Roadrunner Engineering
PO Box 53296- Albuquerque, NM 87153
Website:
www.roadrunnerengineering.com
Press Release March 1, 2008
The Most Powerful Flathead Ford Powered Street Rod Ever?
Motorhead Mart Special 276 cu.in. Blown Flathead.
335 HP at 5000 rpm on the Dyno.
Most people have noted the recent resurgence of flathead Ford powered vehicles at car shows and auto events across the country. Most of this resurgence results from a rediscovery of the timeless good looks and sound of the classic flathead Ford. However, even diehard flathead Ford fans concede that the flathead is obsolete as a performance engine by today’s standards. But is it? What about a street driven 1934 Ford Tudor sedan with a 276 cu.in. flathead that accelerates from 0-60 mph in 3.5 seconds? Compare this with 3.8 seconds for a Viper or 4.1 seconds for a Z06 Corvette. This article will describe the Motorhead Mart Special, a flathead that runs with the big dogs.
In 1991, Joe Abbin, a consulting engineer and the owner of Roadrunner Engineering in Albuquerque, NM acquired a “project” 1934 Ford sedan. The car had sat in a barn for approximately 30 years after being campaigned as a drag car in the Midwest. The car had been crudely chopped and channeled with welded-on bobbed fenders. What a mess!
Joe and friends completely rebuilt the car from the ground up and put it back on the street in 1994 with a 1949 Mercury flathead utilizing the prototype Roadrunner Engineering flathead supercharger kit. In that configuration the car ran at strips in NM, AZ, CO and CA and showed at numerous events, garnering many trophies and awards. During that time, the Motorhead Mart Special, AKA the “Pumpkin” because of its orange paint, accumulated almost 2000 street miles with no problems. A high point in this period was at the 1998 Goodguys’ March Meet in Bakersfield, CA where the car turned 100 mph in the quarter mile for the first time. The experience gained in building and running the Special was documented in Joe’s book, Blown Flathead, which provides comprehensive guidance on building a high performance flathead both normally aspirated and supercharged and describes the engine and the car as it existed in 2000.
In 2003 the engine was removed from the 1934 and placed in Joe’s 1950 Mercury where it continues to provide exceptional performance on the street.
The Special at the 1997 Goodguys March Meet in Bakersfield, CA. At the 2006
NHRA CA Hot Rod Reunion the car ran a 12.41 second elapsed time and 107.6 mph
As good as the Special ran, and as reliable as it was, several areas for improvement were noted. Joe decided to build a new engine utilizing gradually accumulated knowledge from his own testing and computer modeling, and the operating experience of over two hundred Roadrunner customers.
The new engine was completed and began dynamometer testing in December 2005. After approximately two months of testing and approximately 80 “pulls” on the dyno, the results were in. The new engine, nicknamed “Killer”, demonstrated over 220 hp normally aspirated with three 2-barrel carburetors. Supercharged, it demonstrated over 365 ft-lbs of torque @ 4000 rpm and 335 hp @ 5000 rpm! Test rpm was limited to save wear and tear on the engine, so these numbers may not represent maximum potential of the engine. Nevertheless, they may represent the highest documented numbers for a street-able flathead on gasoline.
In May 2007 the Killer was installed in the Motorhead Mart Special. In June the Special ran at the High Altitude Flathead and Inline Nationals in Denver (track elevation 5800 feet). There the Special turned a best of 101 mph with a 13.3 second ET in the quarter mile. After winning the class final, the Special was awarded the 2006 “Top Rod” eliminator title. A short movie of this event is accessible on the Roadrunner website.
Following the win at Denver the Special was invited to be an exhibition car at the NHRA Hot Rod Reunion in Bakersfield, CA. During track runs at the Fomoso Dragstrip on October 4 and 5, 2006 the Special did not disappoint with all runs less than mid 12’s. The weekend’s bests included a top speed of 107.6 mph and an elapsed time of 12.41 seconds in the quarter mile. Again, these may be the quickest documented times for a street flathead. In contrast with Denver, Bakersfield’s elevation is less than 400 feet. Even supercharged cars like low altitude! A short movie of one the Bakersfield runs can be seen at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhLcHV3iVNU . Skeptics can note the finish line times in the movie (12.49 seconds, 106.7 mph).
More movies and info can be accessed from the Roadrunner Engineering website, www.roadrunnerengineering.com .
The Motorhead Mart Special has always been a dual-purpose car, capable of cruising the street as well as competing at the track. To further demonstrate this dual capability, a full set of fenders, running boards, etc. were installed on the Special in February 2007. The car in this configuration made exhibition runs at the Standard 1320 Club meet at Speedworld in Phoenix on April 20, 2007. There the car, about 200 lbs heavier, still blasted the drag strip with a top speed of 103 mph and an elapsed time of 12.8 seconds. The altitude there is about 1200 ft. See website for a movie of a run at this meet.
At the present Joe Abbin’s focus is on helping others reach these levels of performance with their street driven flatheads. His first book, Blown Flathead is almost sold out, but a second book on building a high performance flathead is in the works which will provide the “secrets” of the Killer engine including buildup and tuning. Joe noted that the new book will contain “nothing exotic, just the details”.
Who says the flathead should no longer be considered a performance engine? You can’t beat good looks, great sound and performance too. Blown Flatheads Forever!
The Motorhead Mart Special with full street equipment at the 2007 Sandia Rod & Custom Reunion in Albuquerque, NM
· Rear: P255/70R15 on steel truck rims or 26x9-15 M/T slicks on Halibrand mags.
