there, estimates were around 70-75 (Then again they would say that wouldn't they). Curiously the little French version of the Ford 60 hp engine actually made 85hp.

04-09-2013, 08:13 PM	#7
Bassman/NZ Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Napier, New Zealand Posts: 2,001	Re: Performance of 85hp 37 motor JWL discusses this in his book. An 8BA with quite a few miles on it got nowhere near the rated 100hp.

04-09-2013, 08:27 PM	#8
4dFord/SC Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Columbia, SC Posts: 1,579	Re: Performance of 85hp 37 motor The warmed up 85hp in my '40 with Offenhauser heads and Holley 390 is certainly no match for a 350Z or the like, but it will push you back in the seat between 50 and 60 in third gear, and has plenty of pep for passing in OD at 70.

04-09-2013, 08:52 PM	#9
38 coupe Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: South Texas Posts: 2,042	Re: Performance of 85hp 37 motor Try driving a stock 36 Chevrolet for comparison. Also remember the splash lube Chevy motors didn't like to spin fast so 50 m.p.h. was about top cruising speed for them...

04-09-2013, 11:51 PM	#10
Flathead Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Southern Maine Posts: 1,617	Re: Performance of 85hp 37 motor It worked OK for Clyde Barrow. A few years earlier, but still relevant for that time.

04-10-2013, 10:08 AM	#11
Bruce Lancaster Member Emeritus Join Date: May 2010 Location: Madison, NJ Posts: 5,230	Re: Performance of 85hp 37 motor Ford had published minimum performance standards for its cars; they were to give a quantifiable check on customer performance complaints using the vehicle and the Zenith mileage tester on level roads. Minimum here means that if a car could meet the standards, the dealer could tell the customer he needed to learn to drive...if it couldn't, the customer had a complaint! 1937 85 with 3.78 rear: 23.5 mpg at 30, 17.4 at 60 10 to 60 mph in high gear, 23 seconds, top speed at least 85.6. I'm guessing a woodie would be at lowest points on here. To illustrate the effect of weight and gearing on 85 horses...a 4.11 85 was 3 seconds quicker to 60, and a '34 Ford with 4.11 and probably close to 1,000 pounds less weight than your woody went 10-60 in high in 17.5 seconds... These were again minimum standards...a car worse than these numbers had a problem, and so presumably there were many that could beat the numbers by significant margins.