The previous owner recovered...
The previous owner recovered the seat with a quality brown-grained vinyl and the removal of the stock gas tank allowed for the seat to be moved back a couple inches. That, along with the repositioning of the steering column, makes driving for a 6-plus footer very comfortable.
Ralph took the block to Evans Speed Equipment for machining. Evans has been machining and building engines since the days after the war–the big war–when dry lakes racing was in its golden era. Jaime Gonzales squared the block, bored it 0.060 over, and turned the crank 10-10. Ralph then assembled the engine using new French rods, four-ring pistons (Flatheads typically use a three-ring piston, the fourth ring is added for extra oil control), and a mild Isky cam. The heads are one of the 200 sets of the rare Wilson & Woods Bonneville heads. He topped it with a Rochester Quadrajet and added a Chevrolet distributor. The carburetor with its small primaries provides excellent throttle response and the distributor offers a wide variety of tuning options over a stock flathead distributor. Jim Warner, of Warner’s Muffler in Oceanside, made the custom headers and exhaust system. Backing up the stout Flathead is a 700-R4 transmission connected by a Wilcap adaptor and shifted with a Lokar shifter, and a 4.11:1 9-inch Ford rearend–a combination that provides for acceleration and comfortable cruising.
Two things make this 59AB Flathead stand out visually: its Rochester Quadrajet four-barrel carburetor and the rare Wilson & Woods Bonneville heads. The alternator and the water pumps are driven by one belt and another drives the power steering pump and A/C compressor.
If someone had to give this former auto shop teacher a grade on his project, it would have to be an A+. Its vintage engine and modern driveline reflect a high level of ingenuity, producing power and reliability, while the exterior maintains an elegant, low-key look. And extra credit has to be given for the truck’s stance! CCT