Where to find CMPs?

[Local Chap]

Originally Posted by Jim Price

I can honestly say that .... you are restoring a part of history, something that nobody likes to have rewritten.

Now, having said that, I did install a '46 Mercury flathead (15 more horsepower) and did install an automatic transmission.
Regards,
Jim

Jim, if you're not into rewriting history, don't suggest the '46 Mercury has more power than a '41 CMP engine. They are identical engines of 3 3/16" bore for 239ci. Ford rated the later engines higher due to better quality fuel available postwar (95hp vs 100hp), not due to any redesign or improvement.

[Jim Price]

Originally Posted by Local Chap

Jim, if you're not into rewriting history, don't suggest the '46 Mercury has more power than a '41 CMP engine. They are identical engines of 3 3/16" bore for 239ci. Ford rated the later engines higher due to better quality fuel available postwar (95hp vs 100hp), not due to any redesign or improvement.

LC,
You're absolutely correct. I inadvertently used the stats from the Flathead Specification site and not my Ford Special Pattern Vehicles Instruction Book (Second Edition) which clearly shows that the original engine in my F8 did have a 3 3/16 bore and 95 hp. My bad!

Regards,
Jim

[Pete Ashby]

Hello Don

You raise an interesting question which taxes a number of restores and collectors as the differential in road speed between our trucks and modern traffic gets ever larger particularly here in the UK with our high population density. For example here in the UK motorway driving will as a norm produce a speed differential of 45mph assuming a CMP at 35mph and a modern vehicle travelling at 80mph, (yes I know the limit is 70mph but no one drives at this speed anymore). In recent years a small number of historic military vehicles have been involved in rear end collisions nearly all on motorways as a result I suspect of modern drivers misjudging the closing speed, they expect the MV to be doing 50 to 60 mph, no excuse for bad driving but it is an unwelcome fact. Given the facts your argument for modifying the drive train has validity. However, and this is the sticking point for me, I do think it brings into focus the reasons for restoring our vehicles are we preserving mechanical engineering history some of which is now at least 70 years old or are we trying to keep alive the spirit of the men who used our trucks? For me it’s both and ultimately it’s your truck and you can do as you want with it but I would suggest as others already have that the route to modern upgrading can never be straight forward or wholly satisfactory from the engineering stand point. The danger is that you will end up with a vehicle that is neither a historical example or one that is mechanically sound in terms of modern standards and in terms of its monetary value will seriously be reduced. I see you live in the Yukon so anywhere from you must be a seriously long way away, with that and the above points in mind would a better solution be to buy a more modern MV for shows, meets etc and if you are really keen on CMP’s get one and restore it to original spec and enjoy it locally. This raises another spectre in the shape of why restore something if it sits in the barn and no one sees it…….. probably a topic for a another discussion?

Pete