What is your FAVORITE 4 cyl for a HotRod project? MPG-HP !

[AHotRod]

So now that we are faced with $2.00 + a gallon for gas, and the likley-hood that it will continue to increase to near $3.00, the reality of fuel mileage/power begins to rear it's ugly head.
So, if you have one now, what and why did you choose it?

If you were buidling a light-weight HotRod, what engines would you consider using today?

Glenn

[CURIOUS RASH]

The 2300 ford 4-cylinder.

I had one with a five speed to go with it that I was going to use in a Track-T project.

My X-bitch got it all and sold it dirt cheap to a guy she knows I hate.

Should of killed her when I got the chance.

But, I digress.

There are all kinds of aftermarket crap for them.

RASHY

[Flipper]

may dad has a t-bucket with an early pinto motor and a 4 speed. It goes pretty good for what it is. It has 31" tall tires and 3.00 gears in the rear and still pulls pretty good.

It is cool to wind it throught the gears and listen to the noise. It is probably more fun that way than if it was actually fast.

I think the quad-four motors look pretty cool....kinda like an Offy.

[FLAT6]

I agree, the 2.3l Ford banger is the shit. Get a set-up from an older ranger with the 5-speed attached, that has definitely gone through my mind more than twice.
Mike

[TINGLER]

What kinda mileage can a person pull outta one of those though?
I had the 2.3l in my old Ranger ('84) and it only got 20 mpg.

I still have the engine an tranny too. I originally planned to make a little "A" bomb modified out of it....maybe I still will.

But this 20mpg thing makes me go hmmmmmmm. My Fairlane with a 289 is getting 16-18 mpg with a 3 speed and 3.50 in the 8 inch.

Anyone got any speed secrets for the 2.3l.....or more importantly...anyone got any MPG secrets?

[colorado51]

Vega 140 baby!!

HaaaaHaa

[Fat Hack]

Damn straight...Vega 140ci (2300cc) four banger!

Get a later (75-77) one with hydraulic followers and HEI ignition...and for maximum service life, have it sleeved if it hasn't been already!

You get a light (all aluminum!) large displcaement (for a passenger car four cylinder) engine that features OHC design and accepts basic bolt-ons such as a header, aftermarket intake and different carb combos.

Think I'm kiddin'??? I'll post the pics sometime in the next week or two...how to drop a Vega 140 into a lightweight 1949 Chevy Fleetline! Geeky 70s style econo-classic cruiser!

(Laugh if ya must, but it'll match or beat any stock 216 on power...and live ALOT longer than those splash-oiled time bombs while getting better mileage!)

Only drawback...Vega fours are kinda homely lookin'!!

[Fat Hack]

Now, for a total econo-rod...my plan would be the following:

1 lightweight T-bucket
1 1975-78 Datsun B-210 dinky four w/5speed

Mix together and keep everything super light!

It'll give ya a fun to drive little buzz-bomb that'll run forever while delivering 40-50mpg!

(Our old stock B-210 delivered 42mpg on the highway!)

It'll piss some people off...but it'd be cheap as hell to build and GREAT on gas!

[TINGLER]

Yep.
Somehow I knew that as soon as somebody mentioned the "V" word, it would summon LORD DISCO.

[colorado51]

Hack,

I had to throw that in there!

I knew you'd chime in on this post sooner or later!

FWIW, I once put a Olds 215 in a Vega wagon!

[Fat Hack]

[ QUOTE ]
Yep.
Somehow I knew that as soon as somebody mentioned the "V" word, it would summon LORD DISCO.



[/ QUOTE ]

Just like a Funky Bat Signal, Bro!

[Rix2Six]

I'm with the Ford 2.3L crowd. If you're not afraid if technology, get one out of a T-Bird Turbo Coupe, a Merkur XR4-Ti or better yet a Mustang SVO. 180-200hp stock.

[metalshapes]

Alfa Romeo 2000.
All aluminum, twin overhead cam, hemi head, twin Webers standard on the Euro versions, used in Racing ( so you can buy hot cams, etc ), comes with a 5 speed, Looks like a mini Offy, good horse power, one of the best sounding 4 Cyl's ever...

[AHotRod]

What about some of the Import engines?

Mazda!

Mitsubishi?

[Django]

My Dad has two of those Turbo Coupes. You would never suspect it is a 4 banger. I always make a point to lay a patch when he lets me drive it.

[Dirty Dug]

I have a 2000cc pinto motor in my track T. Those motors were used in mini stocks for quite a while so there's a lot of speed equipment available for them. With some head work, a cam, header, and some simple carburator changes it's pretty easy to get 150hp out of them. I don't have any problem keeping up with the flatheads I run with. The weak link is the puny transmissions. This I know from bad experience.

[dooster-hotrods]

Im with the 2.0 pinto crowd , we have used loads of them in our cars. Our budget package is set up for these little engines and they are cheap , tunable , plentiful and we get 40-45 mpg out of ours.

One of the reasons , we offer lots of pinto style cars is because we have a fuel price crisis here as well.

I wish ours was $2.00 a gallon.....try just under $8.00 a gallon and most of the gas stations are gone to be replaced with apartment blocks so you use half a gallon finding a station !!

[MikeO]

Dooster -hotrods do you have any more pics of that car ?Mostly full side and a couple of the front suspension

[AHotRod]

$8.00 a Gallon?

Shit Man, we are spoiled then, even at $3.00 a gallon.

Got any more pictures of your 2.0 powered rides?

Glenn

[SamIyam]

Just paid $2.50 a gallon

But my hot rod, even with its v8... gets 20mpg...

If I had to pick a 4 banger... I'd go with an old Iron Duke... they're pretty cool.

Sam.

[mr57]

Fordnutz has a T tub with an old Chevy II four in it with a PG. I imagine that combo would get a heap of MPG...

My first 57 Chevy had a 235 in it that I had a mechanic wizard friend go through, BUT I added the 3/4" Bakelite carb spacer off a Canadian Pontiac 261. Pontiacs had them, and an old timer told me that this goofy little spacer was added to give the Pontiacs more mpg's to compensate for the extra heavy bumpers on them versus a Chevy For what it was worth, that damn 57 got a consistent 26-7 mpg with that spacer, a 3 speed standard, and the 3.36's out of a 5-6-7 powerglide car.

[Fat ASS Whitewalls]

I have a 72 Pinto 2.0L in my track T. It gets 30 mpg with a single 2 barrel. It's hopped up some with a cam, and head work. I have three other manifolds for it, a 4 barrel, a dual 1 barrel, and one for dual webers. I'll be changing it to one of these pretty soon. It all depends on what will fit under the hood. The Pinto motors are getting hard to find. Rangers and S10 motors work well too. Dean

[junk runner jr]

my track t although not done yet is getting a Turbo 2.3 out of an XR4TI. I have parted out several now and drove the last one for about a year before I blew it apart. With a slightly warmed over 200 hp in the heavy as hell 3200 lb stock XR I still got around 32 mpg. I fugure the T will be around 1200-1400 lbs all said and done. It ought to be pretty nasty on the street not to mention easy at the pump.

[G V Gordon]

While I have never done it, I think the Datsun 510 four with twin sidedrafts would make a great little rod motor. Tons of speed parts for them too.

[**DONOTDELETE**]

SamIyam nailed it. My 2.5L Iron Duke is in my shop. With the Weber 40 DCOE sidedraft (should be delivered today) on my homebuilt aluminum intake with 10" runners, my Offy-style 4-into-1 header, and the 77mm 5-speed w/overdrive in a 1200 lb. lakester it might save me a few bucks on fuel...

With the 3.78 gear and the overdrive 5th the overall computes to roughly 3.10 on the highway.

[Turbo26T]

I'm right now building a 26T Lakes Modified streetrod and using the entire eng/trans/rear-end from an 83 TurboCoupe Thunderbird. The 2.3 Turbo motor came with 165 HP and with some 86-87 Turbo Coupe upgrades(Bigger VAM, 35# injectors , Intercooler,etc.) and a few other common tweaks , 250-275 HP is not at all hard to reach. I'm trying to stay around 1600#'s , so 6-7 lbs./HP should make a pretty decent combination. Also should still get decent gas mileage ..and there's something about a 4-banger T track roadster that just seems right!!!

[MikeO]

What about a rotary ive got one i've been thinking about using for something but not sure

[james]

Late 80's- early 90's nissan dual plug motor.

[Machinos]

The new turbo 4cyl Dodge has in the SRT-4 Neon is a total MONSTER. I saw a website with a teardown of one, it makes a hemi look frail. Too bad they're not selling them outside of the Neons.

[AHotRod]

I was going to put a Mazda Rotary in a Morris Minor about 10 years ago.
That is a cool engine.........

[stealthcruiser]

4 cylinder offy

[KCsledz]

[ QUOTE ]
What about a rotary ive got one i've been thinking about using for something but not sure

[/ QUOTE ]

My high school car was a rotary RX-4 with the 13b streetported intake and exhaust. It had the carb tweaked and manual and secondaries linked. It would get about 21 mpg on the freeway but only 4 to 8 if I was racing it from light to light. But you could put anything that would burn in the tank.

Extreemly competitive with the V8's out there and they wrap up to an easy 9000 rpm's and the transmissions are almost bulletproof (early 70's transmissions anyways). I have thought that one would go great in a fenderless a sedan. But it takes a alot of tweaking to get them not to sould like a RICER. I had headers, 36" glass packs, and a RX-7 muffler and it was loud. Not a high pitched loud but a small plane taking off loud.

Even with the weight of the car I still was accellerating rapidly at 120 mph on at 5800 rpm on the tac. Still had 2000 rpm to play with before I was in the yellow. I never took it over that because the shocks were spongy and the front end was floating pretty good.

If I were to run a rotary in an A sedan I would have to keep the hood on cause I an allergic to getting my ass kicked.

[MikeO]

[ QUOTE ]
If I were to run a rotary in an A sedan I would have to keep the hood on cause I an allergic to getting my ass kicked.

[/ QUOTE ] Thats what i was woried about And the sound there's nothing like a straight piped flathead

[Harrison]

I was given a Crosely engine once. Thought about keeping it for "someday" but sold that sucker. It was so small it probably would have gotten me killed anyway.

Had a friend in high school with a rotary Mazda RX-7. With no mods at all that car was a little screamer.

JH

[AHotRod]

I had a room-mate when I liked in Kansas City that was is Austrialia for for a couple of years. He told me numerous stories of Rotary Powered street cars, that with NOS or Turbos and Automatic Transmissions (Ford FMX) that ran 11 and 12 secound ET's on street tires.

[Nads]

I love my '63 pre crossflow 1500 English Ford Kent engine. A damn nice engine, sturdy as hell and quite powerful for their time. What I would really love to do, if I had the moolah, would be to convert it to a Lotus Twin Cam which is still available but really expensive.
The old 1704 cc English Ford Consul engine was a sturdy powerplant too and they made speed equipment for it too, but it's hard to come buy.
I dig Datsun B210s, Fiat Twin Cams and Toyotas too.
Shit, there's a world of good stuff out there if you're not going to be all uppitty and snobby about it.

The 4 cylinder to be avoided at all costs, except for novelty value, is the Enfo V4 that was put out in the mid '60s. It was used in the Corsair line as well as Saab Sonnetts, the latter being one of the ugliest cars ever built.

[4t64rd]

How about one of them 60-63 Pontiac Slant 4's it's a half a 389 (194 Cu. In.) and could come with 4bbl. carb and manifold. any BOP transmission should fit.

Got pretty good mileage, lotsa torque and plenty of Aftermarket GTO/Pontiac parts fit. Headers, Valve covers, etc. and you can paint a mural under the intake.

Here's a guy with pictures of them, for some reason I can't get to them at work, must be porn too.

http://community.webshots.com/album/46935769zcoYIR

[MikeO]

The one I've got is out of a Mazda rx-7 it was at my father in laws junk yard the rear suspension came up through the rotten floors but it still ran great so i got it to save for something maybe i just thought i needed more shit in my way

[AHotRod]

I've got a buddy in KC that has one of those Pontiac 4 cylinders........mmmm

[zman]

Don't forget the Quad 4. Looks real good dressed up. And makes great power for a 4. Or the Iron Duke, and there are lots of parts for them...

[DIRTYT]

since im into imports as well. (shh dont tell any one) i allways wanted to use a toyota 4mg motor its dual cam fuel injected lotsa speed parts for em and very easy to work with. there bullit proof and so are the trans missions. u can find them in 86 corrola's they were the last and best rear wheel drive ones. or with a little les mpg use a toyota 1jz or 2jz supra motor turbo of course. 28 mpg city and able to get 800 horse out of it with out having to open the block up! nissan allso has some nice 4 cyl and 6 cyl turbo motors as well. just my 2cents

[Nads]

'Erm fellas, strictly speaking, a rotary isn't a 4 cylinder engine.

For plodding reliability in extreme slow motion, a Mercedes Benz diesel 4 cylinder will outlive the careers of all The American Idols past, present and future combined.

[junk runner jr]

[ QUOTE ]
I'm right now building a 26T Lakes Modified streetrod and using the entire eng/trans/rear-end from an 83 TurboCoupe Thunderbird. The 2.3 Turbo motor came with 165 HP and with some 86-87 Turbo Coupe upgrades(Bigger VAM, 35# injectors , Intercooler,etc.) and a few other common tweaks , 250-275 HP is not at all hard to reach. I'm trying to stay around 1600#'s , so 6-7 lbs./HP should make a pretty decent combination. Also should still get decent gas mileage ..and there's something about a 4-banger T track roadster that just seems right!!!

[/ QUOTE ]


Copy Cat

[KCsledz]

[ QUOTE ]
The one I've got is out of a Mazda rx-7 it was at my father in laws junk yard the rear suspension came up through the rotten floors but it still ran great so i got it to save for something maybe i just thought i needed more shit in my way

[/ QUOTE ]

The RX-7 is a 12A they still can get up and go. especially with a turbo. The problem is if you use on in a hotrod they look a bit sparse under the hood. You would have to have a channened and sectioned car or they would look like this.

[AHotRod]

Nads, Nads, Nads.....go back to sleep and rest your finger

[dooster-hotrods]

MIKEO and AHOTROD , There are lots of pinto powered cars on my website... www.dooster.co.uk go into the gallery and just look through the different categorys. We have built over 75 pinto based body/chassis packages , mostly 32 Roadster but others also.

For better pics of the little Track style A Roadster with the Gee Bee scallop , look in the gallery under Model A at anything with the word 'trackster' in it.

THANKS

[Chopped50Ford]

a rotary in a Rod....damn, whats next..

just seems so out of the ordinary.

[Mild Mitch]

This may have already said, I haven't read every post...



If you want to drive a Hot Rod, a lot, Put a big V8 in it and fuck the gas prices. Put in an OD trans. It's about performance, remember?

4's are cool, I have a '32 Banger in one car. But it gets shitty milage 'cause it's Hopped Up! It's supposed to go! Not to wheeze out 42mpg. If you pump up any engine, especially a Banger, you'll lose the milage you're after.

If you are worried about the price of gas, buy a new Toyota or Honda Hybrid.

Drop in a Big Block and Hammer it, don't be a pussy to gas prices, or get another pastime.

"Speed is our Creed"

Now that I have that of my chest, I'm sure I've pissed off a few. Just my $.03 worth.

[AHotRod]

Thanks Dooster !

[Mr 42]

A Volvo B20 2 litre four is the best in sweden of course

We pay 5,30$ for one American Gallon.

[DIRTYT]

heres the "4age" toyota motor i had the name wrong sorry. its 1.6 litre n/a motor with a stock supercharger kit avail from trd. or some of them made over in japan came with turbo. they allso sell side drafts for these. good little bad ass motor. stock hp is 135 with a 10.2:1 compression ratio. can handle up to 8psi of boost on stock internals.

[AHotRod]

$5.30 a gallon?

What's your Rod get for MPG?

[DIRTYT]

heres one with side drafts ...oops those are carbs. those are 4 throttle bodys. still cool as hell!

[AHotRod]

DIRTY T:
Thanks for the pictures.
Those engine could be made to "Look" oldstyle and look cool in a open-engined HotRod.

GLenn

[Rocky]

My brother is putting an Rx-7 engine in his mega-clean Morris pickup.
I really like the 2.5 litre 4 banger in my Porsche 944. The book says it makes 143 HP but it felt stronger than that to me. Gave it to my son to SCCA race and got my Limina coupe back as a "daily".
I vote for the quad 4 olds motor. Got a guy here with a 58 Hillman wagon using an olds quad 4 with it's electronic injection, stainless TUBE headers and a narrowed T-bird super coupe rear axle assembly. He cobbled an S-10 5 speed tranny behind it and this thing's INSANE!

[Molloy]

Rotaries,never thought I'd see them on the HAMB.


Just sold my VW vert with a rotary engine.


Anyone remember the fellow years ago put a rotary in a
little Crosley Wagon.Picture of it was in HOT ROD.


They wind like hell.Very space efficent.
As folks here have said ,you use one in a hot rod keep

the hood closed.They are strange looking,oh and get shitty gas mileage.Big four barrel you know.

[marq]

English ford 2ltr pinto ,fast as fuck with 35 mpg on a run...........Marq

[Flat Ernie]

One of the quickest cars in my high school was an ancient, rusty RX3 that had an extensively ported 13B in it. That thing sounded like an angry chainsaw - would barely idle. But it ran hard - low 10s or something silly like that.

I guess I'd have to go with the Quad-Cam. The pinto-based 2.0/2.3 has an assload of speed parts for it though...

Cosworth Ford maybe?

[Fordman75]

I like the Ford 2.3L. I'm going to be dropping one in a 63 Comet 4dr(2500 pounds ) I'm picking up Sunday. Eventially I want to add a turbo 2.3L but for now I've got a 2.3L out of a ministock MII.

[choprods]

First let me say thisO NOT SELL ANY OF YOU BIG FUEL HUNGRY CARS OR PARTS!-Did tyhat in 72 73.....dumb move
I once had a neat little 4 cyl that ran exceptionally well and was kinda trad lookin too. it was in a 67-68-69? English Ford Cortina.
had a great little 4 speed also useable in a small rod!

[Deuce Rails]

[ QUOTE ]
heres the "4age" toyota motor i had the name wrong sorry. its 1.6 litre n/a motor with a stock supercharger kit avail from trd. or some of them made over in japan came with turbo. they allso sell side drafts for these. good little bad ass motor. stock hp is 135 with a 10.2:1 compression ratio. can handle up to 8psi of boost on stock internals.

[/ QUOTE ]

How do you hook those up for rear wheel drive? What transmission do you use?

For a long time I've been dreaming about using a Japanese 2.0 engine for Bonneville, but I just don't understand how I could get them to work with a traditional front-engine, rear-drive layout. If you have any tips, I'd definitely appreciate them.

--Matt

[DIRTYT]

all those motors i talked about are rear wheel drive motors. u can buy them from japan importers with motor,trans,computer, and harness. the 4age goes for about 750 to 1000 for the whole shabang...

rotoreys= doritos in a pringles can!! who needs pistons and valves!

[AHotRod]

CHOPRODS:

Iwas there, sold the 454 that I was going to put into my '37 Chev, and instead, I putt a 250 6 in it....

[Radshit]

I love the 22R in my Toyota pick-up......If I had one extra, I would use it in a small T project......

[Radshit]

Don't forget about the Dodge 2.4L DOHC in the Neons....the heads are Hemispherical and have four vales per cylinder.....a friend races them and ports and polishes the heads for some impressive gains......my next choice in a four banger

[Rocky]

Molloy.....that guys name was Gary [or was it Jim?] Anderson with the yellow crosley wagon. My brother and I had a looooong talk with him at DesMoines Goodguys. His dad won't ride in anymore..too scary! Goes sideways in 3rd gear.

[cornfieldrodder]

The Quad4 is goin' into my mod. The mildest version made 150 HP from 138 cubes! A W41 model was rated at 190 at somewhere around 7000 rpm. Thwe head gasket problem is taken care of with ARP studs and a good gasket or O rings.
Even though I'm using one, I gotta say they are pricey things in the aftermarket.
The 2.3 liter ford is probably the smartest choice due to a huge aftermarket and a bunch of racing tech. It's dead simple to work on and makes a bunch of power. Unfortunatly, it is on the tall side.
The 4AGE toyota just flat rocks. Its very light, fwd versions can be done as rwd and they sound soooo good.
The 2.2 mopar mill is the lightest of the common big 4s and will out tourque maybe any of them. They came in rwd versions and I understand fwd units can be easily adapted to dakota trannies. I want to try that one some day. Turbo 2 versions can get over 300 hp without spending a bunch of $$$. Who knows how long they will last, though.
If you want a neon SRT mill, they come in PT Cruiser and mexican market Stratuses. They are not drilled for a bell housing at all. They need a plate on the flywheel end to bolt to any trans, so there is a natural item someone could make a few bucks on.
If the car these engines go into is too heavy or airodynamically challenged, they will work too hard to get decent milege.
Hack, I think your Vega powerd 49 will be less efficiant than the V6 would have been.
the 2.5 Celebrety usually used more fuel than a V6 car cause the throttle had to be kept wide open just to keep from getting run over.

[Radshit]

The 2.4 turbo in the Neon SRT-4 (0-60 in 6 seconds, stock!) produces 215 horsepower and 245 lb-ft of torque. The same engine may is used in the PT Cruiser GT and may be in the Dodge Razor. quote from Allpar.com

[pikesan99]

Here's what I'm doing. It's great to see the PINTO motor get some love!

[burtrido]

At the moment I'm playing with a Morris Minor to make into a cheap daily. It's running a little Datsun A series With Fiat front brakes etc etc.. I've been doing a little homework on these and the best I've found is about 110 kilowatts (about 150HP???) out of a A15 (1500) Thats with headwork,cam, 4 barrel and pipes. But with injection and somesort of forced induction I think it would be a real handfull.The car only weighs about 750 kilograms,a wheel base somewhere between 80-90inchs and go cart like steering 2.5 turns lock to lock.

[Scrapyard]

Buddy of mine in High school had a mean little RX7. It was an 87 12A motor. He swaped out the FI for a Demon 650 carb, threw on a race header and built his own ignition system for it. In that setup it would eat 5.0's for breakfast. Later he straped a 75 shot to it and it got scary. The only thing I didn't like about it was the lack of torque, otherwise it was fun once it spun up. And like stated earlier, they suck gas like a BB around town.

I do like the idea of the Toyota engines if you were to go import. Deffinatly the best bang for the buck with all kinds of hop ups readily available.

[AHotRod]

BURTRIDO:

I love the Morris Minor....
Got any pixs?

[Sven]

The 4AGE (any of them) will hook up to any Toyota T50 transmission commonly available in any of the RWD Corollas. The best to get tho', is the T50 out of a '85-'87 Corolla GT-S.

BTW, that 2nd 4AGE is not carbs, it's a Japanese Domestic Market only (ok, they sold them in South Africa too) 20V 4AGE and it runs individual EFI throttle bodies. The fuel rail across the top gives it away. 160hp stock from a 1.6L 4-banger is pretty radical.

How do I know? I have one sitting in my garage ready to go in my Lotus Super Seven.

If anyone is interested in more info on the 4AGE or T50 PM me and I'll drop a pile on you.

-Sven

[Hanible_H20]

I'm kinda partial to the 2.3 ford. We turn ours between 8 and 9 grand all night long. We are getting between 200 and 300 hp out of them. With a few modifications that is. As far as gas mileage goes, I get around 1.5mpg. I'm run anywhere between 85 and 93 jets in a holley 500 and light it with 16 volts pushed through a MSD ignition.

I like the quad four too. They can turn 10 grand easy, but are illegal to run most places because of the extra valves and cam.

Here is a pic of my 2.3

[AHotRod]

SVEN:

Send me all the info you got, I'm interested!

Glenn (AHotRod)

[RileyRacing]

I had a Quad 442, 90 model. It would keep up with, if not take stock 5 liters. I loved to hear it wind up, right up to the edge of the limiter...

I'd love to use one in a mod, but can they be retro'd with carbs and still run? Yes, I am that big of an idiot.

Jay

[zman]

[ QUOTE ]
I had a Quad 442, 90 model. It would keep up with, if not take stock 5 liters. I loved to hear it wind up, right up to the edge of the limiter...

I'd love to use one in a mod, but can they be retro'd with carbs and still run? Yes, I am that big of an idiot.

Jay

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes they can, there was an article in Street Rodder not o long ago talking about it. And when all dressed up they look like an Offy.

[Nick32vic]

My FAVORITE 4 cyl for a hot rod HAS to be whatever is in Rusty's Anglia. I think he said its pushin 300 horses and getting 30 miles to the gal.!!!!!!!! WOW!!!!!!

Nick

[burndup]

Mild mitch nailed it!

Course, I ride a bicycle, or a motorcycle to work ususally, so gasoline for the V8 is a luxury item and not a necessity to me...

hahahaahahah so sam you say you hate rat rods but you love roach roads i see no differince and i got a job at HOLLYWOOD HOT RODS so my roadster maybe done sooner than i had hoped for + =

and ps you should be teaching your students instead of checking your hamb mail

[burtrido]

AHOTROD! sorry none yet. it's in a million pieces. I want to do it with some traditional touches, but it's really for the wife and she wants to do a total update on it so I might just try and combine the two different styles. But it's has to be done on the cheap.

[cornfieldrodder]

RocketJ2,
Yes the quad can be built to run with carbs and a dizzy. The ignition can get 'spensive with Quad 4 rods timing chain cover, but they make it easy.
I picked up a belt drive mag for a 4 cylinder 5000 rpm 2 stroke boat engine. Should I decide to go that route, it may simplify the situation.It seems to be easier to go radical without the factory controls due to lack of aftermarket intrest in the cars the Quad came in.

[delaware george]

here's my pinto...i yanked it to replace with a built flathead...i drove the pinto for years and loved it,but it doesn't fit the look

[RileyRacing]

Wow, I'd never have guessed that cornfieldrodder... I swear that the Quad4 is a really underrated engine. Maybe because the cars it came in were such crap.
Also, what trans bellhousing pattern does it have? Will it fit into say, an S10 where a Tech4 was? Or is it bastard mount time again?

Jay

[Phil1934]

There is an outfit called www.quad4rods.com that made an intake and the other things necessary but their site did not come up a minute ago. Another is www.mantapart.com

[cornfieldrodder]

Jay,
The bell housing for rear drive is super custom expensive aluuuminium. Mine came from Quad4Rods at the cost of about $440.00 to my door. It comes with a throwout bearing spacer for a hydraulic late Camaro style unit. The quality of this one is very good!
Manapart sells one too I dunno about the spacer, though. Used bells get snatched up by Manapart if they go on Ebay. Some folks on the quad forum claim they pay over their retail to keep them out of the market. That would be too wierd
The Quad does require warm-up before getting on it! The Cylinder head gasket problem is similar to old Detroit Deisel situation. If one doesn't let everything expand, there is insufficiant clamping force to keep the gasket from getting munged up. Then you can drive it like you slammed your finger in the door when you got in though!

[RileyRacing]

Cool. I'll have to keep that in mind...

Jay

[Tackett]

[ QUOTE ]
'Erm fellas, strictly speaking, a rotary isn't a 4 cylinder engine.

[/ QUOTE ]

I've seen ads calling them 4 cylinder engines.
Mostly because the sales dipshits see four plugs...

[Deyomatic]

For raw, cheap, easy power, I'd use either a Mitsubishi 4G63 (2.0L Turbo from the 90s Eclipse styled cars)- very easy to get 300-400 HP out of them with some minor bolt on stuff.
Second choice would be the 2.2 or 2.5L turbo motors from the 80s Dodge vehicles.

[AHotRod]

YEA, the Mitsu 4G63T can really hall-ass.

[AHotRod]

BTTT for all of the Newbies.

Originally Posted by AHotRod

YEA, the Mitsu 4G63T can really hall-ass.

[Mojo_AL]

A sports bike engine in a very light car would be cool. They are powerfull, wind like crazy, come with a sequential six speed and weight next to nothing. Some guys with lotus seven clones use them with good results.

The only negative points are that you'd have to keep a hood on it cause they look like crap and you'd need to figure out a way to install a reverse gear. They weren't intended to be economic on fuel neither.

[Darwin]

Haven't seen anyone mention the Mercruiser 3.0L. Plenty of torque, adequate availabilty in the boat yards, and Chevy bellhousings witll bolt right up. Clifford used to list some induction & other stuff to fit it but I don't know if they still carry any.

[poser]

Originally Posted by burtrido

I've been doing a little homework on these and the best I've found is about 110 kilowatts (about 150HP???) out of a A15 (1500)

That's about right. I calculate that as 147HP; 756 watts = 1 HP
http://auto.howstuffworks.com/horsepower1.htm

[Matt Franklin]

Originally Posted by Darwin

Haven't seen anyone mention the Mercruiser 3.0L. Plenty of torque, adequate availabilty in the boat yards, and Chevy bellhousings witll bolt right up. Clifford used to list some induction & other stuff to fit it but I don't know if they still carry any.

Ahhh... Boat yards -- hadn't thought about that.

I also have to agree with the Pinto/Ranger folks.
That Ranger motor is very solid, really takes a beating -- and the newer ones have two plugs per cylinder.

And the Quad-4 sure does have that Offy flavor to it. But that front timing chain deal is kind of a PITA to work with. Even if you're careful you can strip out a thread or stud. IF they ever come out with a cogged timing belt conversion for it (like someone did for the Ford 427 SOHC) then I'd be interested.

I also kind of like the VW water-cooled 4-banger. Very, very easy to work on. I'm thinking of an early 80s GTI motor.

Surprised I didn't see anyone touting the wonders of the stock Model A motor. Did I miss it?

For me, I'll probably go with my Ford 390 FE, but these 4-bangers are tempting. The light weight gives you a better change at getting your weight under 1500# so you can run fenderless with zero hassles ever.

[61Lancerwagon]

Well my top idea has been mentioned, the quad 4. I hear the will bolt to the trans from I think the 2.8 s-10 with minor mods. There was a cool bucket, turboed etc. in Hotrod awhile back. Obscenely fast for what it was.

I guess I'm kinda sick, cause I have pictured a track t with most of the choices, either pinto motor, 22r, rotary etc.

The one thing I was thinking of I havent seen mentioned was the Toyota 3TC, its a pushrod Hemi, in around 80 or 81 Corollas.

I guess I like nearly any internal combustion engine.

Randy

[Hackerbilt]

I always had a soft spot for those bulletproof little 1600 cc Toyota Hemi 4's from the early seventies.
Big, clean, Hemi style Aluminium valve cover made it a good looker as well.

I tried to kill a couple of those in winter beaters...not a wimper from either, so I know they're tough as nails! LoL

Yeah! 3TC! Thats the one! Lasted into the eighties? Not surprised!

[Darwin]

Surprised I didn't see anyone touting the wonders of the stock Model A motor. Did I miss it?


I'll tout 'em big time but for maximum funkiness and trad coolness but not power or mileage especially. They would however not be slugs in very light T style cars or modifieds. Plenty of torque there--upwards of 150lb.ft. with mild modding---and at very low revs. That's as much if not more torque than many smaller 4-bangers. After all early Ford bangers are huge for 4-cyl. engines---200cu.in. In an under 1500lb. car you wouldn't be embarrasing yourself at stop lights and a top speed of 70-80 is not unreasonable. I doubt that mileage would be much to talk about though.

[John_Kelly]

Mine is a 2.6 litre air-cooled Porsche/VW type 4...why carry extra weight?

John www.ghiaspecialties.com

[Bib Overalls]

My buddy Garry Carter in San Antonio runs a Pinto in his 28/29 rooadster pickup (with Jag suspension) and a Mazda in his modified.

I'm building an Olds 215 all aluminum V8 for mt Lakes Style T project.

[Zor]

i say olds quad 4. there was a guy in missouri with one in a a modified. it was a real bitchin car. he had a horizontally mounted vertex mag, sidedraft carbs and a bunch of home made stuff.
Zor

[LIL' AL]

My bud has a Shay.It's a '29 replica car.Pinto drive-train & suspension. 35 M.P.G.!!! And he didn't spend $20,000 for a pretty cool little rod!

[Chopped50Ford]

Originally Posted by 4t64rd

How about one of them 60-63 Pontiac Slant 4's it's a half a 389 (194 Cu. In.) and could come with 4bbl. carb and manifold. any BOP transmission should fit.

Got pretty good mileage, lotsa torque and plenty of Aftermarket GTO/Pontiac parts fit. Headers, Valve covers, etc. and you can paint a mural under the intake.

Here's a guy with pictures of them, for some reason I can't get to them at work, must be porn too.

That is one weird looking motor...would like to see one run though.

[repoman]

Originally Posted by 4t64rd

How about one of them 60-63 Pontiac Slant 4's it's a half a 389 (194 Cu. In.) and could come with 4bbl. carb and manifold. any BOP transmission should fit.

It is exactly half a 389. You can bolt on any Pontiac speed parts on top. Many 60's -70's racers ran them with Super Duty and Ram Air heads. Now you can get big port aluminum heads for them.

You need an adapter for a modern trans, or use an early bellhousing and any stick.

Somewhere there are old drag motors with custom cranks collecting dust, somewhere...

The stockers are still out there and cheap.

What's cooler than a Pontiac?

Not you. Not in New York.

[Scotch]

I think the Offy is the premier choice for any 'banger project, but if you can't get an Offy, the next-best thing is a Cozzie...

That's short for Cosworth. I built BDAs and BDBs (and some newer YACs) for racing, and they made good power (300-350 hp) with outstanding durability. Parts are out there and they can be civilized for street use. They sound mighty nasty and back it up with 10,000 rpm power.

Maybe some of our UK HAMB'rs have some connections on parts, but I know they are here in the States too. Prices and knowledge are regional. Lots in SoCal when I was working there and I've not looked for any since.

Sure would be badass in a 'bucket or A-bone...


Scotch~!

[porknbeaner]

Originally Posted by TINGLER

What kinda mileage can a person pull outta one of those though?
I had the 2.3l in my old Ranger ('84) and it only got 20 mpg.

I still have the engine an tranny too. I originally planned to make a little "A" bomb modified out of it....maybe I still will.

But this 20mpg thing makes me go hmmmmmmm. My Fairlane with a 289 is getting 16-18 mpg with a 3 speed and 3.50 in the 8 inch.

Anyone got any speed secrets for the 2.3l.....or more importantly...anyone got any MPG secrets?

I got a 4 tech out of my old S-10 that I've been saveing. Lots of speed aprts for 'em around. Granted speed is a relative term here. Face it if anyone ever builds a 375/400 hp banger its gulp gas and probably want to puke its internals out.

If I ever decide to build a trak T or the like that's what I'll use. Pushrod mill, cross flow head. The klinker on any of these banger powered rods is you got to build light, I'm thinking around 1500 lbs wet. Otherwise you miss out on the hot part of hotrod.

I got a friend that just built and installed a banger out of a T-Bird TC in a pinto wagon. Yea I know that's OT. But my point is that he's knockin down about 30-32 on the highway and that at 80+ mph.

My next choice would be that same mill.

[rodwerkz]

Originally Posted by Chopped50Ford

a rotary in a Rod....damn, whats next..

just seems so out of the ordinary.

As far as rotary hotrods:

This is gonna sound weird but the first cool traditional rod I saw was at a small carshow in south jersey when I was like 13. It was a ratty jalopy T bucket made out of the front part of a touring and an A bed. It was made out of almost entirely early ford stuff , even big ford drums. The only thing that wasn't traditional was the motor. And it just happened to be mazda rotary... It was really cool and i've been thinking of building a car like it ever since.. Actually one of the cars that got me into traditional cars (as weird as it sounds). I wonder what ever happened to that thing - any jersey folks seen it?

I bought an early t cowl for 5 bucks a few months ago and have been saving it for something cool and low buck after my 27 is finished.. If my family's junkie comes accross a running mazda in the meantime I might just do it.

BTW - all you folks talking about toyota xyz's and mitsubishi rgb75's are scaring me ... almost sounds like we're on an import site

[Phil1934]

[QUOTE=rodwerkz]As far as rotary hotrods:

The only thing that wasn't traditional was the motor. And it just happened to be mazda rotary... It was really cool and i've been thinking of building a car like it ever since..
If you've ever heard an unmuffled Mazda at the drags, it's the most annoying sound you'll hear all year.

[rustynewyorker]

Originally Posted by 4t64rd

How about one of them 60-63 Pontiac Slant 4's it's a half a 389 (194 Cu. In.) and could come with 4bbl. carb and manifold. any BOP transmission should fit.

Got pretty good mileage, lotsa torque and plenty of Aftermarket GTO/Pontiac parts fit. Headers, Valve covers, etc. and you can paint a mural under the intake.

Here's a guy with pictures of them, for some reason I can't get to them at work, must be porn too.

http://community.webshots.com/album/46935769zcoYIR

I wondered if anyone would mention these. Forget the stock driveline (a flexible shaft to a reversed Corvair transaxle), but if I could pull 18-20 MPG out of a 4000-lb Catalina with a 389/hydro, one of these in a light car aught to do 25-30 without too much trouble. That's what I'd go with if I was going to build one... parts shouldn't be bad either, the same as 389/400 for the most part. They aren't too hard to find and usually cheap when you do find 'em. Probably could make your own intake and run about anything you want - 4bbl, dual 2-bbls, side-draft carbs, whatever.


The only catch is going to be transmission - I would suspect that if anything they use the same bolt pattern as a '61-'64 V8, which means either find a Bonneville for a decent hydro, run a stick with a '58-'64 bell, or spend the bucks for the adaptor kit available for 61-64 V8 to late trans.

They did make these for one year with a 326 V8 on the same "rope" drive, if you want to build something really weird they might stand up on the street. Better weight distribution with the transaxle, and independent rear suspension to boot. Only limit is the length of the driveshaft, I doubt you can shorten one, but the car is only 112" wheelbase to begin with. There was a guy to Skyline Raceway (near Cortland NY) running one in the 4-cyl street stocks a few years ago with some success (enough that one of the papers ran an article on it).

[junkmonger]

Originally Posted by Mild Mitch

This may have already said, I haven't read every post...



Drop in a Big Block and Hammer it, don't be a pussy to gas prices, or get another pastime.

"Speed is our Creed"
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

Glad SOMEBODY had the balls to say it!

Having said that, if I had to put a 4 in it, I'd vote for a Riley 4 Port. At least it would look fast.

[Bib Overalls]

The 27 T runs a Quad4 and it is hot. I burned my leg on the exhaust.

The 32 coupe is also Quad 4 powered.

Nice rides

[Arthur]

[QUOTE=

If you were buidling a light-weight HotRod, what engines would you consider using today?

Glenn[/QUOTE]

If I win the lottery,you can spell that "Myers,Drake,Offenhauser". A 271 inch one. THE perfect accessory for a Model A coupe. Think of all the fun you can have while out Camaro and Mustang hunting,and telling all the boys "Well,it's a mildly modified original Model A engine. I think she turns up pretty good. Wanna race?",and then watching them set their cars on fire as you leave.

But that's just me

[Rand Man]

The new GM "world" engine is the 2.2L four ECOTEC motor. It will be the new "smallblock". The stock crank and block was made to be rodded.

[modeltsteve]

Anybody ever do a stinky diesel? Years ago there was an A with a MB in it up in the Boston area.

[Bluto]

Hell

I can't afford one a them Punto motors

But I got an extra HAL with the Miller So it'll get used somewere
Might put it in one of my wife's Fiats

Run on Alki so I'm not worried about gas prices

[Turbo26T]

I'm in the final stages of a 26T Track Roadster w/ '83 2.3 TurboCoupe engine /T5 Trans powertrain. They came with 165 HP and with a few tweaks(fuel ,boost,cam,...etc ) and a basic Ford parts mix & match ,250-275 HP is easy to get. My project is around 1600#'s , so 6-8#'s /HP should make a pretty decent combo...besides there's something about a 4-banger in a Track T that just looks right...!!! Stay tuned...

[Oilcan Harry]

My buddy is building a 27 Track-T using a 20R Toyota engine. Not drivable yet, so he doesn't know how its going to work out. He had a Celica years ago with one and it ran strong and was pretty much bullet proof.

[AHotRod]

How about it new guys ?

[MyOldBuick]

I've got a 1991 Dakota with the 2.5L and 5 speed that was going to go in my 1960 Morris Minor, but haven't had time or space to do anything yet with that. I had a Shelby Charger with the 2.2L and put dual 40mm webers, hooker header, and Lunati cam in it -- that would scream. It could definitely keep pace with the stock turbo 4's. (Boosted though, it was a loosing battle). There were a few guys playing with putting the later model 16 valve heads (Neon DOHC) on the old 2.2/2.5 engines. The new Jeep Libert 2.4 has a engine/tranny going the right direction . . . don't know about the tranny selections though. There was a guy making tranny adapters for the 2.2/2.5 engines to go to the 727/904 auto trannies. There's a lot of cool things out there for the Dodge engines too . . . especially now that Mopars are cool. Go figure?!

[bluebrian]

Hmmm. Old school I would go with a Riley 4 port or some of the ohv 4 conversions that 4bangersforever have done. New school banger i tend to like the quad 4's. You can get some power out of them and dress them up preety nice. I have seen some that look like offy's. There are some obscure 4's out there (old racers/weird euro stuff) too but if you can afford them then you shouldn't be worrying about gas prices.

[randydupree]

Originally Posted by bluebrian

Hmmm. Old school I would go with a Riley 4 port or some of the ohv 4 conversions that 4bangersforever have done. New school banger i tend to like the quad 4's. You can get some power out of them and dress them up preety nice. I have seen some that look like offy's. There are some obscure 4's out there (old racers/weird euro stuff) too but if you can afford them then you shouldn't be worrying about gas prices.

how about the 224ci mercruiser engine thats half of a 460 ford,aluim.block,460 head,one badd ass engine,i ran them at bonneville,186 mph in a 57 fiat...i have lots of them! also the 2.2 ecotec is good,i have one of them too...randy@randydupree.com

[booboo]

i got a 3.8l v6 in a full fendered A truck. been gettin around 30 mpg on the highway . running a 350th and 4brl carb. having a hell of alot of fun and pass alot of gas pumps along the way.............

[CLSSY56]

I think it would be a big mistake. As soon as you find all the speed parts to make it faster... your back to where you started from. Rotories are nice, but MPG isn't that great, my first car was a 80 rx-7. If your worried about MPG.. buy a second car.

[chitbox dodge]

Originally Posted by '29MurrayTub

Ahhh... Boat yards -- hadn't thought about that.

I also have to agree with the Pinto/Ranger folks.
That Ranger motor is very solid, really takes a beating -- and the newer ones have two plugs per cylinder.
.

my wife, back when we were dating, had one and i have to agree. i also noticed that has to be one of the last iron head/iron block 4 cylinders left in the world.the way i understood them, they are something of an evolution of the old pinto engine, but built by mazda.

as far as the dodge engines go: theres a mopar sprint car 4 which is more or less a winston cup engine split in half, but youre looking at $13k easily, and screw fuel efficiency. the new mopar 4's in neons and stratuses are not very reliable in my book. i had one, always underpowered and loved to eat head gaskets with its open deck design and the dreaded balance shafts. the old turbos of the 80's were also bad on gaskets and the last evolutions had weaker bottom ends with higher powered top ends... go figure. not many did well w/o a turbo either. the best one of those could be found in the shelby shadow csx w/ a whopping 225 hp, but those are pretty dang rare to find in your local pick a part.

i havent seen much said about the mitsubishi 4 that was in the conquest tsi's.
they were already rear wheel drive, had turbos, and good fuel and timing systems. it was like they turbo'd the inline 4 that they had in a truck and made the differential independent. i would think all these things make it an interesting swap candidate. ive heard that you easily can get 400 hp from them too. And i have seen them in yards all over.

thats my two cents.

[heyitsnate]

sorry but this post sucks. imports suck,and ranger motors suck. if you're after power,get a v-8. if you want a cool banger, go with the model a or b ford.or an offy,or even an early chevy... pinto motors don't belong in pre-war hotrods.period.quad 4's are good for the street rodder crowd,but i thought this was a traditional message board.

[Todd553]

Here are some pics of my 34 roadster. We drove it from Pomona to Bonneville last October. Got around 35 mpg and ran 209 on our first pass. It's a GM ecotec witha turbo that makes around 850hp with 38 pounds of boost. It's a blast to drive and it got me in the 200mph club.

[Turbo26T]

I have a 2.3 T3-turbo /T5 combo going in my 26 Track T project..Came outta 83 TurboCoupe TBird..Factory 165 Hp (later SVO's had 205HP !!) With a few tweaks,mix & match Ford parts ,little more boost ,late Vane Air Meter,etc etc etc and it's easy to get 250-275 HP . Bolt that in a 1600# roadster and ya got a fun ride...besides there's just something about a 4-banger in a Track T that just looks right!!!

[chitbox dodge]

Originally Posted by heyitsnate

sorry but this post sucks. imports suck,and ranger motors suck. if you're after power,get a v-8. if you want a cool banger, go with the model a or b ford.or an offy,or even an early chevy... pinto motors don't belong in pre-war hotrods.period.quad 4's are good for the street rodder crowd,but i thought this was a traditional message board.

i didnt know that everything on here had to be pre-war. i just thought it was for rodders who try to make something of nothing. i hate the pissing matches that go on about whats right and whats wrong with rodding today. no one is building pre-war rods anymore, because the war was over 60 years ago. the only thing that we can do is build a replica of something that has the look of something built in whatever era. the only thing that lives is the spirit of rodding in general, which is making do with what you have or can get a hold of and doing it yourself, or at least making the attempt.

besides, fast is fast, wether it be an 8, 6, 4, domestic or import. try telling the young lad who spent many hours in a garage, learning while he's building, that his car sucks on account of its not the way you would build it. that wouldnt be fair at all. in all reality his soul is closer to what the heart of rodding is supposed to be. and you know it.

[Phil1934]

186 or 209 MPH is a hot rod in my book. I'd love to delve into what it took, I'm guessing FAST EFI on the Ecotec but would like to know on the 470 Merc. I would like to know if there is much of a sacrifice going mech inj instead of EFI, how does a salt engine differ from a drag engine in component weights, cam, etc. and a dozen other questions. How do you drop 40 CI from a 470, does flywheel weight matter....

[randydupree]

Originally Posted by Phil1934

186 or 209 MPH is a hot rod in my book. I'd love to delve into what it took, I'm guessing FAST EFI on the Ecotec but would like to know on the 470 Merc. I would like to know if there is much of a sacrifice going mech inj instead of EFI, how does a salt engine differ from a drag engine in component weights, cam, etc. and a dozen other questions. How do you drop 40 CI from a 470, does flywheel weight matter....

my 224 mercruiser was more stock car type engine,i destroked it and sleaved it to get it ti 183ci. i have another that is bored and stroked to 240 ci. i had a rons fuel injection on it,mech. type. dry sump,aluim head,crank trigger,etc..the merc uses a chevy bellhousing,a 302 flywheel(heavy one too)..its a cool deal.all that stuff is for sale,both engines are apart and need rebuilding,they will sell cheap too! randy@randydupree.com

[Reverend Bow]

I will probably be ban from the forum...

But I have one of these that I need to put back together for the Track-T I am looking for....

http://s94381261.onlinehome.us/240SX/4-95KAonStd.jpg

http://s94381261.onlinehome.us/240SX...AonStadexh.jpg



It won't be this exact one, it will be an older model, with a lot less un-needed hardware hanging on it...

[mikeyboy]

2.3 hands down...ya cant break 'em cam change , little compression, decent exhaust...they run pretty good. Would have to have the fuel injected version however. The current daily driver is a 91 mustang 2.3/5spd, little work, decent lube in the driveline, viola, 30+ mpg

[Reverend Bow]

Originally Posted by mikeyboy

2.3 hands down...ya cant break 'em cam change , little compression, decent exhaust...they run pretty good. Would have to have the fuel injected version however. The current daily driver is a 91 mustang 2.3/5spd, little work, decent lube in the driveline, viola, 30+ mpg

Yup..

Big 4-bangers rock..

Cheap, decent power, good gas mileage...

Fast enough to have fun

[radarlover]

I have a 2.5L AMC in my 90 Jeep Wrangler that I woulnt trade for any other engine in a jeep. I would love to run one these in my T-bucket. Ive been told that they share the same bellhousing as a 2.8L chevy V-6. Can anyone confirm that?

[Farmer]

gay

[Jaker]

my favorite 4cyl for a hot rod project is the one that the guy I'm racing against is using.

is it even possible to call something a hot rod with a 4 cylinder?

I second Farmer- GAY

[Farmer]

hell, why not put a/c, a tilt column, bucket seats with head restraints, digital gauges, pertronix, you name it on the 'ol hotrod? well, then it wouldn't be a hotrod. if gas consumption is a big issue and comfort, then buy a daily driver. keep hotrods right. the way they were built then is the way they should be built. but, don't get offended anyone, that's just my opinion and opinions are like assholes, everyone's got one.

[mustangsix]

There's a couple of engines that look and sound right, I think, especially on a track t or an A roadster.

The DOHC Alfa Romeo engines are really sweet. Fiat DOHC engines also. Look similar to the Alfa, but is different. DOHC Lancia engines are good looking too.

An american engine that also looks right is the Quad four. Use carbs, not EFI and it has a vintage offy look to it.

[Roothawg]

Rotarys are cool and all but they were never known for good mileage. I have had 6-7 and none have gotten over 20.

[brandokust]

I've been wondering about the ford 2.3 for some time now, since i saw Zane Cullens '32 in Hot Rod (i used to work across a parking lot from his shop but never saw it). Finding one isn't a problem, but whats it gonna cost to hop it up, make it look good and go fast. The HP/MPG factor is really big for me especially since i'm a student, but i guess anything will be better then the leaky 289 that i have problems with now. Thats another factor, reliability; i know, i know, part of being a hot rodder is constantly tuning and adjusting, but i'd like to not have to cross my fingers and wake up half and hour early each mornin just incase my car wont start and i need to grab the bus.

I wonder what it would be like to cruise in to the Primer Nats or Viva Vegas in a traditional car with a 2.3 in it, what would be the general reaction to somethin so untraditional in a traditional show (and even if they knew the reasons why), o well, seems like it'd be kinda funny 'til your car got kicked out.

[Reverend Bow]

Originally Posted by brandokust

o well, seems like it'd be kinda funny 'til your car got kicked out.

Wow..

So much for run what you brung.. huh?

I say go for it..

Why?

It's your car, screw everyone else and what they think.

[brandokust]

Also, whats the wiring situation on one of these engines. Can't be somethin like hookin up a flatty or sbf, i gotta imagine that you need a modified computer that wont be lookin signals from the AC (haha), power steering/ brakes, and all the other power, not needed crap that they put in new cars.

[Reverend Bow]

Originally Posted by brandokust

Also, whats the wiring situation on one of these engines. Can't be somethin like hookin up a flatty or sbf, i gotta imagine that you need a modified computer that wont be lookin signals from the AC (haha), power steering/ brakes, and all the other power, not needed crap that they put in new cars.

If you run EFI, you really don't need a large amount of signals.

For the Nissan 2.4l I plan on running, I can probably get away with:
Crank Angle Sensor
O2 Sensor
Injector Harness
MAF Sensor
Throttle Postion Sensor
Coil connection ...

and a few more I can't thing of at 0730 in the morning while waiting for the coffee to brew.

it isn't rocket science by any means, espically if you get an engine with the engine wire harness and the ECU

[tx longroof]

FWIW, I once put a Olds 215 in a Vega wagon!

my wagon w/ the 215 and a 3 speed gets around twenty when it's tuned up.

not traditional, but i'm partial to the good 'ol vw. my bug should run high 12's and gets like 25 mpg!

[Shaggy's Dad]

Interesting post. Let me throw some trivia out and misc rambling:

The weight of the motor should be considered. If you can get 150 HP out of an aluminum block/head motor that is better than from an iron block/head motor if MPG is the goal.

That said, I like the new 2.3 Ford in my 04 Ranger. All I've done is K & N air filter and free flow exhaust for the 150 mark on the stock motor. The new Chevy 2.2 Ecotec in my daughter's '04 Cavalier would also be a good start with the minitruck trans.

The 2.5 iron duke bellhousing = 2.8/3.1/3.4 Chevy V6 60*= 4.1/4.5/4.6/4.9 Caddy V8's including Northstar.

Even a modern V6 in a car less than 1 ton will crack 30 MPG.

The MOPAR 2.2 mid eighties would blow a head gasket because the head bolts would stretch and bottom out in the block after 65k or so miles. Knowing that means to replace them with ARP bolts or fresh stockers at 50k before catastrophe strikes.

My bias is to put American motors in American iron and leave the foreign motor swaps for foreign chassis. Either one tastefully done suits me fine.

[Biscayne37]

Originally Posted by Nads

'Erm fellas, strictly speaking, a rotary isn't a 4 cylinder engine.

For plodding reliability in extreme slow motion, a Mercedes Benz diesel 4 cylinder will outlive the careers of all The American Idols past, present and future combined.

But a mazda 26B out of the Lemans winning 787B is a 4 rotor engine, does that count?

[Farmer]

ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba Borgeson Joints!

ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba Billet!

[Phil1934]

No Borgeson. No billet, in fact no chrome anywhere in interior. Hell, no interior. So why a four? The engineer in me always wanted a blown engine. So I get 325 HP in 1500#. I could do the same engine in V8 form and get 700 HP in 1900#. But I have 8" treaded tires. A blown big block wouldn't do me any good on the street and would keep me off the track without an 8 pt cage and that would keep me off the street as front bars would interfere with safely reaching the pedals shoved alongside the bellhousing. And I have no room for forward bars so the frame would have to go too. Maybe it bears repeating. Ryan's trying for 200 MPH with a V8. These guys have done it in a turbo'ed '34 roadster or run close with 186 CID and mechanical injection in a Fiat coupe! This isn't just about economy. In fact the looks of a lot more cars than modifieds would benefit from a four instead of a SBC. Everyone touts pick a different engine, so If these aren't your cup of tea, then feel free to move on to another post, please.

[brandokust]

ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba bite me

[heyitsnate]

Originally Posted by Farmer

ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba Borgeson Joints!

ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba Billet!

hahaha...hey is'nt goodguys coming up? their kettle corn is fan-taste-a-riffic!!

[AHotRod]

With GAS now nearing $3.00 + per gallon here in the USA, and is expected to continue to rise, does this have an impact on your decision for power of your HotRod now ???

[AHotRod]

hmmmm

[53sled]

Originally Posted by Reverend Bow

I will probably be ban from the forum...

But I have one of these that I need to put back together for the Track-T I am looking for....

http://s94381261.onlinehome.us/240SX/4-95KAonStd.jpg

http://s94381261.onlinehome.us/240SX...AonStadexh.jpg



It won't be this exact one, it will be an older model, with a lot less un-needed hardware hanging on it...

ka motors kick ass. just sold my s13 with 160k, ac still blows cold. nissan outperforms 2.3 fords any day. sr20det, 205 hp stock, 400 hp with a few simple mods. cant argue the numbers.

[enjenjo]

Olds Quad Four. Pull all the funky covers off, and it looks like an Offy. You can bolt a S10 5 speed behind it for rear drive.

[Tony Bones]

What kind of gas milage could one expect from a 60's Four w/ bumped compression, hot cam, and a couple twos or one four?

It doesn't seem you'd gain much just by running a four cylinder, unless it was an FI motor out of something late model.

[Count Scrapula]

Originally Posted by Jaker

is it even possible to call something a hot rod with a 4 cylinder?

The first Hot Rods (gow job, soup job, jalopy) were 4 bangers.
Ever heard of an Offy, or a Riley.
Get a clue.

i have a soft spot for Isuzu engines. Not many people think of em as far as performance goes but my daily driver 80 KB has a 1.8L whith an estimated 120hp(big gain over 85 stock). And i know guys running solid 12s whith the 1.6L version of my block. Theres lots of power to be had and i get 24mpg

[AHotRod]

I want 40+ MPG and my cake too

[AHotRod]

Any more ?

[AHotRod]

A year later, and my local gas station tells me that we will be $3.50+ a gallon with in 60 days.

[junkyardgenius]

Here,s the engine in my sons rod.1600cc Ford Kent crossflow bored out to 1660cc 8;1 compression with a Wade R020 blower on a home made inlet manifold.Cruising @ 70mph it gets just over 30mpg, We have just replaced the 4 speed box with a 5 speed ,we gave it a quick blast up the road , the new first gear is lower than we had before and the 5th gear is a lot higher.On Monday we will be covering about 400 miles so will see what it,s like on gas with the new box.The blower makes 10lbs of boost . It,s no v8 but it,s quite nippy and has surprised a lot of people.Cheap to run and a whole heap of fun.

[Thumper]

Fuck 'em all.........build a t-bucket with a Yugo motor.

[KoppaK]

The weather must have warmed up, I can't see the carb heater or the dryer hose.

[RoadDevil13]

My favorite banger is a 32 model B motor......kind of a spendy alternative for parts tho.

[junkyardgenius]

Well here it is for those that don,t know what Koppak was reffering to "THE JUNKYARDGENIUS & SON PATENT CARB DE ICING KIT" and don,t forget folks this is not available in any store.Send the money to JUNKYARDGENIUS & SON AND DON,T FORGET CASH ONLY PLEASE.

[Roorda]

my buddy has a 26 t roadster with 87 ford turbo out of a thunderbird turbo coupe fuel injected 27 miles to the gallon cruise control and it scoots it will make mustang and camaro shit at stoplights put it on the scales only 10lbs differnt front to rear 1690 with out the drive it is a ball

[guiseart]

I had a 2.2 litre in this one, made in america, but i heard the block was made by VW... got over 20mpg... FWD though, which can be fixed.

[NONAME]

$2.00 a gallon damn w's brother is taking care of you. 2.70 and rolling here.
but at 10 bucks a gallon I'm still going to tour a Hemi V-8 and six fucking two's I'll just have to gve myself a raise and us my company Hemi as a write off

[rustymetal]

the crooks got the gas to 5.17 gallon here in nova scotia and they say it is going to 6.75 a gallon.
when is this bullshit going to end.

[hillbillydeluxe]

It's crossed my mind a few times, and I think it's worth doing in a lightweight car.

First pick (for the available aftermarket parts) Ford Zetec. they race the hell out of these things in all sorts of SCCA meets, and they look bad as fuck stripped down with side draft carbs. Plus, you can couple 'em up to a cheap 5-speed for serious reliable economy.

Second pick A 4-cyl Alfa motor from late 60s or 70s. Stripped down with the accessories remounted they have a crazy resemblance to an old Offenhauser block. They sound bad as hell up in the revs, too.

Third, but not so visually pretty would be a recent BMW straight 6. I know we were supposed to talk about 4s, but imagine an M3 motor ripping up 300+ torquey horsepower in a lightweight package. you'd just have to keep the hood and sides on cause it gets a little ugly if you expose the sides of the motor.

My 2 pesos.

[fur biscuit]

40 horse Pope Hartford would be my 1st choice to build a speedster out of. Though i will take the pile of 4 lunger stuff sitting down in soCal when i get around to it.

for modern, i am going to rock the pinto motor with the Merkur head conversion on it.

[Jalopy Jim]

Thinkinh of using a 260 crank in my Ford 289, running a t5 and 3-0 rear grears in a 38 Ford Pick up.
Betya I get high 20mpg and have some gut too.

[Gemini EFI]

Originally Posted by Phil1934

No Borgeson. No billet, in fact no chrome anywhere in interior. Hell, no interior. So why a four? The engineer in me always wanted a blown engine. So I get 325 HP in 1500#. I could do the same engine in V8 form and get 700 HP in 1900#. But I have 8" treaded tires. A blown big block wouldn't do me any good on the street and would keep me off the track without an 8 pt cage and that would keep me off the street as front bars would interfere with safely reaching the pedals shoved alongside the bellhousing. And I have no room for forward bars so the frame would have to go too. Maybe it bears repeating. Ryan's trying for 200 MPH with a V8. These guys have done it in a turbo'ed '34 roadster or run close with 186 CID and mechanical injection in a Fiat coupe! This isn't just about economy. In fact the looks of a lot more cars than modifieds would benefit from a four instead of a SBC. Everyone touts pick a different engine, so If these aren't your cup of tea, then feel free to move on to another post, please.

Phil 1934,
Don't let these" Wish I Was" dinosaurs get to you. There's room for everybodies ideas. Quad 4 138 cu.in. Comp Cam,Wiseco pistons, stock crank and rods,my own ignition and EFI computer,Eaton M-90 supercharger in a 1300 lb.
'23 bucket = 7.80s @ 162mph. On the street with boost down to 12 lbs. gets 38 mpg.
Gemini EFI

[Shaggy]

Why not build a 4 banger small block?? I kinda remember some salt car a few years back done that way

[Dugg]

Opinion No. 132: I'm aiming for the Olds Quad 4 as stated by several before me. I like the idea of the exhaust on the passenger side so it doesn't require six pounds on Borg-Joints for steering or fighting the clutch linkage around the pipe. And, the intake is on the driver side in case I want to squirt in some ether for passing gear.

[junk runner jr]

I don't care how you slice it but (1400 Lbs. + 300HP - fenders - a top = HOT ROD).

[red sled]

What about the GM Ecotec? 2.2 & 2.4 naturally aspirated or 2.0 turbo, like the Saturn Quad Coupe Redline. Drag racers & the salt flat guys are getting 1,000+ HP out of them(your mileage may vary). They're all aluminum and there's a bunch of speed stuff available for them. You can even buy the engine/supercharger package as a crate motor from GM dealers. Now if I just had an extra couple thou laying around...

[Phil1934]

One just went for $2500 on ebay with the RWD Solstice 5 speed auto. However anything more than the high boost pulley kit for the supercharged engines puts you in the five figure hop up range. While th enew turbo one sounds good at 260 HP for 2 L, direct injection, etc. puts it too far outside the comfort zone of most people.

[AHotRod]

Originally Posted by Gemini EFI

Phil 1934,
Don't let these" Wish I Was" dinosaurs get to you. There's room for everybodies ideas. Quad 4 138 cu.in. Comp Cam,Wiseco pistons, stock crank and rods,my own ignition and EFI computer,Eaton M-90 supercharger in a 1300 lb.
'23 bucket = 7.80s @ 162mph. On the street with boost down to 12 lbs. gets 38 mpg.
Gemini EFI

I would REALLY like to learn more about your combination.
Glenn

[VonMoldy]

I would have to say quad four oldsmobile because they are cool looking and cheap in junkyards then the ford turbo.

[AHotRod]

Is there a Factory Turbo 4 that makes 240+ HP that can be used in a RWD HotRod?

[endlssumr]

I run a turbo 2.3 Ford in my daily and have for years. Matter of fact I am currently building another hotter one. There is so many parts out there for the engine too. I mated a 5.0 GT 5 speed(stronger trans but need to make your own pilot bearing) to it and go through a trac lock 9 inch with 3.00 gears. Has tons of power off the line and gets super mileage. Currently only running 9lbs of boost but have had it in the high teens before. Car gets me about 27mpg and a little better if I stay out of it. That is the hard part. There are a few guys here who have seen it and ridden in it. For what it is, it is very impressive.

[Chopped50Ford]

Originally Posted by endlssumr

I run a turbo 2.3 Ford in my daily and have for years. Matter of fact I am currently building another hotter one. There is so many parts out there for the engine too. I mated a 5.0 GT 5 speed(stronger trans but need to make your own pilot bearing) to it and go through a trac lock 9 inch with 3.00 gears. Has tons of power off the line and gets super mileage. Currently only running 9lbs of boost but have had it in the high teens before. Car gets me about 27mpg and a little better if I stay out of it. That is the hard part. There are a few guys here who have seen it and ridden in it. For what it is, it is very impressive.

show us some picts of your motor.

[2tone1960]

AMC used the chevy 151 in their CJ5,CJ7`S a few years around 1980.Great little engines and have standard chevy bolt pattern on back of block.Will bolt right to turbo 350,etc. Hard to find one of those 151`s.They are not the S-10 engines,they are different.The jeep 151 is the old chevyII block with a crossflow head developed by pontiac for the early Fiero.

[spicoli]

'62 pontiac tempest came factory with a 195 cu in slant four looks kinda funky its half a v8 looks like they forgot the other head and put on the carb called it done but i will race any v8 from cali to new york cause i would be able to afford the gas along the way

[AHotRod]

Originally Posted by spicoli

'62 pontiac tempest came factory with a 195 cu in slant four looks kinda funky its half a v8 looks like they forgot the other head and put on the carb called it done but i will race any v8 from cali to new york cause i would be able to afford the gas along the way

I'd like to see a picture of that engine!

[Drewfus]

Glenn.....here's a bit of trivia for you....

Cheers,

Drewfus

[bulletproof1]

with all this talk about 4 bangers...someone needs to buy my international 152

[Arthur]

Originally Posted by 2tone1960

AMC used the chevy 151 in their CJ5,CJ7`S a few years around 1980.Great little engines and have standard chevy bolt pattern on back of block.Will bolt right to turbo 350,etc. Hard to find one of those 151`s.They are not the S-10 engines,they are different.The jeep 151 is the old chevyII block with a crossflow head developed by pontiac for the early Fiero.

Thanks for that tip! I've often thought one of the old Nova 151's would be ideal for a track T roadster,but figured that if I ever did it I would have to use a 153 "Iron Duke" instead.. Not that there is anything wrong with the Duke. It would make a cool "traditional" looking hot rod 4-clinder engine,too.

[A31ModelA]

Well I might get torched for this, but for what it is wirth I actually though of a focus engine, with or 6 speed, and supercharged. in a light weight t buket or coupe it would have loads of power. I have seen many home built rideds with them. Its sarp, fuel injected, and u can get pretty much order the engine as a crate motor from ford, or get one outta a bone yard.

[A31ModelA]

and it is bed time for me my typos are killing me. I guess the 4 banger issue just depends on how modern you would like it to me. I love fuel injection, and have been thinking about slipping that supercharged fucus engine in mine.

[AZAV8]

I'll be nice and not ask who resurrected this old thread.

I'm telling my age, but I remember when the price of gas peaked at over $1.00 a gallon after the '73 oil embargo and OPEC was formed. Then (the late '70's) the hot rodders were thinking of putting in Pinto engines in T-buckets and other hot rods. Rod and Custom even had an article on a turbo-charged Pinto in an "A" RPU. I think today with my attitude about traditional rods the only thing for a "gow job" or a "souped up" A would be a Ford banger with a Riley 4-port. You end up with more cubes, about 200. That's about 3.3 liters. It looks neater too.

[AHotRod]

Originally Posted by Drewfus

Glenn.....here's a bit of trivia for you....

Cheers,

Drewfus

What the heck is that Drewfus ????????

[Ghostrdr]

Actually for those Vage haters up front the Cosworth Vega Engine is pretty cool, if complicated.

I saw a couple Roadsters around here using the Turbo 4 from the 88 Turbo Coupe Thunderbird. Seemed pretty slick

[steevil]

another Pinto guy.
Actually it's from a 1990 Mustang and has a Borg Warner 5 speed. Converted itto carb. Gets great economy and still hit 110 mph.




My wifes 28 has a Toyota 22RE in it and gets around town just fine with wicked fuel economy.




I think the key here is to be creative with the look.
It's already tough enough to make a late model V8 look vintage let alone a late model 4 popper.

[Wesley]

I rebuilt a 32 for a customer who is also my neighbor that used a 230 CID mercruiser. The engine used a ford 460 head and the high output version even had a 4 barrel intake with a 390 holley. The engine block was aluminum and designed for a closed cooling system. Even though the engine was in need of a rebuild it ran like stink and is REALLY different. I dont remeber what kind of MPG it got but it seems to me it was pretty good.

[overthehillracer]

[quote=Harrison]I was given a Crosely engine once. Thought about keeping it for "someday" but sold that sucker. It was so small it probably would have gotten me killed anyway.

Did you know that a mostly stock, Crosley won the first Sebring 12 hour race? As Casey Stengle used to say, "you can look it up" LOL

[Retrorod]

I'm going with an Ecotech four banger from a Pontiac Solstice.....as soon as I can work the deal. Not too HAMB friendly but I think it'll make great "Offy" sounds and in a track T, the power should be about right.

[Ghostrdr]

I wonder if one of those Half POncho 4's would be decent? The Balance of them was suspect as I recall but surely most parts made fro Big Poncho's would be easily retrofitted, especially the flow through heads.

Perhaps the most unusual variation of the durable Pontiac V8 was not a V8 at all, but an inline four. Created for the 1961 Pontiac Tempest, it was essentially the right bank of the 389, sharing most of its tooling and many of its parts (more than 120 were identical). The bore and stroke of 4.06 in (103.2 mm) and 3.75 in (95.3 mm) were the same, giving a displacement of 194.4 in³ (3.2 L). This degree of commonality enabled it to be produced on the same lines as the V8, allowing substantial cost savings. A drawback was that the 195 weighed much more than a purpose-designed engine: at about 540 lb (245 kg), it was not substantially lighter than the 389.
The 195 produced 110 hp (82 kW) (gross) at 3800 rpm and 190 ft·lbf (258 N·m) at 2000 rpm with a single-barrel carburetor, or 155 hp (116 kW) @ 4800 and 215 ft·lbf (292 N·m) @ 2800 rpm with the optional four-barrel carburetor. For 1962 a "power pack" option increased rated power to 166 hp (124 kW).
The Achilles heel of the 195 was engine shake. An inline four-cylinder engine produces unbalanced "couple," shaking in the vertical plane, and modern engineers consider the installation of twin counter-rotating balance shafts necessary for engines much larger than 122 in³ (2.0 L). The V8-based design of the 195 had no such balance shafts, and costs prohibited adding them. The 195 was instead cushioned by flexible rubber engine mounts designed to isolate the engine from the rest of the car, and its forces were further dampened by the Tempest's unusual driveshaft, but if the engine was out of tune, the shaking grew worse than the mounts could hide.

[53sled]

Originally Posted by AHotRod

Is there a Factory Turbo 4 that makes 240+ HP that can be used in a RWD HotRod?

nissan sr20det is an intercooler, injectors and chip away. t28 turbo and you can knock down 300. turbo kit on a nissan ka24de would get ya there. older toyota's with a 3sgte can be found on the bay. kits are available from buschur to turn an eclipse to rwd.

[AHotRod]

Originally Posted by 53sled

nissan sr20det is an intercooler, injectors and chip away. t28 turbo and you can knock down 300. turbo kit on a nissan ka24de would get ya there. older toyota's with a 3sgte can be found on the bay. kits are available from buschur to turn an eclipse to rwd.

Those sound like good options to use, Thanks!

[retromodern101]

the sr20 from nissan is a great choice, but with the drifting fad like it is, they are getting harder and harder to come by. Most of the ones that cross the pond these days have unknown mileage and are barely stock. Abused would be a great way to describe them once they get here, and rebuilds get costly since none of the parts can be found at your local nissan dealer...specialty nissan shops do have parts for them though...but they cost a premium. Another good choice would be the Ka24de(dual cam) or Ka24e(singel cam)...they were the torquey workhorse for the american 240sx's and are non turbo, but are simple to work on, and with some work(not much for a light weight rod) a turbo system could be made up for them. Also I remember that they used to make some killer n/a Ka24e's for scca racing making like 220 hp on sidedraft mikuni's. I always said if I ever got around to building a rod, a ka24e would make a great powerplant.

Gray

[porknbeaner]

Originally Posted by CURIOUS RASH

The 2300 ford 4-cylinder.

I had one with a five speed to go with it that I was going to use in a Track-T project.

My X-bitch got it all and sold it dirt cheap to a guy she knows I hate.

Should of killed her when I got the chance.

But, I digress.

There are all kinds of aftermarket crap for them.

RASHY

The 2300 pinto mill was and probably still is pretty popular. But tis a cammer. they do run well BTW.

I like the iron duke ( last used as the banger mill in the S-10) because its a pushrod motor and there are lots of speed parts available for them. Those that aren't available can be sourced from other GM mills. ( hilborn injection for the 326 poncho for instance).

The quad 4 is a cool lookin' mill but I'm thinkin for the money and keepin' it somewhat trad the iron duke is the way to go.

[Ghostrdr]

Originally Posted by 53sled

nissan sr20det is an intercooler, injectors and chip away. t28 turbo and you can knock down 300. turbo kit on a nissan ka24de would get ya there. older toyota's with a 3sgte can be found on the bay. kits are available from buschur to turn an eclipse to rwd.

I think the Ecotec in the solstice makes that many ponies but runs a supercharger and it is RWD. Probably not cheap to find right now but maybe with some ingenuity an earlier front drive version could be made to work RWD

[Little Wing]

The 153 Chevys,Renault R16,The old Kent motor,Volvo B23FT

[Ghostrdr]

Originally Posted by AHotRod

Quote:
Originally Posted by spicoli
'62 pontiac tempest came factory with a 195 cu in slant four looks kinda funky its half a v8 looks like they forgot the other head and put on the carb called it done but i will race any v8 from cali to new york cause i would be able to afford the gas along the way


I'd like to see a picture of that engine!!

[Abomination]

Exactly. My Chevy 2.2 gets that, which is why I'm doing an S-1o V8 swap with a 305. For that kind of mileage, I may as well get some torque.

~Jason

Originally Posted by TINGLER

What kinda mileage can a person pull outta one of those though?
I had the 2.3l in my old Ranger ('84) and it only got 20 mpg.

I still have the engine an tranny too. I originally planned to make a little "A" bomb modified out of it....maybe I still will.

But this 20mpg thing makes me go hmmmmmmm. My Fairlane with a 289 is getting 16-18 mpg with a 3 speed and 3.50 in the 8 inch.

Anyone got any speed secrets for the 2.3l.....or more importantly...anyone got any MPG secrets?

[29bowtie]

Ecotech-4 !! At least if we are forced to run these smaller engines, thanks to GM/Socal this engine has started to make history at Bonneville. (think of the traditional guilt)It also has alot of speed equipment available from gmpp ,that is'nt as pricey as you might think,for when {or if) the fuel prices get more manageable.

[sgtlethargic]

Originally Posted by Ghostrdr

That's cool.

Thanks,
Kurt

[pitman]

Here's a clip from the BBC's Top Gear program. The car is four banger powered, and it's amazing to watch what he does to the superbike on the track. The Honda tuners build a similar 2.3 VTEC called a Frankenmotor.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtDsAGd7uj8
After a careful read of the Bonneville rules, I'm thinking of a 1L two cylinder...superbike engine/trans. With enough torque it might move an 1100 lb car just fine. For reverse you can use a starter motor with a "hinged" drive belt/cog to spin the rear's pinion shaft.

[Abomination]

The Toyota 2ZZ motor in my wife's Pontiac Vibe GT runs 11:1 compression and surprises me every time I romp on it... and gets damn near 40MPG!

~Jason

[64deville]

Friends have had luck with Toyota 22R motors.

I can tell you one to avoid even if its free - a late 80's early 90's Isuzu 2.6 4 popper. Had one and saw a lot with cracked heads - I mean a lot of them with cracked heads.

In the 6cyl variety how about the Ford 170? I've heard they do ok. Can actually do 65 mph in them unlike the 144's

[Junkyard Jan]

A '92-up 2300 Ford complete with coil packs and a dual plug head. Trust me, these 4 bangers respond to mods as well as a 350 Chevy, get great mileage and the PCM wiring is Model T simple... In a lightweight roadster, you'd have all of the power you'd want.

Jan

[hawksao]

I like off the wall shit. Ford 2.3, Iron duke, Quad4 are the SBC of four bangers. If you wanna be different, you have to look elsewhere.

Alfa DOHC, Fiat DOHC, and Volvo 2.3 liter turbo would top my list for a lightweight project. They Italians look nice and you can make them run like raped apes. I'm especially fond of the Volvo. Those came stock in 4000 pound cars, with autos/5 speeds, and disc brake RWD systems. Reliable? It's a Volvo.

How about the 2.3 liter 16 valve Mercedes 190 engine? I think the MB comes in a displacement as high as 2.6 liters. BMW 2.0 liter slant-4 engine from early 320? Bad ass in my book, and I've yet to see one at a show.

One that hasn't been mentioned but should be is the old MGB engine. Came with dual sidedrafts, reasonable 1800 cc displacement, and they are durable. The one in my old 67 MGB GT had cross-drilled crank, and was still in great shape after 100,000 miles when disassembled. People think of them as tractor engines, but tractors run. The gremlins on these are primarilly electrical and fuel-delivery related, and they can be sorted to make reliable power.

I drive a 1 ton Toyota with 22RE engine, and it surprises me almost every day. How's that for some options?

Hawk

[Phil1934]

I knew an all out Ecotec was expensive, but this guy wants $25K for a long block! http://www.racingjunk.com/post/760432/Ecotec.html On the plus side the 2008 Ecotec will have 300HP

[old dirt tracker]

the early chev II. all used in mercury marine as boat engine.the beauty of this motor is the interchange. same flwheel,belllhsg, starter,pistons valves rocker arm, ect as the v/8 chevy. also a lot of history as a midget race car motor.