Motor suggestions for my speedster.

I have been gathering parts to build a T Speester. I am having trouble deciding on an engine for it.
Now remember I am in Australia and on a pretty tight budget, so major rebuild can happen.
Has anyone got any ideas of a cheap engine family that would suit this project. I was thinking some sort of inliner...

 

How about a falcon inline 6? HRP

 

i have been thinking of building one with a '37 216 i have.

 

a hopped up model a or model b motor would look sweet but probably costly. Id have to agree with hotrod on an inline six. We have a 300 six in our f150 and it runs like a champ, it would have plenty of power in your speedster.

 

or one of those cool hemi chrysler 6 cylinders would be cool stuff to

 

I was leaning toward the ford 221 or 250 inlines..there are heaps over here and can get some cool stuff for them and another plus is that you can get some good gearbox combos for them. The other option is an Australian Holden grey motor...basicly a smaller stovebolt engine...just need to sort out a decent gearbox.

 

Not sure quite what you have in mind. To me, a speedster or roadster should have either a V8 or a 4 cylinder but not a straight 6 (and I like sixes).

There are millions of Japanese OHC 4s in cars and pickups, you would most likely need to get one from a pickup because all the cars are front wheel drive.

Should be possible to find one for not much money, with a manual trans, that could be cleaned up and put to work very economically both in first cost and running cost, and put up a fine performance in a super light car.

 

I am with Rusty on this. Either one of the earlier ones with the neat looking alloy tappet covers, or a more modern DOHC with a custom made cover that alludes to an old Offenhauser...... and then you can get the "Fake Police's" panties in a bunch too

 

I'm going to use a Mercury Capri V6....

 

A early70's Datsun 1600cc? they can be cleaned up and run forever & come with a 4sp.

 

How about a 2.3 / 2300 Ford. LOTS of performance parts available.

 

Ive just aquired a small Toyota 4 cylinder with a 5 speed. believe it to be 1100cc. Good runner and looks the business. Just wondering if its still a little small for the task. I know-I know its a light car and all. But still leaning toward an inline six I think.
May require some further investigation.

 

I'm sure any of these suggestions would make a cool and unique Speedster... but, even though they are reliable, personally, I wouldn't want a Japanese motor in my "T" if I could find a more traditional in line 6 or something unique to Oz, like the Holden. But thats just me. Whats cool about the Chevy 6 is that there are a lot of readily available trick parts like carb set ups, dual exhaust manifols, Offy valve covers and so on. What ever you decide, have fun, 53 ...robber

 

Ditto,I had an A and a T with built ones and liked em with a T5....

 

I'm in aust and Just pulled out a Chevy 216 out f my 51 to put in a v8, could let it go for a price if you are interested? Offy valve cover, 12v alt and everything! you can even have the 3 speed and tourqe tube rear end if you want it?

 

How about an Olds quad 4?

 

4 bangers

 

From what I understand the Ford 250 inline has some cool parts there that we never got here in the states.. cross-flow heads for starters. I'd be looking at running one of them!

 

Electrolux.

 

1100cc? Don't you think that's going too far? What kind of rear drive Toyota has an engine that small? Here in Canada the last rear drive Toyota with an engine that small, was made in the early 80s. Or maybe that was a Datsun.

 

Check out Toyota's 22R motors.

 

A Y-block would be another option. As far as I know, there are still quite a few of those down under. Rebuild would be fairly straight forward and the parts are still available.

 

this may be a bit off the wall, but it may be a powerplant thats available down under, that being the Jeep 4 cylinder. Talking the early ones;

Back in the days when real Jeeps were manufactured by Willys Motors, they used a flathead four-cylinder that was actually designed in the '20s and then extensively updated by Willys Chief Engineer Barney Roots in the late '30s, so that by 1940 it was by all accounts the best four-cylinder engine in America. Displacing 134 cubic inches, the "Go Devil" produced about 60 hp. This motor remained basically the same from the World War II military years to the early 1950s. Then it was modified to accept a new cylinder head, with the intake valves in the head and the exhaust valves in the block that produced about 72 hp. It was now labeled the "Hurricane."

Read more: http://www.fourwheeler.com/techarticles/willies/129_0901_jeep_motors_history/#ixzz2L525NIZj

or how about the 2.2 Land Rover 4 banger? Volvo B series?
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Hell put a HEMI in it and really have fun i vote far the toyota you already have

 

One of the projects I have for my two boys is a T modified

It's going to run a 2.0 Alfa Romeo

All aluminium, very "Offy" sort of look to it

The one I have use to be in a Model A Roadster, and is rebuilt with some mild performance bits and electronic injection and ignition

Should go well with a T5 behind it

Quiet a common motor here

 

I think I would decide on a gearbox first and see what motors would work with that gearbox. To me, it seems setting up clutch, shifter location, finding room for pedal placement and e-brake location around the gearbox would be the biggest headache for this build. There's not a ton of room and anything from a 4 to a 6 would fit in front of it.

Just my two cents worth...

 

That woould be an awsome engine...but where do I find one and how much.?

 

I was going to suggest a Toyota 2 TC the little Hemi looking 4 banger.

Stripped of all the extra stuff they should clean up pretty nice for a little roadster.

 

They were made from around 1988 through, I'm not sure. It's a 2.3 early version, or 2.4 liter, later version. They were used in front wheel drive Olds, Pontiac, probably Buick and a few Chevys. There is a company here in Denver Colorado that makes a bell housing to mount them north/south. The name of the company is Quad 4 Rods. I have 3 of these engines. One Was built by the late Jim Feuling for the Aerotech project. It makes 650 hp on gas. The other 2 are common grocery getter motors that make an easy 150 horse power. The picture I posted has the top cover removed. That cover contains the coils which can be mounted remotely to expose the cam covers which makes it look a bit like an old Offy.

 

This subject may require some more research....hahaha.
Keep you all posted.....