Exhaust Headers and muffler

[david.skinner]

I've just had some spinal surgery and I need to waste some time while it heals so I'm going to do quite a bit of planning on what to do on my wife's 36 Ford pickup with a 38 81A engine in it.

My rebuild philosophy is 'practical but original where possible'. So I do have an electric cooling fan and electric fuel pump as an example.

Of the many things I want to do to it my wife is keen to hear more of the special V8 sound (which is partly why I use an electric radiator fan) and I understand it does not have the correct exhaust headers on it and it has a car muffler fitted. So I thought I might plan replacing the headers and taking advice on the muffler (or lack of it) to give her an authentic look and emphasised sound.

So I am very receptive to advice on what headers to use and what muffler if any and tail pipe to use.

To complicate things a little I am in NZ (it is RHD) and so parts freight can be a bit of an issue but I'm not in a hurry and the car is her pride and joy so not deeply worried about cost so much as getting it right.

I understand the body is known as a colonial cab and while I'm pretty certain the rear of the cab has been cut at some stage (as the rear window looks wrong to me) I still haven't been able to get to the bottom of its origin. NZ started assembling Canadian CKD kits in 1936 and there are plenty of hints that this one has Canadian made parts in it so it may be one of those but I'm still unsure of its history before '77. It runs exceptionally well with a skip distributor and coil and overhauled carb. I wont be able to do much work on it myself for the next six months but its a good time for me to do the planning.

Ideas appreciated.
David.

[Bassman/NZ]

Most NZ assembled Fords were Canadian in origin. It is a colonial cab, and looks like it's on a car frame.

[TomT/Williamsburg]

Headers do little or nothing for flathead performance but they do enhance the distinct flathead sound. Many guys run headers and 1.5" pipe and no mufflers. Make sure they go all the way to the back. My avatar has 2.25" pipe and some baffles - they dump out and down just at the rear tire. Sounds kind of ratty going through the gears but once at speed, very nice sound. I don't need no stinking radio as my flathead sings to me Everytime I drive it and it plays my favorite songs!

[tubman]

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I sold my '36 3-window, but if I had that truck, it'd never leave. I have Fenton cast iron headers and custom pipes on my '51. They've been on there for 39 years with no deterioration yet. Try that with tube headers. Something else to think about.