When most people think of hot rodding they think it started just after WWII and grew from there. The truth is that it started long before WWII and then completely exploded after the GIs got home from saving the world. The proof in that statement is illustrated by stuff like you see in the image above and the images below.
This is a 1939 McCulloch supercharger that has been designed to be used on a Ford flathead V8 engine as evidenced by the intake manifold it is attached to. It is a “pancake” design meaning that the impeller is actually sitting flat instead of todays centrifugal blowers which are all designed to be used vertically and not in a draw through manner for the most part.
The supercharger shown here is in fantastic shape and it is the only one we have ever actually seen come up for sale on eBay or anywhere else. These had to have been fantastically expensive in there day. Imagine all the hand work into this piece that would now be done by computers. From the casting and finishing of the impeller to the design and construction of the gear gear drive that takes the input from the pulley and makes it spin the impeller, to the housing itself that is beautifully shaped and no doubt hand machined because computers did not exist in 1939 like we know them today.
The boost numbers are most certainly into the single digits and while the power output would make modern hot rodders chuckle, this was serious business back in the day. If you rolled in to a crowd of other hot rods with supercharger on your car, people knew you were serious and you were likely labeled a rich guy immediately as well.
Of course Robert Paxton McCulloch is one of the great mechanical minds of the 20th century becoming successful in supercharging, small engines, tools (chain saws and the like), among a host of other things.
This is truly an awesome piece.
HERE’S THE THE AD FOR THIS 1939 MCCULLOCH SUPERCHARGER
McCulloch superchargers were fitted to Deusenbergs and Auburns amongst others. But I’ve read articles in classic car mags where they were removed due to the possibility of them disintegrating. That’s probably because they were fitted to motors that already were powerful and shouldn’t effect a flathead – which is just as well as this would look awesome on a 27T based rod!
Car schmar! That belongs on a contemporary Ford TT Wrecker, maybe with a dual positive axle conversion? With the added torque, a good driver could earn a pretty good return with the bigger jobs he could do.
Find the last years big inch flathead block. Ardin heads & this blower. Build a 32 ford like it was 1962. You will go home with trophies instead of dash plaques.