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Bill,<br>
My brother had almost the same car. His was a '50 Ford convertible
with a flathead V8 and 3 on the tree, no continental kit . Not sure
what mufflers he had, but it sure sounded sweet. Your lack of power
probably had more to do with that Fordomatic tranny than the motor.
I was brainwashed on Fords, but broke the mold when I bought my
TR250. I still love flathead Fords. I've got a '41 pickup project -
Merc crank, 2 deuces, finned aluminum heads and Smithy dual exhaust,
of course.<br>
- Larry<br>
<br>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 4/27/2018 2:26 PM, Bill Dentinger
via Fot wrote:<br>
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<div>Amici...</div>
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<div>This is a Long Story for the FOT, but directed mostly
at old farts who were actually around in the mid-20th
century. These are people who might actually understand
how the 'Smitty Flow Through' glasspac attempted to
provide proof to the local police that your car actually
had a muffler back in the day. "See, officer. There it
is. That's my muffler." Newbees, who can't relate,
might want to hit their Delete Key now.</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>Back in 1957, when I was a senior in High School, my
paternal Grandmother (God Rest Her Soul), who was also
my God-mother, had given me $350 as a graduation
present. $350 was the most money that I knew existed
back then. I did not know that my Grandmother had $350,
much less that she might consider giving it to me. And
it was a good five months before I was scheduled to
graduate. Talk about opportunity based on an Act of
Faith. Anyway, I took the money and I bought a
very,very used, but very nice looking 1951 Ford
convertible. It was powder blue, and had an extended
rear deck and continental tire kit. I shaved the front
deck, added eye lids to the headlights, and blue dot
lenses (illegal) to the tail lights. I added fender
skirts and I replaced the rag top's rear window (several
times). I also lowered the rear end about two inches
(to a point where that extended rear deck would drag on
driveway ramps). Out on the West Coast they were
lowering the front ends. Here in the Midwest...we were
lowering the rear ends. But that car looked GOOD! It
looked like a Classic Lead Sled. It was fantastic, and
in my pre-Triumph, Bebopper days, duck-tailed Hollywood
haircut...the whole nine yards. This is the car I used
to court Shirley Jean. Her long pony tail used to flop
in the breeze as we tooled down the street with the top
down. </div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>That's all the Good News about that car. There is
some Bad News too. This car had a Ford six cylinder
engine and Fordamatic. It was so slow, that Roger
Bannister broke the four minute mile before it did. And
it only broke the four minute mile once, going down a
steep hill. But that wimpy drive train probably saved
me millions in exposure to speeding tickets, etc.
Another issue was the fact that the car used more oil
than gasoline. Talk about 'blow-by', the engine was
shot...and made pretty blue smoke. How did I deal with
that wimpy drive train on such a great looking car?
Well, I always was more into Presentation than
Performance, and what I did was add 'fake headers' to
mimic a duel exhaust system. They looked great coming
out of that extended rear deck. I also installed a
'Smitty Glass Pack', and BINGO! The car sounded like a
screamer. I'd hold the car in low gear, working the
transmission against the engine cruising down even a
slight incline...and that car sounded like it was
capable of 200-210 mph. I had lots of offers for a drag
race, but always was careful to say, "No thank you...I
need to save these rear tires...".</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>Sad to say, I do not even have a picture of that
car. I do not know what happened to it. When I
graduated from High School in 1957, young men still had
an eight year military obligation, which I decided to
address. I joined the Navy two months after
graduating. I was gone for four years (Plankowner, USS
SPRINGFIELD CLG-7). Shirley Jean waited. The car
didn't. I suspect my brother Ron ended up with it, and
it probably died.</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>Pity, but make a note that the 'Smitty Glass Pack' is
a hero in this story...it helped make me and that car
appear to be more than we deserved...and I still got
Shirley Jean.</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>Bill Dentinger </div>
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