The Ford Barn

GB SISSON · 12-19-2018, 10:37 AM

Was on google looking at marine conversions of flathead V8s. I thought this was interesting. Other conversions were Lehman and Osco. Just thinking that surrounded by water, I should have some kind of vessel again to lower the crab pots from.

blucar · 12-20-2018, 12:39 PM

During the late '60's, early '70's I had a Bilt-Right plywood/fiberglass boat that had a '53 Merc flat-head engine. The engine was highly modified with a Howard can, Edmund heads and an Edmund 4 brl manifold. The ignition was a Malory Marine.. As I recall the wet manifolds were Glenwood.
The engine had been built by a Speed/Marine Company in Long Beach, CA.
The boat was an 18' ski boat that did a very good job, lots of bottom end torque that could pluck a full grown adult right out of the water. One of the big plus's to the boat was the Capitol forward/reverse Velvet-Drive trans which worked good pulling kids or just cruising around the lake. We used the boat until we bought a new boat in 1977.

RKS.PA · 12-20-2018, 01:35 PM

Gary, yes you do need something to pull those wonderful Dungeness crabs from your neighborhood stash!! Could be an application for one of those "spare" blocks you picked up recently!!

GB SISSON · 12-20-2018, 11:06 PM

I have a couple of bronze propeller shafts with props and stuffing boxes. Would love to find a gearbox. When I was 14 my folks moved us from Seattle to a small coastal town South of Boston. There I met Hermon Maynard Sr and Jr. Hermon Sr operated Maynard Fire Apparatus on Rt 3A in Marshfield Mass. They had this rather cobbled up plywood boat appropriately named the 'May-Fire' This 22' started out as an outboard, but they added 2' to the stern and installed a 51 merc with the car 3 speed. No thought of a thrust bearing. We ran it in high and when coming into the dock, that reverse gear was spinning the prop so slowly that it hardly any braking ability. H Jr was always the captain when we took it out so I don't remember if there was still a clutch linkage involved. I remember a marine engineer friend years later mentioning how a boat/ship/vessel of any kind is pushed through the water, no matter the load or tow etc "on the end of a broom handle"... Meaning of course the prop shaft. I wonder how the May-Fire's tranny held up to years of that. Blucar, that would be so fun to find something like that in a shed. And yes, so much torque!

corvette8n · 12-21-2018, 09:15 AM

Those marine parts show up on eBay once and a while, I think you should start building the boat while you look for the engine parts, you know in your spare time lol.

deuce5wndw · 12-21-2018, 09:24 AM

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

I feel a new build thread coming!! I sure enjoyed your last one. Beautiful woodie!
Dale

blucar · 12-21-2018, 12:00 PM

I have a very nice Capital Velvet Drive trans, stuffing box, drive shaft w/prop that came out of a late '50's 18' inboard.
The boat was one of those projects that someone started to re-store, then lost interest.
I parted the boat out, the engine was a marine OHV Cad V8, still have the marine equipment some place in my parts stash.
The engine in my '53 Built-Right, An 8CM engine broke a valve on one of our skiing trips. The broken valve wiped out a piston which seriously damaged the bore. I pulled the engine and was going to replace it with a 327 SBC. Talking to a friend who I mentioned that the engine in my boat had troubles, my friend told me he had a Boom truck that had a very low mileage 8CM engine in it. One thing lead to another and I ended up buying the truck for $200.
I pulled the engine, switched the heads, intake and distributor from my old engine, solving the engine problem. We used the boat for several more years.
Talking to a friend of mine one day he made mention that he was looking for a late model flat-head engine, he had picked up an Ardun OHV conversion and wanted to build an engine for his '32 coupe. I told my friend about the 8CM engine from my boat that I had stuck back in the corner of my garage. My friend got all excited, we had to dig the engine out of it's resting place.
The Ardun equipped 8CM went on to a new life in my friends '32...

ursus · 12-21-2018, 12:53 PM

A friend took possession of a homebuilt flathead V8 skiboat some 20 years ago when he got a call to either move it or lose it to the landfill. His father and grandfather had built it in the late 1950's out of plywood and fiberglass and had sourced the engine from a wrecked hot rod for $25. It was the family skiboat for 10-12 years until it was parked uncovered behind the family business and forgotten. After sitting in the sun and weather of California's Central Valley for many years it was a sad sight. After much work (and a flathead V8 education) we got her patched up, running well, and looking a bit less tattered with a rattlecan paint job.

On her second maiden voyage, with no leaks evident and the trim adjusted, we decided to run her wide open. We were soon barreling at high speed and marveling at our boat restoration skills. That is, until we took a hard turn into the wake from a large cruiser and our boat literally exploded into shards of fiberglass and plywood and sinking so fast we could barely get away in time. Beware of old fiberglass!

Kurt in NJ · 12-21-2018, 05:54 PM

I had a model A marine conversion, bought for the engine, the marine parts found a home with another engine in a boat

When I bought a lot of NOS 60 hp engine parts from a boat racer he said the stock 60 bottom end was good for 2 seasons at 7000rpm --- 1/2 season at 7500 , gave me the courage to run the 39 up to over 50 in second, downshift at 40 in hills

alanwoodieman · 12-22-2018, 08:07 AM

I have the drive out of a 28 ft cabin cruiser, it was powered by a chevy engine. I would give it to you, just to get it out of the shed. freight would be a bear, I am on the east cost.

GB SISSON · 12-22-2018, 09:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alanwoodieman

I have the drive out of a 28 ft cabin cruiser, it was powered by a chevy engine. I would give it to you, just to get it out of the shed. freight would be a bear, I am on the east cost.

So it's set up to bolt to a chevy? Hmmm chevy adapter. Do they make a bellhousing that bolts to an 8ba block that fits chev trannys?

Newc · 12-22-2018, 10:47 PM

Years ago maybe 20, RG #10 'Columbia River' built a marine display of a flathead and drive, in the stern section of a boat.. Beautiful display piece that was at several Western Nationals , and then due to lack of storage space it got donated away and forgotten. Sad! Newc

Tinker · 12-23-2018, 01:34 AM

I have very little knowledge or connection but I thought this was on "Flathead" point here. well... we talk flatheads, no matter the vehicle.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...&theater&ifg=1

mercman from oz · 12-23-2018, 04:51 PM

"Introducing Miss Isle". Pictures posted on behalf of Brian Billings of New Zealand. I will let him add his comments.

Brian · 12-23-2018, 05:18 PM

Thank you Mercman for posting those pix. Beyond me!- I used to be able to post pictures on here, but no longer seem to have the ability?
Obviously this boat resides in New Zealand- note that it is RHD! Was reputed to be the fastest boat on the Waitemata Harbour [where Americas Cup held], when launched in 1949.
'Miss Isle' is a rather appropriate play on words. Powered by 239 backed with Paragon marine forward/reverse transmission. 18 foot long Kauri [timber] double skin construction.

RobR'35 · 12-23-2018, 06:03 PM

Awesome boat. Whaa!!

38bill · 12-23-2018, 11:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brian

Thank you Mercman for posting those pix. Beyond me!- I used to be able to post pictures on here, but no longer seem to have the ability?
Obviously this boat resides in New Zealand- note that it is RHD! Was reputed to be the fastest boat on the Waitemata Harbour [where Americas Cup held], when launched in 1949.
'Miss Isle' is a rather appropriate play on words. Powered by 239 backed with Paragon marine forward/reverse transmission. 18 foot long Kauri [timber] double skin construction.

FYI: Boats in the states are also RHD. Anybody know why cars here are LHD?

51504bat · 12-23-2018, 11:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 38bill

FYI: Boats in the states are also RHD. Anybody know why cars here are LHD?

Most inboards, outboards, and in and out drives are right hand drive in the states but jet drive ski boats are left hand drive. Have no idea why.

big job · 12-24-2018, 08:33 AM

Maybe ole wifes tale but I always thought LHD and RHD helms depends on prop rotation.
so the operator station & the weight of the operator cancels out listing. another word
If I remember std left rotation helm would be right starboard right hand prop helm on the left port side. Twin props helm rt or left or in the center.

38bill · 12-24-2018, 02:15 PM

There's plenty of center helm outboard sport fishing boats too.

12-20-2018, 12:39 PM	#2
blucar Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Ventura, CA Posts: 2,464	Re: Speaking of boats..... During the late '60's, early '70's I had a Bilt-Right plywood/fiberglass boat that had a '53 Merc flat-head engine. The engine was highly modified with a Howard can, Edmund heads and an Edmund 4 brl manifold. The ignition was a Malory Marine.. As I recall the wet manifolds were Glenwood. The engine had been built by a Speed/Marine Company in Long Beach, CA. The boat was an 18' ski boat that did a very good job, lots of bottom end torque that could pluck a full grown adult right out of the water. One of the big plus's to the boat was the Capitol forward/reverse Velvet-Drive trans which worked good pulling kids or just cruising around the lake. We used the boat until we bought a new boat in 1977. __________________ Bill.... 36 5 win cpe

12-20-2018, 01:35 PM	#3
RKS.PA Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Marana, AZ Posts: 1,194	Re: Speaking of boats..... Gary, yes you do need something to pull those wonderful Dungeness crabs from your neighborhood stash!! Could be an application for one of those "spare" blocks you picked up recently!!

12-20-2018, 11:06 PM	#4
GB SISSON Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Orcas Island Washington Posts: 4,932	Re: Speaking of boats..... I have a couple of bronze propeller shafts with props and stuffing boxes. Would love to find a gearbox. When I was 14 my folks moved us from Seattle to a small coastal town South of Boston. There I met Hermon Maynard Sr and Jr. Hermon Sr operated Maynard Fire Apparatus on Rt 3A in Marshfield Mass. They had this rather cobbled up plywood boat appropriately named the 'May-Fire' This 22' started out as an outboard, but they added 2' to the stern and installed a 51 merc with the car 3 speed. No thought of a thrust bearing. We ran it in high and when coming into the dock, that reverse gear was spinning the prop so slowly that it hardly any braking ability. H Jr was always the captain when we took it out so I don't remember if there was still a clutch linkage involved. I remember a marine engineer friend years later mentioning how a boat/ship/vessel of any kind is pushed through the water, no matter the load or tow etc "on the end of a broom handle"... Meaning of course the prop shaft. I wonder how the May-Fire's tranny held up to years of that. Blucar, that would be so fun to find something like that in a shed. And yes, so much torque! __________________ Owner/Operator of 'Jailbar Ranch' on the side of Mt. Pickett. Current stable consists of 1946 1/2 ton pickup turned woodie wagon with FH V8, 1947 Tonner Pickup (red) mostly stock with exception of a cummins 6at turbo diesel, 1946 Tonner Pickup (green) with 226 cu in 6 cyl flathead, 1979 Toyota landcruiser wagon, completely encased in 1947 Ford Jailbar sheet metal. Ok, cornbinder rear fenders..... 'Rusty ol' floorboards, hot on their feet' (Alan Jackson)

12-21-2018, 09:15 AM	#5
corvette8n Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: 36 miles north of Albany NY Posts: 2,950	Re: Speaking of boats..... Those marine parts show up on eBay once and a while, I think you should start building the boat while you look for the engine parts, you know in your spare time lol.

12-21-2018, 09:24 AM	#6
deuce5wndw Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Liberty, KY Posts: 901	Re: Speaking of boats..... Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements) I feel a new build thread coming!! I sure enjoyed your last one. Beautiful woodie! Dale

12-21-2018, 12:00 PM	#7
blucar Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Ventura, CA Posts: 2,464	Re: Speaking of boats..... I have a very nice Capital Velvet Drive trans, stuffing box, drive shaft w/prop that came out of a late '50's 18' inboard. The boat was one of those projects that someone started to re-store, then lost interest. I parted the boat out, the engine was a marine OHV Cad V8, still have the marine equipment some place in my parts stash. The engine in my '53 Built-Right, An 8CM engine broke a valve on one of our skiing trips. The broken valve wiped out a piston which seriously damaged the bore. I pulled the engine and was going to replace it with a 327 SBC. Talking to a friend who I mentioned that the engine in my boat had troubles, my friend told me he had a Boom truck that had a very low mileage 8CM engine in it. One thing lead to another and I ended up buying the truck for $200. I pulled the engine, switched the heads, intake and distributor from my old engine, solving the engine problem. We used the boat for several more years. Talking to a friend of mine one day he made mention that he was looking for a late model flat-head engine, he had picked up an Ardun OHV conversion and wanted to build an engine for his '32 coupe. I told my friend about the 8CM engine from my boat that I had stuck back in the corner of my garage. My friend got all excited, we had to dig the engine out of it's resting place. The Ardun equipped 8CM went on to a new life in my friends '32... __________________ Bill.... 36 5 win cpe

12-21-2018, 12:53 PM	#8
ursus Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Oregon Posts: 1,375	Re: Speaking of boats..... A friend took possession of a homebuilt flathead V8 skiboat some 20 years ago when he got a call to either move it or lose it to the landfill. His father and grandfather had built it in the late 1950's out of plywood and fiberglass and had sourced the engine from a wrecked hot rod for $25. It was the family skiboat for 10-12 years until it was parked uncovered behind the family business and forgotten. After sitting in the sun and weather of California's Central Valley for many years it was a sad sight. After much work (and a flathead V8 education) we got her patched up, running well, and looking a bit less tattered with a rattlecan paint job. On her second maiden voyage, with no leaks evident and the trim adjusted, we decided to run her wide open. We were soon barreling at high speed and marveling at our boat restoration skills. That is, until we took a hard turn into the wake from a large cruiser and our boat literally exploded into shards of fiberglass and plywood and sinking so fast we could barely get away in time. Beware of old fiberglass!

12-21-2018, 05:54 PM	#9
Kurt in NJ Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: on the Littlefield Posts: 6,159	Re: Speaking of boats..... I had a model A marine conversion, bought for the engine, the marine parts found a home with another engine in a boat When I bought a lot of NOS 60 hp engine parts from a boat racer he said the stock 60 bottom end was good for 2 seasons at 7000rpm --- 1/2 season at 7500 , gave me the courage to run the 39 up to over 50 in second, downshift at 40 in hills

12-22-2018, 08:07 AM	#10
alanwoodieman Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: upstate SC Posts: 2,963	Re: Speaking of boats..... I have the drive out of a 28 ft cabin cruiser, it was powered by a chevy engine. I would give it to you, just to get it out of the shed. freight would be a bear, I am on the east cost.

12-22-2018, 10:47 PM	#12
Newc Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 2,484	Re: Speaking of boats..... Years ago maybe 20, RG #10 'Columbia River' built a marine display of a flathead and drive, in the stern section of a boat.. Beautiful display piece that was at several Western Nationals , and then due to lack of storage space it got donated away and forgotten. Sad! Newc

12-23-2018, 04:51 PM	#14
mercman from oz Senior Member Join Date: May 2012 Location: Queensland, Australia Posts: 10,368	Re: Speaking of boats..... "Introducing Miss Isle". Pictures posted on behalf of Brian Billings of New Zealand. I will let him add his comments.

12-23-2018, 05:18 PM	#15
Brian Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Masterton, New Zealand Posts: 3,834	Re: Speaking of boats..... Thank you Mercman for posting those pix. Beyond me!- I used to be able to post pictures on here, but no longer seem to have the ability? Obviously this boat resides in New Zealand- note that it is RHD! Was reputed to be the fastest boat on the Waitemata Harbour [where Americas Cup held], when launched in 1949. 'Miss Isle' is a rather appropriate play on words. Powered by 239 backed with Paragon marine forward/reverse transmission. 18 foot long Kauri [timber] double skin construction. __________________ Unfortunately, two half wits don't make a whole wit!

12-23-2018, 06:03 PM	#16
RobR'35 Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2014 Location: Upper Peninsula, Michigan Posts: 604	Re: Speaking of boats..... Awesome boat. Whaa!!

12-24-2018, 08:33 AM	#19
big job Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: Dighton, Mass Posts: 1,230	Re: Speaking of boats..... Maybe ole wifes tale but I always thought LHD and RHD helms depends on prop rotation. so the operator station & the weight of the operator cancels out listing. another word If I remember std left rotation helm would be right starboard right hand prop helm on the left port side. Twin props helm rt or left or in the center.

12-24-2018, 02:15 PM	#20
38bill Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Minnesota Posts: 1,166	Re: Speaking of boats..... There's plenty of center helm outboard sport fishing boats too.