Would an Ardun be acceptable?

[JollySipper]

I plan on my next project being a '53 Victoria. I was just wondering.......... would people have put an Ardun-equipped engine in these cars back in the day? If not, what would be a suitable replacement for the kits flathead? I'll be doing it up as a mild custom........

Thanks for any answers....!!

[1930fordpickup]

The V8 flat head was already there to start with so why not.They also used the good old Caddy and Olds V8's also.

[JollySipper]

Thanks for that! I have the Ardun speed parts, also have a Caddy engine that I was thinking of using.......... I guess either one would work, then......

[Ace-Garageguy]

Sure, it could have been done. Probably wasn't, because there were only 250 or so pairs of original Ardun heads made, and most of them ended up in race cars. But it would sure make a cool car.

As far as other appropriate engines go,all you need to think of is what was available in junkyards during the time your car model represents. A '53 Ford, in 1960, could have any engine built up 'til 1960, of course.

Both the Caddy and Olds OHV V8 engines came out in '49, so there were plenty in the junkyards by '53.

Also bear in mind that not a lot of brandy-new cars got customized. Ones that did were usually at least several years old, because a lot of the custom thing had to do with building something as good or better than a new production car, but cheaper.

If your '53 Ford custom is supposed to have been built in say, '57, then a '55-'57 smallblock Chevy is entirely appropriate.

Nailhead Buicks, Ford Y-blocks and Chrysler, Dodge and DeSoto Hemi engines all became available in the early '50s too.

Edited April 16, 2015 by Ace-Garageguy

[JollySipper]

Thank you for the info, Bill....! I always thought the OHV conversions were readily available to the average person, like Edelbrock parts are today..... It would be a more realistic build for the time frame I'm shooting for if I use a Cadillac engine or early Hemi............

[Crazy Ed]

The Buick Nailhead'd fit right into the era also.

[unclescott58]

Thank you for the info, Bill....! I always thought the OHV conversions were readily available to the average person, like Edelbrock parts are today..... It would be a more realistic build for the time frame I'm shooting for if I use a Cadillac engine or early Hemi............

Edelbrock parts were common back then too. Ardun heads are very cool. But, again like Bill noted, in real life they are very rare. But if you like them, and have a set on hand, why not use them? The models I build are of cars I wished I could own. Sometimes, they don't exactly meet what was commonly done. Normally they meet what could have been done. Ardun heads could have been put on a '53 flathead. So why not?

Scott

Edited April 15, 2015 by unclescott58

[jwrass]

T.J,

Great way of thinking outside the box!!!! Do It

Keep us posted!

[Ace-Garageguy]

Good comments above, and I hope I didn't sound like I was trying to discourage you.

Many of my period builds are of things that could have been done, but to my knowledge, weren't.

A custom "53 with the Ardun conversion is a natural, really, and to do it in 1:1 would be far simpler than swapping other engines from different manufacturers.

[Art Anderson]

Thank you for the info, Bill....! I always thought the OHV conversions were readily available to the average person, like Edelbrock parts are today..... It would be a more realistic build for the time frame I'm shooting for if I use a Cadillac engine or early Hemi............

For the day and age, an ARDUN OHV conversion was pretty expensive, compared to a fairly simple engine swap for say, a Cadillac V8 (to make a Fordillac). ARDUN heads were readily available, just not that many were sold, particularly to people of more "ordinary" means.

Art