and is that a vacuum tank on the dash? The valves and guides were stock model "A" I think C Yapp's 2 port is probably based on a B. Gus Dudda in the late 1920s and utilized either a
They were commonly used on the Ford model T, A, and B engines as well as a few other makes. While putting that report together with Riley expert David Evans, I was reminded of a rally car that frequently takes part in Time-Speed rallies in the northeast USA and recently won the Sportsman Class in the 2018 Great Race. It was considered to be rather pricey with the head alone going for around
The Riley engine
And the sound? The Le Baron Bonney interior is very nice. It features two intake valves per cylinder and one exhaust valve per cylinder in the block. The Miller is also done out on the left coast too. In the early 1930s, George Riley produced 2- and 4-port overhead valve conversions for early 4-cylinder flathead engines in an attempt to increase performance, horsepower and speeds. Kong Jackson was also helpful with the motor. I know Charlie Yapp makes an iron two port Riley, an outfit in Cal. The 4-port came out in '33, they and the '34's had huge intake ports, later ones have 1 3/4" ports and run better. Here lies the proof. the photo at right to see photo of another Riley Four Port engine pictured by
Privacy Policy. (Right) The flathead gets its name because the head is basically a "flat" piece of metal that covers the cylinders and valves contained in the block. Lee Chapel founded Lees Speed Shop in Oakland, CA in the early 30s and was one of the first speed shops in the country. LaRosa collection, This engine single overhead came engine was featured in a Hot
Many parts at the auction and super cool stuff. (sorry for not properly checking all my sources and confusing any one), http://www.specialtymotorcams.com/pages/ovhconversions.html, http://clubs.hemmings.com/clubsites/MTFCTulsa/index.htm, (You must log in or sign up to reply here. The flathead Ford still enjoys a strong following and parts are readily available to rebuild one and keep that flathead-specific exhaust sound alive. During the Great Race there was a number of rally participants thought that the car was a Riley due to the badging/name on the car and the general knowledge that many Riley cars were raced. Interestingly, part of that room is devoted to engines that went beyond the simple flat-head design and utilized many of the various over-head conversion units that were available. list two such carsthe new 'Gamecock' and the Brooklands model. The Serr-Miller overhead valve conversion boasts an engine dynamometer proven 142 HP and 200 lb-ft. of torque and has a tendency to make other Model A/B's feel insignificant. ). Build your own custom newsletter with the content you love from Street Muscle, directly to your inbox, absolutely FREE! Need more convincing? We hope to see you at the auction, if not, Happy Bidding. Finding value in style points, he can appreciate cars of all power and performance levels. Do you have insert bearing an d counterbalanced crank. Motors Museum of American Speed. They use a smaller crank than their B and C counterparts, and use a gravity-feed or splash-n-drip oil systemnot a pressurized oil system. I recently posted a report on Riley Imp cars. was raced in the Illinois and Indiana area in the early 1930s. With a few winfields hanging off. Wow them are some very great number. Gemsa was
This is a Riley 4-Port overhead valve head on a Model A/B block. The engine certainly didnt appear likely to be a candidate for upgrading, but that wouldnt be the case. Chrysler or Plymouth block. Models for 1932 After so successful a season as has been enjoyed by Rileys in sporting events this year both at home and abroad, it is to be expected that racing and sports types should figure in their New Year's range of models, and one finds in their 9 h.p. These engines feature a larger crank with no counterweights and a four-bolt water pump. Following that first drag-and-drive event back in 2005, spinoffs of Drag Week have been happening all over the country, and the world, both large and small. ITEM : 1930 MODEL A FORD COUPE WITH A RILEY OVERHEAD VALVE CYLINDER HEAD. Car was completely rebuilt 4 years ago and has been driven about 2100 miles. Change). It sounds like a screaming banshee and feels like a laser cutter when you walk past it.". The paltry 50 horses it produced came at about 2,200 RPMs. on display in the Speedway
Richards of Kansas City, Missouri. Notice all the intakes on the right wall and youll see how kind the aftermarket has been to this iconic engine. In 2008 my original 2 port ran 84 MPH at the Antique Nationals. Chicago Mark-E overdrive: . of George and Ernie Lawhon who campaigned it in
Whether planes, trains, motorcycles, or automobiles, Andy has immersed himself in a world driven by internal combustion. (Also from the same call) The type C cam in both rocker arm and cam versions, the main diffence still being that the type C had the aforementioned 4 intake and 4 exhaust ports. The exhaust then had a short trip out to the exhaust manifold, which reduced heat transfer greatly. PHOTO GALLERY. The set-up was a perfect match for the early B Blocks. Copyright 1995-2021 The Jalopy Journal: Steal our stuff, we'll kick your teeth in. Though his A is a restoration, it's more of a touring car than a show car. He opened his shop in 1919 to produce speed equipment for Model Ts and continued to build new Ford speed equipment for years. This car was once thought to have been powered by the Riley 4 port
"I ran a 2-inch straight pipe, no muffler, and reduced it to the original, rusted 112-inch exhaust. Check out what vintage speed looks like. Riley OHV conversion: Like most OHV conversions, this one for Ford Model As replaces the stock intake valves in the head with pushrods . Zora would soon find employment at Chevrolet, after penning his famous memo about the youth market and their passion for hot-rodding the Ford engine. History of Sprint Car Racing: 1896-1942, Illustrated History of Sprint Car Racing: 1896-1942, - Illustrated
We dare you to make all of your car buddies jealous! Share this: Automotive American; February 3, 2023 January 18, 2023; OHV; . this please contact, This photo was taken at Oakland Speedway in California
I have seen a few configurations of the 4 cylinder head and a overhead conversion for a Flathead V-8. Single overhead cam, two Winfield Carburetors, Green
There was a time when the whole of hot rodding was based on making old Model Ts and later Model As run as fast or faster than anything in Anytown, USA. It's easy! The Moller-Adams heads used a sophisticated rocker assembly, to which C-T Automotive added an equally-sophisticated slide-valve injector to run Bonneville. Sporting only four cylinders, it was basically an upgrade of the earlier Model A powerplant. World War II, Click your mouse on the photo above to see another of
In recent years, the trend has been completely blowing up! They were available in both passenger cars and trucks in 1933 and 1934, and they have improvements and differences from their Model B counterparts. Both Miller-Schofield conversions run reproduction Stromberg 97 carburetiona single on the Norman A and a log intake with dual 97s on the Webb B. Additionally, on the Webb engine, a vintage Wico magneto handles spark. With the heavy-duty versions being most susceptible to heat issues, the first attempts at separating exhaust heat were designed for the truck market. in the Bill and Mike LaRosa collection, 359.44 cubic inch, in line 4-cylinder with a 4.724 inch
Hot rodders from every ilk soon found the Ardun heads beneficial for more than heat dissipation. As a result, Riley heads were better suited for short races and became a standard for small oval track racing. Wayne Chevrolet engine shown at right, was built by Tuck Muterspaugh
cast these dual overhead cam heads for Model T Ford blocks but this is the
Shipping Available at Buyers Expense on this part. Content for engine professionals and enthusiasts, - Pennzoil and API on Developing Motor Oil Standards, Heavy-Duty Diesel Engines, Equipment and Replacement Parts, The Engine Cummins Never Built: A Look at the 6.4L Cummins, Solving Engine Bearing Fatigue Failures with Silver Based Materials, Choate Engineering Performances 6.7L Powerstroke Engine, Kill Devil Diesels 7.0L Billet Powerstroke Engine, Twin-Turbo 347 cid Small Block Ford Engine. This engine from the Speedway Motors Museum of American Speed also ran a 180-degree crankshaft at the August 1950 Bonneville Speed Meet in a streamliner sponsored by Lees Speed shop. If you're ever near Lincoln, Nebraska, Speedy Bill's Museum of American Speed (MuseumOfAmericanSpeed.com) is a treasure trove of virtually every speed part ever made, including super-rare and one-off banger hardware, plus long forgotten overhead conversions like Cook, Fargo, and Rutherford. You can bid on this item at the following auction: Join our free email newsletter and never miss a sale! We'll send you the most interesting Street Muscle articles, news, car features, and videos every week. The front gear case supports a water pump, fuel pump, and two oil pumps for dry sump lubrication. Its our Diesel of the Week! Now, thanks to Charlie Yapp I have one. a sprint driver in the 1940s and 1950s and a master machinist who specialized
The effort was financed by a group headed by George Schofield. Yapp copied the early one which in my opinion was the wrong one to copy. This would be great for a vintage Midget racer or for building that hot rod. Both run bigger, better forged stainless valves, springs, iron guides, and original rockers that are re-bushed and re-shafted. The engine is smooth whether it is cruising around town at 25mph or going down the highway at 70-plus. engine, see the following web page: http://www.milleroffy.com/Junior%20Specials.htm
Both were cross flow single head and
It seem to be a mystery on information on the products. Milwaukee, Wisconsin in the late 1930s but not many were used in auto racing Motor Racing News, This V-8 Ford
Not many around. That's why the overhead conversions are conversions. All Ford four-bangers are L-head configuration in stock formwhich means the valves are in the block. Dual plug heads for one. The body sills, floors etc are excellent. The type A has the sparkplugs set in between the 4 valves, but this system was discarded (due constantly cooking the spark plugs) for the type B which has the plugs set down on the side of the head. Don't let the old timers tell you otherwiseFord made lots of Model C engines, though they were not referred to as Model C by Ford. . One of each
Would anyone with more information about
Those valve covers would look right at home on the Indianapolis 500 speedway and doesn't look dated next to that Aurora IRL engine in the photo on the right! Riley made a lot of things, a radial outboard motor, a 2 cylinder engine made of Model A parts, a racing side-draft carb and a drone engine for the gov't during WWII which was his monetary downfall, he improved on the military specs and they didn't want that. It is ready to use and enjoy and is an absolute blast to drive. Go ahead . Iandola's book is great with lots of info, but it is a scrapbook, not a novel. magneto ignition was driven by Raul Riganti to a 14th
On the old front, I have located the rough castings for a Riley twin cam set-up. engine equipped with Alexander R heads was developed by the Alexander
This is part of a racing and hot rod parts hoard at the JAB Auction June 15th. Rons model A engine includes his miniature version of the 4-port Riley conversion and his custom designed fuel injection system. We were recently visiting the shop and got the run down of Choates 6.7L Powerstroke build. Also included in the package was a dry sump oiling system and magneto ignition. The brakes stop the car firmly and square. Were do you find the history of the great George Riley and the products he made. the Bill and Mike LaRosa collection, The Illustrated History of Sprint Car Racing:
As you see, the 4-port moves the intake ports to the other side of the head. . This conversion lasted into the 1950s where it was still competitive. There is also a Riley 4-port head conversion for the model A engine that was never kitted. Click your mouse on the photo
The Riley advertisement notes that there is Model C version for high-speed use. The B engine sported an impressive 200 cubic inches of displacement. I think you would be hard pressed to find a better looking engine than a Ford Flathead V8 with an Alexander OHV conversion. . Sign up to receive text notifications about our auctions. In the early 1930s George Riley produced 2 and 4 port over head valve conversions for early 4-cylinder flathead engines in an attempt to increase performance, horsepower, and speeds. There was even a set of Ardun heads designed for the smaller V8-60 flathead Ford engine as well. Dakota Digitals SGI-100BT Will Bring Your Tach And Speedo to, SPAL Announces New U.S. Based Manufacturing & Office, Brian Tooley Racing Announces BTR Short Blocks Now, Lingenfelter And Magnusons SUV Supercharger, Ultimate Fathers Day Gift Guide: Tech Gear, Ultimate Fathers Day Gift Guide: Wearable, Top Picks from the 35th Annual CPW Mopar Spring Fling, Carlisle Ford Nationals Poised To Break Attendance, Street Muscles Review of the 2021 Los Angeles Auto, Bill Kniffens C57 Combines Old School Cool With New School, Cody Gewertzs 34 Ford Wins Goodguys Tanks Inc. Theyre the pinnacle of drag racing, and the engine builders, crew chiefs and teams who make these cars function at peak performance all season long are looking at every single area of the engine and the car to make it down the track as fast as possible. Model A block Model B crank Billet main caps Crower bearings Crower rods High capacity oil pump with Belcher Engineerings in house built pressure relief valve (set up on test run) Head specific Cam Supplied without ancillaries Very rare, heads no longer being produced Be the fastest in your class, on the Sands or up the Hills 15600.00 One of the best was the Riley overhead valve conversions. To make the car drive reliably at high way speeds, a Mitchell overdrive was installed. collection, - Engine in the Bill and Mike
The main component that evolved was the so-called Miller High-Speed Head, which was carried on the valve cover. This, coupled with the change in counterweights and a shorter water pump used to clear the angled radiator introduced in 1933, has led to some labeling the 33-34 engines as Model C. The picture below that I took in Holliston, Massachusetts in 2015 ,shows a Ford Model A with its standard four-cylinder engine. Their plan was to capitalize on the presumed long run of Model As spewing out of Ford's plants. The RAMAR conversion consisted mainly of the RAMAR high-compression cast iron head. On the head was the warning to use high-performance spark plugs. [emailprotected]. All rights reserved. Why has this never been covered before? The Riley two- and four-port overhead conversions were the brainchild of George Riley, an inventor who also raced cars, planes, and boats. This conversion lasted into the 1950s where it was still competitive. Kyle Morris of Steve Morris Engines built up this 1996 Mustang with a twin-turbo 347 cubic inch small block Ford engine primarily by himself. This dual overhead came Ford conversion was ironically designed by brothers Louis and Arthur Chevrolet - The Illustrated History of Sprint Car Racing: 1896-1942 by: Jack C. Fox Frontenac Stager Valve This dual overhead came engine had intake and exhaust ports on both sides of the head for added cooling of the valves - The Illustrated History of . Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. The latter was the preferred system if the pocketbook would allow it. (LogOut/ The car is shown below at the 2018 Great Race. These are very pleasant fellows and we congratulate them publicly for their Sportsman Class win! While the Museum of American Speed is currently closed since the world came down with the flu, the folk at the museum have still been hard at it, making sure our history is warm and dry. a sprint driver in the 1940s and 1950s and a master machinist who specialized
bore and a 5.118 inch stroke, made from half of a
This reduced heat absorption but didnt do much for performance, as the airflows path was still quite restrictive and convoluted. Cragar decided to scoop off the pieces and modified the Hi-Speed Head to its liking and carrying the new name. Car guys (and gals) race things. Its been about a decade in the making, but now Kyle has a 7-second capable car primed for drag-and-drive competition. The cast iron head was connected to a pair of one and one-quarter inch Winfield Carbs. Where else would I get this info if you hadn't stuck it up? A gentleman named George Riley was the first cab off the rank with his design, which he brought to market in 1930. They have a room completely devoted to the flathead Ford. Yes, you really can caffeinate half-an-eight. in the Bill and Mike LaRosa collection, - The Illustrated History of
All these conversions could run on either alcohol or high-test (then called ethyl) fuels, but for alcohol, it was necessary to open up the jets for more flow. By So what years did he make them? As mentioned, the Ardun heads are likely the most popular, and for good reason. On a load of nitro, this engine made 320 horsepower and ran 229.77 mph in the Hill-Davis City of Burbank streamliner in 1952, breaking a record held since the 30s by Germanys Auto Union. Many parts at the auction and super cool stuff. RILEY 2 PORT OVERHEAD VALVE HEAD ENGINE. Enter brothers Zora and Yura Arkus-Duntov and the Ardun Mechanical Corp., New York. However this car is not a Riley, it is a 1930 Ford Model A speedster. From what I understand there are a few options available including a Bosch type fuel injection that can be added on an unmachined portion of the head. Hot Rod Of The, 7 Questions With Shelby American President Gary, Vinny Costa The Media Mover And Shaker Behind Street, Josh Stahls Reviva Renews A Resurgence Of LS Swap, Shop Tour: Brian Tooley Racing Expands To Be A One-Stop, Shop Tour: Prestige Motorsports Is Your One-Stop Hot Rod, Full Factory Tour: How Edelbrock Makes Its Cast Aluminum, Dakota Digital Answers Your Setup, Calibration, And Warranty, Can A Cold Air Intake Really Help Your Trucks, How Exactly Does Dual-Fuel Work on a Gen 3, Friendly Fire: Your Voice Has Been Heard on, various overhead-valve configurations of the iconic flathead Ford engine, Dakota Digitals SGI-100BT Will Bring Your Tach And Speedo to Life, SPAL Announces New U.S. Based Manufacturing & Office Facility, Brian Tooley Racing Announces BTR Short Blocks Now Available, Elite Tuned: Revolutionizing the Tuning Industry, What I Learned Today With Jeff Smith Homemade Strap Wrench, A BOLT Trailer Lock Is More Than Just Security, Its Piece Of Mind, Build It Yourself Builds Worlds First 8,000 RPM 4-Valve Triton V10. cylinder head of a Double Overhead Cam Dudda that
Privacy Policy. engine pictured above but late information indicates this is probably not the
Pop Dreyer was one of the best-known engine builders of the period. For the Great Race car shown at the beginning of this post, the confusion comes from after-market overhead valve conversions that were available for the Model A and B engines. Overhead valve conversion was done in the 50's or early 60's by well know racer Joe Gemsa. The advertisement above shows that Riley had several versions of the overhead valve conversions. straight-8 L-head Studebaker President engine with 7.5:1 compression, a
Riley heads contain the intake valves while retaining the stock exhaust valve location in the block (surrounded by water jackets). Later versions were driven by a belt, but these are the earlier shaft-driven versions. We only sell to the continental U.S.A. 1953. 1930 Ford Speedster Of Keith Wallace/Rick McIntosh In The 2018 Great Race. The price is SOLD and there is a clear and current title. As such, they do a ton of trick stuff on 6.0L Powerstrokes, and we got a first glimpse at a billet 7.0L/6.0L Powerstroke build for Charlie Fish of KC. History - By Don Radbruch, - Engine in the Bill and Mike LaRosa
Money Wire and Verified funds are preferred method on bikes and vehicles. During the 2018 Great Race Harald von Langsdorff and I often found ourselves running on the road close to the 1930 Riley-Ford Racer and we became acquainted with the crew of this car Keith Wallace and Rick McIntosh. And the T that it's in with all sorts of Laurel bits. Exhibit added: November 1, 2016 - Last modified: March 29, 2023, Presented by The Joe Martin Foundation for Exceptional Craftsmanship, Honoring America's Armed Services Members. But the performance improvements that were possible also made it an excellent candidate for oval track racing with the sprint car (then called big cars). The fact men were racing horses against the new horseless carriages of the day just goes to show that wanting to go faster is not a contemporary mindset. Among other creations, he came up with the inboard/outboard boat engine configuration. You need to be a member in order to leave a comment. World War II Photo from the George Sowle collection, Click your mouse on the photo above to see another of
The original 18" wheels were repainted and new tires were installed and balanced. Any others available? this please contact Bob Lawrence? straight-eight with nine-main bearings, Winfield Model S carburetors, and
It features two intake valves per cylinder and one exhaust valve in the block. valve, six-cylinder engines built by Riley Brett, Cotton Henning, and W.W. Brown for C. L.
One of the big players in this operation was Leo Goosen who made the head design drawings. On some occasions, the block was bored out to about 220 cid. On the stand it measures 14-wide, 13-tall, 18.5-long, and weighs 25 pounds. Anyone is more than welcome to download anything they want from my web site. There was an iron head with the intakes on top, not on the angled left side mount, I think this was a mid to late 1930's design, had one of these and two normal 4Ports years ago. The horsepower was reported at about 150. look forward to seeing some pictures. car in northern California that was driven by Walt Davis. No Exceptions. The Riley head in the Great Race car might be the Model C version of the Riley overhead valve conversion. And most importantly, any feedback on quality and reliability? 1930 Ford Model A Coupe Additional Info: *Prior to Bidding - Please review our shipping policy. Edited October 7, 2015 by Ace-Garageguy The JAB Collection. restoring the John Gerber engine that was virtually destroyed during a 1951
This is part of a racing and hot rod parts hoard at the JAB Auction June 15th. Contact: Country Motors, Ltd. Larry & Robert Gesch EMAIL: cmtr98@yahoo.com Phone 920-349-8100 Country Motors Ltd 130 S. Hustis St Hustis, WI 53034 A performance-limited bottom end and larger, more easily modified overhead-valve variants soon took the lead on performance. To complete the rebuild, a new radiator was fitted, a new clutch installed, the transmission was fully rebuilt, and the rear end, steering, and front end, were rebuilt as well. The engine burns gasoline on electronic ignition and displays Rons signature-trademark MOON style accelerator pedal. Bangers were the hardware to beat, even into the Ford flathead V8 era until about 1938, when hot rodders were able to apply their talents to four more cylindersand the rest is hot rod history. Choate Engineering Performance, located in Bolivar, TN, does a ton of diesel engine remanufacturing and custom engine building. For more info www.vanderbrinkauctions.com or send email with questions. Powered by vBulletin
But, there were more than simply Ardun heads competing for the trophy, and this is where a stroll through places like the Speedway Motors Museum of American Racing can be a treasure-trove of information. was developed by George Riley of Los Angeles, California - Engines in
Rons model A engine includes his miniature version of the 4-port Riley conversion and his custom designed fuel injection system. Among other creations, he came up with the inboard/outboard boat engine configuration. Other conversions include the Riley (Upper Right), which also had OHV conversions for Ford's four-cylinder engine, Simco (Upper Left), which was likely the most common OHV conversion since it was used in production vehicles in Europe, and the Cummings conversion (Bottom Photos). Racing News, 336-cubic-inch
At a time when everyone was seemingly on the same level and looking for that edge in making the current-day, hot rod engine of choice, faster than the next guy. [emailprotected] in four-bangers. Wow. Engine in the David Hedrick collection, This engine was developed
Ithink it was in Dean Batchlor's book where he shows a Ford B block with what he called a # port Olds head. With the valves seated above the cylinder bores in the block, the intake ports had a much more direct shot entering the combustion chamber than the exhaust side, which needed to wrap around the bores to find the exhaust ports on the opposite side of the block. PRODUCTS The Complete Miller Hi-Speed Head Kit Everything you need to convert a 1928-1934 Ford, four-cylinder engine to full (intake and exhaust) overhead is right here! The red Riley features the more popular Winfield carburetors run on many a race motor of the era. The lack of good metallurgy combination with increased horsepower created reliability issues with the heads during long grueling races. Zora and his brother, Yuri, designed the Ardun heads in the late-40s, which bolted onto the flathead block, but re-positioned the valves into an over-head, hemispherical configuration. collection (and pictured above) was in this car before and maybe shortly after
The oil galleys can be tapped to provide better lubrication for the crank, cam, and timing gears. An OHV conversion shortened this path significantly. Riley stated that the high point of his career was when the Blue Crown Specials won numerous Indianapolis 500 races in the late '40s while running his Riley race carburetors. Besides the HAL cylinder head, there was also a balanced crank, and either a single or double overhead cam. This 4-port Riley Model A racing engine OHV conversion was designed and built by Ron Bement, of Colorado, in 2014. Unmachined, as cast by old man Riley himself. In addition, the very early HAL engines had carburetors sitting on top of the engine instead of the normal side-draft position. Would anyone with more information about
Built by Fused Interactive, Vintage Motorcycles, Race Cars, Collector Cars & Speed Parts! It is an
It should be noted that replicas of the Riley head are currently being fabricated by the Scalded Dog Speed Parts in Batavia, Ohio (513-724-0700) to precise detail of the original. That is the model B, as noted in my edit of my previous comments ok, time for stupid american questions. $750 - The Illustrated History of Sprint Car
Rebuilt and modernized block. Model B engines introduced in 1932 were rated at 50 hp in stock configuration. The Dudda engine was developed by Gustof
These, as well as the stalwart Stromberg 97, are what you'll find on most hopped-up bangers. their racing cars in the 1930s and 40s. this car on fire at the same racetrack in 1939 Photo from the book Dirt Track Auto Racing,19191941, A Pictorial
It was a favorite of two types of motorsports fans. GO TO RILEY DYNO TEST. Riley heads contain the intake valves while retaining the stock exhaust valve location in the block (surrounded by water jackets). It retained the flathead's existing placement for the exhaust valves, but the inlet valves were housed in a new cylinder head. A rare and desirable Two-Port Riley overhead valve conversion was installed with dual, new Stromberg 97-style carburetors (properly balanced and jetted), a new Mallory ignition, custom exhaust, etc. It featured, for example, a Riley four-port OHV head, a pair of Stromberg 97 carbs and Mallory Ignition. There's still more grunt there, but even at 60, you know this is the fastest this old sedan has ever run." They feature a pressurized oil system with direct lubrication to the mains. Its what we do. Plus you have lots of info and have help our projects many times! came Model T Ford conversion - Illustrated
Chevrolet - The Illustrated History of
The advancements within the performance diesel world over the past 20 years have been nothing short of phenomenal. These engines have their valves in the engine block which are generally referred to as a L-Head design. One of the biggest issues with the flathead was the exhaust ports weaving around the cylinder walls to exit on the opposite side of the engine. Both Riley's run "split-grind" cams, which means the exhaust lobes are ground differently than the intake lobessaving wear and tear on the valves as opposed to a race-grind cam used with a high-compression flathead. When I went to. The car was converted to twelve volts and all new wiring was installed.