World's Fastest Flathead? (Going to the Bonneville Salt Flats) 

W O W ! ! ! This build was well worth the wait! A 40 minute special, worth every minute! Got to love the Dorten brothers for their innovation and genius. The way the cam is set up with the lockable bearing races, and cam end float.to maximise cam lobe and duration, Is pure innovation. The lifter bores groves to accept roller rockers! And the valve spring retainer lower down the valve stem. Both stout adaptations to help power! The crank hand finished for reduced windage! The cold water inlet right under the centre exhaust port! The list of innovation is the culmination of years of understanding how this naturally restrictive engine works. Enabling the Dorton brothers to excel in designing innovation around the laid down restrictions of this land speed record setter! I do hope the car dose well at the salt flats! Thanks for this great video bud! Yet another great watch!!

I'm an experienced engine tuner myself and I have to say that this right here is some cutting edge engine tuning work, my admiration for these guys ideas and workmanship is off the chart, thank you so much for posting this episode it really has made my day

With all the restrictions they had for the build, *257.5lb-ft and 249.4hp* is amazing compared to the original 95hp!

The amount of engineering involved in this is incredible. A near 75 year old engine making 250 horsepower is crazy to think about

If this type of work is not inspiring to a younger generation, then I dont know what is. This is incredible and just proves that hot rodding is still alive and well. Awesome job covering this build.

This is a jaw-dropping build, but I'm also finding myself impressed with the factory engineering that went into making this engine affordable in 1932. A great story all the way around!

I love that land speed records have different classes that allow the tuner to be creative in different ways. I know this was not cheap, but if you have a well kitted garage even weekend warriors can create something impressive with their own sweat equity.

My Dad raced back in the 1950's. He was one of those "Flathead Guys," while everyone else went SBC. He still won his share and ran Sprints, Midgets and Supermodifieds. His sponsor was the A-1 Brewery, Phoenix. I remember many all nighter flatty builds. Lots of stories.

Anyone can take a modern engine that has had decades of engineering and evolving done to it but seeing someone take a early designed engine and modernizing it as much as possible well thats just something special and unique i love these type of builds

I've built many, many flatheads of the single cylinder variety for garden tractor pulling. The cam and head are where you make power. Tiny changes to the cylinder head will make a big difference. We found giant valves actually hurt power as it forces you to lower the compression ratio. It's a fine balance. Fun to build. Enjoyed the video!

OMG! Impressive doesn't even come close to the correct word for what these geniuses achieved. A true delight to see these men at work, smarter than smart with many, many years of experience. Thank you so much.

This build is absolutely mind blowing! I've never seen a dry sump flathead, let alone one that's been stroked and has all of the custom touches that Keith along with all of these many companies who contributed to this build. I am speechless as to what I've just watched. This is definitely the ultimate flathead build. It's making supercharged flathead power in NA form!

Incredible engine. But I really would like to see the first version up and running. Just for the looks it wins everything for me. Hope you guys continue working on it. Cheers from Italy.

I love it !!! I’m sure Keith and the guys there did as well trying to find all the Horsepower they could with that engine platform had to be challenging but lots of fun !! It’s easy to make HP with a more traditional build like a Small block or Big block. But making HP with a flat head now that’s where the talent and knowledge shines most !!! Great Content

I am 26 minutes in right now, and I am speechless. I am so loving the melding of old and new!!!! Thank you for sharing this build with us! Also, 9.2:1 compression on a flathead is bonkers....again, thank you so much! Edit, again: You would not bore me by posting the testing.... I would absolutely love to see what the power did with other setups, that would be epic.

This is unbelievable, my dad drag raced flat heads for many years his biggest problem was the crankshaft flexing and braking. This article would blow his mind if he was still around. Great article absolutely remarkable engineering

Dang these guys are machine gangsters and I absolutely love watching them work. I had a great uncle that was like these guys and turned out some ridiculously awesome things out of his machine shop. Automotive geniuses and I was honored to learn from him. Thank you for sharing and please keep em coming, everyone keep yourselves and love ones safe and healthy.

When I was 14-15, my dad gave me a lesson in engine building. I got to rebuild a 1940 flattie for my 1933 ford pickup. Boy was that a good lesson in,life and engine education. It ran really good and smooth. Man, that flattie sure sounds healthy..

There's Nothing to be said that covers the magnificence in this whole process. Wish I coulda had a part of an engine like that in my old 40 two door sedan. Bravo! Thank you all so much for sharing this masterpiece. 👍🏁🇺🇸

I can't get over that cam. An amazing build for sure.

I have been waiting for this one ever since you teased it a while ago!

We rebuilt one of these flat heads in metal shop when I was in high school. The shop teacher had a '51 Ford Truck that had a straight six and we put the flathead in not realizing this dude just had an engine rebuilt and installed for free. It was still a lot of fun.

Clarence Everett did this 50 years ago, he stuffed a flathead in a 67 Camaro. I think he hit 136 and change at the flats. Engine building tech has come a long ways in 50 years, your build is over the top.

this much inovation and creativity can only come from knowledge and a deep passion for performance my hat is off to the Dorten brothers and a thank for letting us watch

I've been waiting for this one for a long time, thanks so much. Such a super clean build hiding an emormous amount of ingenuity, thank the boys at the shop for allowing us to look over their shoulders. And I would love to see where the numbers on that inside-out motor end up after they figure out the metal expansion issues, the better flow on that build will definitely have it making even better power.

Imagine the time and expense just to win a record. Back in 1950, my Dad's '39 Ford Coupe with a blown flathead ran 114 mph at El Mirage in what they called the flying mile. It was also his daily driver.

What a great engine. I had a 1950 F2 Ford with the 239 cubic inch V8 did a complete reman, found a great machine shop. Put in adjustable lifters, made valve adjustments much easier. Bored .030 over, rebuilt the rods, reground crankshaft, resurfaced the flywheel. And had it balanced. For stock applications. It did good , I even got 15 MPG on highway, but top speed was only 60, and it was running pretty high RPM, so mostly I stayed on 2 lane highways and kept speed to 50 MPH

Automotive artistry at its best. Hotrodding is alive and well with people like this. Thanks so much for taking us along

I'm not a Ford fan nor a flat head fan but this episode just came up as I let youtube roll and was glued to this......great work by everyone and I subbed as well.

there is more genius in this one video than most engineering collages around the country. these are men are absolutely amazing. these guys have forgotten more about engines then most people will ever even know. the stories they could tell.

I wish I had the time (and above all the invitation) to hang with guys like this and learn!!! I'm sure they have forgotten more than most of us "gearheads" will ever learn and it pains me to think of all that being lost to life's inevitability.... GODSPEED gentleman!!!

That was fantastic ! What a detailed , well engineered build. Thank you so much.

The ingenuity and innovation used in this build is amazing, absolute masters of their craft. Enjoyed every minute of this upload, I know it's not for everyone but I could watch builds like this every day. Cheers

That cam shaft design is amazing.

That giveaway car is pretty sweet with the LS6 in it!! I used to work at a Corvette resto shop "Billy Bob's Fast Expensive Cars" (yup, that was the name! lol), and this really reminds me of one that I kinda fell in love with working on.. It was/is an "NCRS" car as well. Same year & color (tan interior though) and an LT1 instead of the big block. 2nd, THANKS for sharing this very unique and AWESOME build with us all!! SUPER COOL!

In my teens I had a 39 Std Coupe with a 296 flattie and since those days of 50 years ago I have often wondered how the exhaust ports could be improved to get more torque .The approach taken here is just like the Cadillac flattie design .

These 2 guys are geniuses. I just love watching there projects.

Most of this built is brilliant outside the box thinking. Very amazed and impressed. Gotta wonder what else these guys have done that has never seen an audience?

Well done mate one of the best tuning/build videos I've seen. Informative and engaging start to finish you should be proud.

One of the best sounding engines ever made.

Very impressive build. I can see there was a great deal of time in development. Thanks for the story and to Keith and sharing. Take care, EM.

I enjoyed that...Crafty old blokes doing what they love...Good stuff.

This was over the top a great build. The vid was very well done and narrated. I drove a 1950 Ford with a flat head to many years ago to talk about.

One of the most interesting engine builds I've seen! Love to see the reverse exhaust setup when they get it heads modified. Thanks for the video 👍

Liked your video on this motor, very interesting and also informative. As a car and horsepower enthusiast I love to hear the cackle of a race motor at idle but every time the car was at idle, you were talking or playing music over that beautiful sounding motor! Give us a minute or two to relish that pop and snap of open pipes on a built engine, hell just a few seconds would do it! The sound of open exhaust is to gear heads, what catnip is to cats, we love it and can’t get enough! LOL!! Anyhow still liked your vid, thank you and keep them coming.

Outstanding! I simply loved every second of your coverage of these Masters at work! What a treat they so generously gave.

Absolutely gorgeous and amazing engineering!! Beautiful build!

Just a great video from start to finish, honestly, one of the best productions I have ever seen on RU-vid. Great job guys on both the engine build, innovations and the production quality. I've been to Bonneville twice as crew for a small motorcycle race team and this dredges up some great memories.

Ron Main's Flatfire is the fastest Blown Fuel Flattie at 302 mph, that record was set at Bonneville in 2003.

Thanks guys. Always cool to see some old guys make it roll again.

I love this channel and watching this masters at work and checking the solutions they come up with is mind blowing. Thanks a lot indeed.

This is a great, great video. Excellent camera work, sound, editing and narration. I love these guys and this project. What a great way to spend your time- getting aid to think of the best way to make power within the rules

Thanks for sharing this! That is so much work and ingenuity. That thing is a sewing machine.

The mind of an engineer and the spirit of an inventor. I'd love to see what he can do without restrictions.

So cool! Way before my time but you have to Love the innovation and thought that went into this build. Super smart builders. Would love to work for them

OMG MIND BLOWN!!! Hello Hello From Canada! I am brand new to your channel but I am so happy I found you. These guys at Automotive Specialists are pure wizards with their approach to building engines. My first video was the classic suburban build, but this build is fantastic. Please let the guys there know that I have never heard of such incredible wisdom and experience sharing as they have here. They are really generous to pass along their expertise with new generations. I hope you and everyone near or dear to are healthy and happy. I can't wait to see more on your channel. Thank you.

Fascinating build...great explanations/commentary. Well done 👍

I am in absolute awe of what has been done here. Wow!!!! I have never questioned the number of head bolts. They have a LOT of space to cover, and a (relatively) thin piece of metal to hold down. So it makes complete sense (just like with a lawnmower flat head) to have a lot of bolts. I am amazed with this engine!

Heck, this is one time I just watched without skipping the video. Highly enjoyable.

WOW! knowing what I know about engines, flathead included I am impressed with the time and effort put forth in a project like this and I am sure that it will be a complete and utter resounding success1

Watched the recommended video before I saw your suggestion. Had no good idea about how they even worked in terms of intake/exhaust. Well done video that, and well worth watching.

Too Cool! So different from the old flatheads I remember building at Motor Replacement Company, back in the mid-70's... good memories!

Amazing work! They make it look so easy. Engine art.

VERY fascinating episode, thanks for putting this together and sharing it with us !!!!

Kudos to All involved. I hope these Gentlemen have several Apprentices soaking All this Knowledge up. May the V-8 Ford live on in our hearts and on our roads. These are for You, Pops.

My god...so labor intensive...the guys @ A.S. are true craftsman...!...its nice to see that some people "still"take pride in what they do...!...It always shows when all is said & done..I cant even imigan the price tag on that build...?...!...great video..hope all goes well @ Bonneville 4 them...keep us posted...Reguards Brian

This is phenomenal. These guys are geniuses.

Thank you for posting this. I watched every second and was amazed. I am eager to see the run. Brilliant 👍😎

I've been looking forward to watching this video for a long time. Thanks! Edit: This engine is even cooler than I imagined! It looks like a flathead designed by Gordon Murray.

Its not about why we do it , its cause we can , what a great build and crew

I used to think that I'd built some decent motors and done good work on the heads and intake. Time to revise that to "I know my way around a torque wrench and I've monkeyed around with a die-grinder" :) The detail on this beast is incredible.

I love max effort NA builds. The ingenuity and creativity that goes into them is astounding.

Super interesting video. Jeff and Keith are the greatest guys to work with!

This is an amazing build. As a guy who graduated in the 1960's, these old flatheads were around, and we all had a few. Now they are rare(er) and used where there is an opportunity, like Bonnie. Love the thinking that went into these builds. A few years ago I went to a pretty big local car show and ran into Jack Roush with a flathead Ford coupe set up for roundy round dirt track nostalgia racing. He offered to fire it up. His build, out of his engine shop. Absolutely could not believe how nasty that motor sounded. More like an angry SBC. Loped and crackled like a modern motor. I ask him about specs and he just smiled ... All these older engine builders started by playing with Flathead Fords. And they have had time to think of ways to get more power 😁

this is freaking awesome. absolute mad lads making this beast of a NA flathead.

I want this in a t-bucket !!! This is so cool...

Man that was absolutely great.congratulations.

Great sounding flathead. Thanks for giving us some idling airtime. Us gearheads love to hear these hot motors idling, yet we hear so little of it. I know you've got to follow break-in procedures, but once past that, it's always great to imagine how these builds might sound in our hotrods. And yes, I know this isn't a streetable build, but I mean for the others. 🇺🇸👍

1952 255” Flathead was rated at 125 hp and the same year 239 at 110 hp

I would die a happy man if i had 1/10 of Keith's ability.

W O W!!!!! is not a big enough word to describe what the Dorten brothers accomplished!!!!! The engineering, the ingenuity, the pure determination required to make 257/249 torque/hp out of the first mass production V8 is stunning ! This combination in that beautiful car is a show stopper. 🔥🔥👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏 congratulations to everyone involved.

This is a challenge for you to get your hands on a Australian Ford barra motor with a turbo and make over 2000 bhp from a straight inline 6 cylinder

In a world of belly button cars and engines, this combination is not only easy on the eyes, but shows what can be done with a severely restricted engine and rules, while making it one of the neatest combinations going. That engine belongs in an art museum.

this dude is simply a master of his craft.

YEAH!! I love old things I'm a chebby but I love great work and this Engine got it. I had a 53 F100 sedan delivery that I bought for $35 bucks for a parts chaser, It had a 239 in it and it was well broken in when i got it. I was 17 and it was a pice of junk but just right for my wallet I drove it for four years then it through a rod on the freeway (it shoulda never been on the freeway and it would have gone a lote farther. Wish id have been able to clean it up like a lot of rust buckets i got about 15 years later the value started climbing a lot oh well! Man these guys are really imaginative in their tricks I did light machine work like valve seats and guides. but building your own rollers and the bearings for the cam thats amazing! Great Work and great story thanks for sharing. edit I'd love to hear about that Ardun headed motor wold like to see what that Legendary motor can do. It was before my time in hot rod Magazine only Italians were more exotic OHCs woah! Cheers

This is sick. Nice to see it in the car, which is equally amazing.

It is awesome to watch real engine builders in their element.

Awesome Video. Really enjoyed all of it. thanks!!

The flathead V-8s have a unique sound. But this one sounds the best out there

THANK YOU SO MUCH. TOTALLY AWSOME ENGINEERING!!!!!!! I LOVE BUUILD LIKE THIS. WHERE YOU TAKE THE BEST OF THE OLD AND COMBINE IT WITH THE BEST OF THE NEW!!! GREAT VIDEO AND EDUCATION!!! THANKS FOR SHARING!!!

The worlds fastest ford flathead record is held by the Mariani #76 streamliner and was set in october 2021 at 310.00 mph xf/bfs The motor was built by Steve Moody and Ted Carlton You got to appreciate the time it takes to build something this old and squeeze some hp out of it!! There is nothing really new here from what i know other than rubbing on some flow numbers out of them heads and intake development .. hopefully the car is light enough and the track conditions are perfect because they are going to need every bit to push car down the short course.. Keith is no dummy he got some good numbers using the old 3 ex ports..

Incredible the amount of design and work that went into this flat head ! The flat head was in the infancy of hot rodding and to think today engineers have designed a normally aspirated piston engine to produce 670 HP . Great job guys , really enjoyed this video .

Great video,Thanks for posting.

I've been avoiding this in my feed. It was a mistake. I watched every second. A triumph over adversity racing class this one and triumph you did. That was fun. Cheers for posting.

The innovation here is all through this great build. In the old old days, we just bored, polished, saved heads, new pistons, hotter ignition, headers and added carbs for street drags, gearing if we had the means…….this is amazing engineering….Thanks

Such an awesome build guys!

Man, that car is COOL! If it was mine, a new coyote crate motor would go into is after they set a new record.

I'm sure the Early Ford V8 Museum in Auburn Indiana would love to have one of these in their collection.

SPEECHLESS !!!!!!!! This my friend is the most uplifting and informative video of Flathead race engines Ive ever seen ! And now I have to rip my flathead engine out and do it properly !! Thank you 🙂

Real Rocket Science, amazing build and video is well done. thanks!