Was this not an interesting discussion? I learned a lot, but the biggest thing I learned is why the two guys were so excited to buy my daughters wrecked 4-speed Nissan pickup. (She got hit by the usual un-insured, drunk driver and lost her low miles little truck.) The buyers made a point to determine if it was exactly the engine they wanted. It was. Kinda figures, I had an ideal engine sitting in the backyard and didn't know it. Don't know, don't care. If I let everybody else build my car to the "rules" I'd have an uninteresting car far as I'm concerned. I don't do different things just to be different, I try to look at it in a different light and if a particular things works, it stays. If it doesn't work, I build another. I like simple, clean, well-built cars and if folks don't like that then I suggest they either buy a gold chain or a can of red paint....
What he said I will give you credit for stepping out into the "unknown" C9... It was an interesting discussion....it just might not be constituted as "traditional" in some eyes... but hey, what ever floats yer boat...
Traditions are begun by folks stepping into areas that are perhaps uncomfortable for others. Not that I'm a pioneer or anything like that. I have a strong curiosity about things and running a modern four banger is one of them. Course, I'm having such a good time with BB Buick V8's that I'll be busy with those for a while. Then again, having a modified pass you on the highway or stoplight . . . it doesn't make too much difference what engine it's running if you can't keep up. Buried somewhere in the few old Hot Rod annuals I have is an article on a Fiat 500 a guy named Sam something or the other - not SamIyam - built. He stuck a Porsche engine in it and ran some serious times. He'd come to the realization that light weight and an adequate engine would do the job. First time I saw him at San Fernando dragstrip guys were kinda laughing at his car. I was smiling myself, truth be told. We got a little suspicious when he lit off the engine. Sounded like a helluva big Bumble Bee in there. The smiles were erased and the laughter quit when he made his first pass. I forget exactly what he turned, but it was enough to beat just about every gasser there cept for a couple of A/G cars. At the time, gassers were very much street driven cars even if some of them weren't. They came in on tow bars and some had the front bumper and rear seat pulled, but generally speaking they looked like - and probably were - the same cars you'd see at Sepulveda and Van Nuys Blvd drive-in's on Saturday night. The San Fernando Valley had some bad-ass street runners in the early 60's. Anyway, aside from the little Fiat, we started looking at street roadsters, street coupes along with altered roadsters and coupes and realized that a fairly mild engine could yank a lightweight car down the strip pretty quick and maybe we were beating our heads against the wall trying to make our 3200# shoeboxes crank off good times with budget engines. The lightweight car being a small bit that's stayed with me all my life. Even today, many youngsters venturing into the hot rod field build what they have, sometimes with fairly serious engines inn porkyweight cars, but to my eyes they'd be better off with the same engine in a lighter car. All of which is part of how the adult and golden colored beverage discussion about the four bangers got started. Not sure if the proposed - or simply a dream - project would ever get started, but lord knows there is plenty of sheet metal lying around out here for such a project. We've seen Model T fenders, cowls and boards lying in dumps for Chrissake....
Thrust forces in the transmission will be going the wrong way. You could make it work with stock gears, but not for long. If you run straight cut gears, or reverse pitch gears, it could work, but that's more expensive than switching to a Honda S2000 engine.
That is so wierd, I was talking with a guy today who was trying to sell me an s2000 chassis and engine or something I wasnt really listening (he came to buy my caddy and tried to sell me some*****) but then later was thinking I could put this glass 27 roadster body on it I have sitting around and have one damn fast little car. I guess they are rear wheel drive with a real solid platform. If someone is actually interested in an s2000 with no body but everything else, I have the guys number and you can p.m. me. (it would be in AZ) although I liked this post, I feel that if some newbie posted it they would of caught hell but I am not sure.
For the ultimate in cheap north south 4 banger action - mopar 2.5L from a dakota setup either with the factory turbo setup, or the Turbo III lotus designed twin cam head. You can still find them for dirt. The only thing is the lotus gaskets are an arm and a leg.
C9- -another ford powerplant is the 2.3 that fat hack mentioned. My friend has a newer 92 version, they came turbo charged running a T5 five speed borg and warner. The look pretty decent and you can pick them up everywhere. 2 plugs per cyl. they use them in sprintcars I think- you can find lots of aftermarket parts, even complete BUILT engines on ebay.. I had one of those nissan trucks with 2 plugs per cly too... They were awesome engines. I bought my 93 nissan hardbody brand new and ran it for a few years then sold it to a friend who had a tub and tile bizz... He drove the original engine in that thing to 300k before selling it still running fine to the next guy... CRAZY. Tuck
Did all the twin plug Ranger motors have the individual coils, or was there ever a twin plug distributor cap from Ford ? Any other twin plug 4 cyl motors with distributors,besides Nissan,Alfa ,and Porsche ?
Try KEP,they make adapters for just about anything. Kennedy Engineered Products.They have a site somewhere.
If you're looking to go with an exotic banger setup..I'd say you might want to look into a Honda S2000 set. Or, you could go with a Toyota Corolla AE111 motor with a RWD Corolla transmission. Those motors will definitley put some pep in your step in stock to mild form.
The Alfa motor is great.A couple weeks ago I traced down a vacume leak in a clapped out Alfetta for a neighbor kid.Once it smoothed out It was one of the best sounding engines I 've ever heard under the hood.I don't know what it was about it's rototating****embly but it's sound was unique and reassuring.I'd kill to see one in a mod.It just makes sense.
Its my fault. I replied to this thread without knowing hed gone. Im very sorry we lost him, he was one of the great HAMBsters. -Dave
If you want exotic this has my vote.... unfortunately you said no turbo (it opens up a lot of options). 150hp 250 lb-ft of torque should grab you by the nuts.
I'd have to go with that little Toyota 2 TC or maybe a 3 TC. Hemi style head, cast aluminum valve cover, simple ignition and a carburetor, rear wheel drive and when you clean all the scabs off them they look right to be in little modified. I was hunting one for my roadster project before the flathead Ford six found me.
im gonna weigh in here and say in my mind there is only three real choices two require fuel injection but the end result would be absolutely insane they are as follows honda's s2000 drivetrain i think its a f20b then it was made a f22 most horsepower created per litre ever !!! 240 outta 2.0 thats 120 per litre then they made it a 2.2 you can get complete drivetrains with bad**** 6 speed for 2 ta 6 grand depending 9000k redline !!!!!!!! plus varible valve timing or the famed and dreaded VTEC hahhaha if you dont understand vtec take time too learn its brilliant and simple then there is nissans sr20det its in every drift car they are cheap robust and will make 400+ horse turning up the boost with some mods great motor and im not a nissan fan haha the the ford 2.3 20 years+ years in production came in many sizes and shapes even turbo charged huge aftermarket and you can bolt on a bad**** twin cam volvo head too make a pretty exotic combo
dont let injection sway you on the honda its probably easier than figureing out a strange carb set up hondas wiring is very plug and play plus gobs of info are out there online
I think so too. No place to put a dizzy but you can get a mag for a yamaha and belt drive it with a little bracketry. Theres on that runs around here with a pair of solex carbs (weber look alikes) and the Yamaha magneto. Good lookin motors and make a fair amount of zot. lots of them in the U-Pull it.
I run a 4-age (Toyota Carolla/MR2, Chevy Nova, Geo Prism) in my 26 roadster with the toyota 5 speed and posi rearend from a 86 GTS, goes like stink in this 1350# car
20R to 22R would do what you want. Toyota built around a billion of them and they're already longitudinal. I bought an 85 celica for my son with a 22re and 5spd for 750. They make weber carb intakes, headers, and aftermarket heads for this engine. Or you can run the EFI but it's not very pretty. However it is SOHC. They were in trucks until 95. Cheap and easy. Run for 300K when taken care of. After reading a bit, I agree that the KA-24 Nissan would be a good choice too. Very sturdy and Nissan is like the Chevy of Japan - very interchangeable engine/tranny stuff, everything will bolt to everything else if it will fit in the engine bay. And, once again, it is already longitudinal - 240sx.
My vote is for a GM EcoTec 2.4 out of a wrecked Soltice. The one in my HHR puts out 175 hp out of the box. Nice looking motor when the cladding is off of it too. Just my $.02.
I'll have to agree with CHOPRODS. That little Toyota @TC motor is a good one. Ever consider a slant six? Cool engine, but the only one I've seen in a rod is on youtube. It has side draft Webers and zoomies. Bill
NO RICE. Traditional old Ford, Chevy II, or later quad4 or supercharged eco tec. Wanna be real unusual, but still cool, how about a Lotus twincam, which is based on a Kent Ford. But no rice.
The Jalopy Journal
