8N with a fiery flathead V-8 conversion

Ford’s Art Deco-styled N-series tractors are beloved by collectors because of their near limitless availability and low cost of ownership–which is exactly what made them popular when Henry Ford started building them in 1939.

Anyone who’s ever tried to do any work with an N today would never accuse these reliable and versatile little tractors of having an overabundance of power, however. They’re good for small tasks–pulling a small plow, a rake or running a finish mower–but quickly run out of steam trying to propel a brush hog or pull larger plows. (The N’s other big shortcoming was and is its lack of a live PTO.)But what would you expect from Ford’s ancient 120-cu.in. L-head four-cylinder, which, at its peak, only made about 27hp? So what if your 27hp 8N had, say, 100hp? Like the 100hp generated by a flathead Ford V-8 from a 1948 to 1953 Ford or Mercury truck or 1949 to 1953 Ford or Mercury car?That was the reasoning that led to a couple of flathead conversion kits for the N–the most well-known being the Funk Conversion Kit. The Funk kit was produced by the Funk Aircraft Co. in Coffeyville, Kansas, and depending on the buyer’s preference, it would allow a Ford V-8 or inline-six to be swapped in place of the four. It definitely wasn’t a straightforward swap requiring modifications to the hood, the fuel tank, the radiator and a fabricated exhaust among other things. The appeal was that for far less
than the cost of a three-plow tractor you could hot rod your N-series and increase production. You would also have the benefit of keeping Harry Ferguson’s three-point hitch with draft control.According to a Funk sales brochure: “This six-cylinder Funk Converted Ford Tractor is fast, does three days’ work in two and retains all the benefits of the Ford System plus the advantages of double-horsepower.”The linchpin of the Funk kit is its beefy cast-iron oil pan, which serves double duty as part of the tractor’s spine when the new engine is in place. This is also a good way to spot a vintage Funk conversion at a show or swap meet.Funk aficionados estimate that the company produced about 5,000 six-cylinder conversion kits and just a few hundred V-8 kits. They’re hugely popular with Ford Tractor fans, so expect Funked tractors to be priced accordingly.If you’re a do-it-yourselfer and you’d like to make your N-series tractor stand out from the crowd, there are conversion kits being manufactured today that will allow you to perform this horsepower-doubling swap.R.L. Stauffer sells a V-8 conversion for $1,000 that uses a sturdy engine cradle in place of Funk’s heavy-duty oil pan and includes a bell housing adapter plate. The 8N featured here spotted at Hershey last year relies on such a cradle to support its flathead. This tractor’s conversion is one of the best-looking you’re likely to see. The hood looks factory as does the exhaust system. The owner graciously fired it up for curious onlookers, and it sounded as good as it looked. Our guess is he’s not only doubled its horsepower but more than doubled the value of this nicely crafted hot rod N.