Hershey Rain Score: 1937 Ford V8-60 sedan

[mananaba]

Regarding the leaky water pump...try to find a NOS 37 Ford tapered water rebuild kit or at the least one of the new kits on Ebay...be sure to smooth out the surface on the back of the pump and the surface on the back of the impeller and then follow the rebuilding instructions...finding the correct spanner wrench is better than hitting a drive pin into the holes around the pump..be sure you have the correct pump gaskets too....good luck!

[3738]

Nice!

I think you will find you get a lot of attention and positive comments when you show off you V8 60 at the local drive in shows...I know from experience.

I think you have the same stain on the passenger door panel as my all original never restored 37 Slantback V8 60.

[Flathead37]

Nice find!
Ticking Thru Time make a great hidden signal light kit. I put one in my 37 coupe and love it. No signal light arm to look out of place.

[mramc1]

Originally Posted by 3738

Nice!

I think you will find you get a lot of attention and positive comments when you show off you V8 60 at the local drive in shows...I know from experience.

I think you have the same stain on the passenger door panel as my all original never restored 37 Slantback V8 60.

Wow, your car is mint! Is it Washington blue? If I decide to repaint the original black on my A hot rod I think I'd do the car in Washington blue with straw colored wheels.

I hope to tighten the 60 up and keep it in there if it keeps running well. I don't really know the history of the engine, but it has newer green paint on it and a replacement NORS head on the driver's side.

Unfortunately, a lot of the staining happened when the car got wet at Hershey. I found pictures from when the PO pulled it out of the barn and the stains weren't as bad. 10 inches of rain and old door seals didn't do the interior any favors!

[mramc1]

Originally Posted by mananaba

Regarding the leaky water pump...try to find a NOS 37 Ford tapered water rebuild kit or at the least one of the new kits on Ebay...be sure to smooth out the surface on the back of the pump and the surface on the back of the impeller and then follow the rebuilding instructions...finding the correct spanner wrench is better than hitting a drive pin into the holes around the pump..be sure you have the correct pump gaskets too....good luck!

Are the 60hp water pumps different than an 85 hp pump? I have a MAC's catalog and I think they listed the pumps as "not for V8-60" in there. I'll be carefully pulling it apart later this spring to see what the actual problem is.

[1967gt]

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Come on its only a score if you stole .... I'll ask . What did you pay for it ?

[JM 35 Sedan]

Originally Posted by mramc1

Are the 60hp water pumps different than an 85 hp pump? I have a MAC's catalog and I think they listed the pumps as "not for V8-60" in there. I'll be carefully pulling it apart later this spring to see what the actual problem is.

The 60 HP water pumps are completely different than the 85 HP water pumps. I would suggest picking up a copy of the '37 Ford Book sold by the Early Ford V-8 Club of America. You can place an order for this book on their website.

[mramc1]

Originally Posted by 1967gt

Come on its only a score if you stole .... I'll ask . What did you pay for it ?

Less than $8000. The only rust ever in the car is tiny pin holes in the tool tray that were glassed over probably in the 1950s.

[mananaba]

Most 37 V8 60 powered cars were tin side engines with aluminum heads and tapered water pumps...they screw in/out..the 85 hp engines have different pumps. Rather than add another tail light on my 60 standard cars I bolted on Ford fog lights on the bumpers...they serve as brake and turn signal lights without changing the originality of the cars. Like KiWiNUS states...it is only original once. Keep your eyes peeled for somebody who is taking apart an original car with decent original interior...too bad about the rain damage at Hershey..a waterproof cover could have helped. My 60 hp shows 20 lb oil pressure at startup and runs between 5-10 when hot.

[chuck stevens]

Josh, If you get tired of the 60, I have some real good 59AB & 8BA blocks and other engine parts. No rear ends or tranys. I'm down near Elmira NY. Chuck S.

[keith oh]

My dad (a Ford dealer in the 30s) said that when the 37 came out the dealers in his area said, how in the hell are we going to sell those ugly ducklings after the 35s, 36s ?

[mramc1]

Originally Posted by mananaba

Rather than add another tail light on my 60 standard cars I bolted on Ford fog lights on the bumpers...they serve as brake and turn signal lights without changing the originality of the cars. Like KiWiNUS states...it is only original once.

I thought about doing something exactly like this. I found an original aftermarket 6V Signalstat switch and harness in the junkyard. I thought about either rewiring the small lamps in the headlight buckets for signals or using fog lights on the front for signals.

On the rear I was going to add the second light, but it does make sense to just add something that could be removed later. Once the passenger fender is drilled I'm kind of committed. I could find an accessory bumper guard and add lights to it. I have some really old clearance lights that a guy turned into tail lights on his '46 Chevy truck back in the day that might work.

[Steves46]

Hi Josh. Maybe a Model A Cowl Light with bracket may work as well. Steve

[3738]

MR AMC 1 (Do you have AMC vehicles ?)

Yes my 37 is Washington Blue.

The front cross member that has the water pumps in it could be original or from a later V8 60. 60 pumps were available in tapered threads and straight threads. Make sure you know which style you have. My 37 had a pump that would not tighten down and leaked. I put (2) of the large copper washers between the pump and the housing and that stopped the leak for about 20 years so far.

Enjoy your 37 and the unique V8 60.

[Vic Piano]

Nice looking '37, I like your "A" too, especially the Buick taillights, I haven't seen them used on an "A" before. Very cool.

[mramc1]

Originally Posted by 3738

MR AMC 1 (Do you have AMC vehicles ?)
.

Yes I had six at one time (Gremlin, Spirit, and Eagles), but sold them off to concentrate on old cars.

Originally Posted by Vic Piano

Nice looking '37, I like your "A" too, especially the Buick taillights, I haven't seen them used on an "A" before. Very cool.

There are a couple of A's with Buick lights on them. Probably the most recognized would be the bare metal A Brian Bass built with a hemi in it. I love the look of '39 tear drops, but everyone does them so I wanted something different and they had to stick to my pre-'48 build style. You don't know how hard it is to find good '42-'48 Buick lights as the housings rot out, the plastic lenses fade and there just aren't many of those cars left. It took me about a year to collect enough pieces to make two good lights.

[CT AV8]

It's nice to see the '37 found a good home. I like your plans for it. Also like your Model A a lot. Good luck with the V8 60.

[3738]

MRAMC1

We have very similar interests in cars and I still have my 1969 BBB 390 4sp AMX as well as a 1974 Hornet Hatchback

[flatheadkid1]

My father and I had a 37 humpback just like yours with a V8-60. It received a reversed eye spring in front, later ford steel wheels, black primer, a rebuilt carburetor and a later 42 crab cap style ignition. We drove the wheels off of it. Top speed with the 4:44 gears was 60 mph with a tail wind. The mechanical brakes, when adjusted correctly, worked flawlessly and stopped the car quickly. I wish I could find a picture of it. Enjoy your humpback sedan. I always liked that body style.

[mramc1]

Doing a little work this winter on the '37. I need to rebuild the water pumps. Before that happened I freshened up the front suspension.



The king pin bushing were worn pretty good. I happened to have a set of rebuilt spindles ready to go so swapped them on. I also installed all new tie rod ends as well.



I took the time to do a little R&R to the front end while I was at it. A little cleanup and paint made a world of difference.





Turning the car around to get back in and tackle the water pumps next.