NOTICE - Dallas Area Classic Chevys Message Board Will Soon Be Deactivated

[Larry Epperson]

I was dream’n again & researching parts availability to build a flathead Ford w/ the Ardun OHV head conversion like the one in the “American Racing” ’32 below, and ran across this interesting piece of history J



“Ford Motor Company had a rather large contract to furnish garbage trucks to the City of London. There being a difference in the way horsepower was rated in the US versus the UK, the engines were under powered and Ford was about to lose their contract. FoMoCo hired a young consultant engineer, a Russian emigrant, to address the problem. He designed an OHV head adaptation for the flathead. Later he was to achieve fame at Chevrolet as the father of the Corvette. His name was Zora Arkus-Duntov, and the head was named ARDUN (ARkusDUNtov). A surplus number of heads found their way to racers and hot rodders. Later Chrysler's first hemi was almost a dimensional copy, just short of it being interchangeable”



I always knew that they were designed & built by Zora, but none of the rest of it. “garbage trucks” ?? “Necessity is definitely the mother of invention”



And you CAN still get all new (and updated) 59B blocks, new & updated heads ($ 13,995.00) & the short barrel 4 port Hilborn. Only make 350+/- HP w/ the 4-71, but who cares, “it’s cool” !!!!
_________________
in my Garage:

1957 Chevy BelAir
1949 Chevy Truck

Thought for the day-

Horsepower: "If a little is great, and a lot is better, then way too much is just about right