Are any of you considering building an "efficent" hot-rod?

# 1 can't stand the idea of saving up to goto a show or taking a big trip i don't want a museum piece
# 2 isn't making hp making an engine more efficent
# 3 how about tv tommy's '64 supercharged 4 cyl pontiac rail in the 10's

 

That's coming from a guy that probably has 15 car shows and events within 20 miles of his house. Around here, every thing is a drive. The Roundup is one of the closest big shows and it is a 6 hr drive for me.

 

Last time I checked, anyone with half a brain could make a 1500 pound car go fast and still get decent mileage. So what's the problem?

 

I tend to agree. No one has a gun to your head, if you're really that worried about the price of gas or the environment or whatever, buy a 10 year old Festiva or something boring like it.

I don't think its anywhere near as much fun counting saved pennies as it is giving a V8 a hiding. And hotrods are supposed to be fun, right?

 

I'm not saying I am selling all my v8 cars ,but I promise you that like it or not, people will start parking their cars for the long haul shows. You're gonna see a ton of multi-carb setups on ebay very soon.

 

Even though its not traditional , how about motorcycle engines ? . My rocket 3 triumph has an inline 3 cylinder engine and a shaft drive weighs about 150kg and produces 150 hp at the rear wheel ... To me its all about power to weight ratio's .

 

I've been promised by my wife that when I graduate, she'd buy me a Harley. I've since decided that I'd rather have a '30-31 p/u, either roofed or roadster. I'm thinking full fendered with full hood. Under that full hood would be a simple 4 banger. I might even have some fun and go with like an Essliger motor. Either way, it'll have a manual trans.

I figure that since I plan on keeping the coupe, that's my HP car and this would be my economical daily.

Vance

 

what about big daddy roth he built vw powered,v6 buick powered,
honda (car) powered, even metro powered stelth 2000 3 cyl with a
harley carb

 

Check this out http://www.tperformance.com/enews/e-news.cfm

Badass!

 

minus the f-ugly windshield and adding a trad paint scheme... I could deal with that

those ecotechs are pretty dam'n amazing... as the dude with the '34 that drove to B'ville and set a record has proven

 

i think it would be cool, but not traditional at all, to use an sr20det or rb-series nissan turbo motor in a hot rod. these motors make easily over 300 hp with some mods

 

So you don't like the Chevy e85 rod? MY reference was to the NHTSA and EPA regs to legally make the Chevy car would be SIMILAR TO THE PROWLER.

 

Well, it's not ALL about power to weight but that has a Helluva' lot to do with it.

 

nah... I was referring to the "prowler"

yeah... vomit

 

Yeah..my roadster is a hybrid...NOT

 

Hell, this Nomad of my dads, 283, 3-speed w/OD, heavy-ass car would get 24mpg on the highway.



Now, the 283 is in my pickup, 4-speed, 2:75 gears, 36" tall tires, and I get 22 mpg now. So, my 'eco-rod', is done.

 

Amen, both too low, AND too high.

 

all mine are efficient, they don't run.

 

want to build a super efficient rod?

build a 2x2x.120 frame, put a fiberglass roadster body on it, drop in a Geo Metro 3 cylinder engine mated to a 5 speed 2wd suzuki samurai or toyota pickup transmission (will bolt straight to the zuki trans, adaptor required for the yota)...

the thing would probably end up weighing less than 750lbs...in an almost 2000lbs metro, they get almost 60mpg with an roughly 4:1 final drive ratio....

would it be slow? you bet

would it have the power to get out of it's own way (in stock form)? no way

BUT, you would probably get at least 75mpg and there ARE performance parts available for them....

 

That's the exact pic I had in mind when I mentioned Tempest 4, wasn't that 1961?

 

Another "option" our European friends might have better access to is the 3.0L (240hp naturally aspirated 4cyl) 6-spd setup from the Porsche 968

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porsche_968

Almost forgot that one.

 

well Im on my way to a decent gas mileage ride....yesterday I got a 87 astrovan with a V-6 fuel injected motor a/c and a auto trans,only 58k on the clock.not sure about the injection working on a rod.........price__FREE!!!

 

hot rods are efficent for emptying bank accounts thats about it.

 

haha even in a stock form they can't get out of their own way. i am a fan of some inport motors, but the geo(suziki swift) is a piece of crap. maby good gas mileage,but the car is one of the ugliest things to ever hit the road. bike gets good gas mileage too. lol. and you could probably pass a few metros.

 

I think that is pretty funny

 

Other option would be a '97 or so S10 with the 4 cyl and 5 spd, remove the stock body and put you classic truck body on it.

 

Gus my old 2002 Corvette Z06 got 28mpg stock, figure 3300 w/me in it.

My b'law has a 05/06 Jetta TDI, gets 40-45mpg I believe.

New GM 2.2 in the Cobalt SS intrigues, factory turbocharged, and can be hopped up to make over 300hp.

Some day my Merc will get a LS1/LS2/LS3, and a 4L80E trans.

 

my 53 got around 18-20 on the last trip. dont like the 600 holley thats on it .thinking about putting the 2 barrel holly back on.. might get a;little better mileage..

 

I have an 82 AMC spirit with an Iron Duke Inline four in it.
The problem I have with the four cylinders is they don't sound hot rod,
and by the time you put your money and parts into making it
sound like a hot rod instead of a weed eater you'r just gonna be
driving your gas bill up anyway.
I am planning on an inline six or slant six. Atleast i can make it sound
good without driving my gas bill up to much.

 

I'm sorry if I missed something, but I didn't see more than 2 or 3 interesting ideas here.
Fact is, it takes x amount of fuel for every HP. (about a half pound per hour with gasoline) You can't change that. You can use another fuel. I started a propane rod 2 years ago and life keeps pushing it back. By the time it's finished, I won't be able to afford that either.
I'm starting to think with a hiway department strategy. Maybe if I plan 10 years ahead, I can finish 2 or 3 years behind. That in mind, I have been getting really detailed in my plan for the next car. 1500 pound speedster with maybe 80-100 hp electric motor. Fairly intelligent speed control. about 10 decent gell cell or agm batteries. Hideaway suitcase generator for those remote stops. 70 mph cruise. 150 mile range. Juice brakes, friction shocks, midget quick change, OD 4 or 5 speed. Fabric body. Trials type wind screen. Open cockpit seating. Very skinny 21 inch wheels. Low slung. Belly pan. track roadster wheel. one tail light. Bugatti egg grille. Did I forget anything?
Hot rodding has always been about getting a fun power to weight ratio. Why do we need to max out everything? I'm no tree hugger. I love ingenuity. I can't afford to be the world's first anything, so I stay off the beaten path.