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

Met a guy at the Goodguys show in Nashville that had a turbo Chevette diesel in a flat black 32 Vicky high boy. He said it got 40+ on the highway. WAY TO GO. Gary

 

Indeed. But I'd like a roof, please. Gary

 

VERY NICE I NEED TO KNOW MORE PLEASE! Gary

 

Ok,
I'm new to this HAMB thing... here goes.
VERY intriqued by high mileage rods mentioned in this thread. My all-steel 37 Ford 4-door with a 5.0, 500 cfm Edel, C-4 and 3.08 rear only gets 20 mpg on the interstate. It isn't that fast, but looks good and is fun. If you think 20 mpg is good, what are you smoking? I'm sure that with a newer SB, 4-6 speed tranny the mpg would be much higher, but STILL NOT ENOUGH. Change is inevitable, resistance is optional. I put 21K miles on my 37 since late '04 now and would drive it a lot more if I could.
I'd very much like to build my next rod (a planned low-boy 31-34 Ford pickup to get AT LEAST 35 mpg city and 45 highway (add another 20 percent if a diesel?). It will not be a show car. In fact, hope to make it a daily driver and "show the flag" all day, every day. So, I'm thinking economy, in-the weeds, great handling and hot rod looks. Think Lotus 7 weight and "pep" with a cab and bed.
Motor wise, I think the VW turbo diesel (heck, I'm building a TRUCK ain't I, so what is wrong with a diesel?) is the best bet. Perhaps Banks will eventually make some peppy stuff for it? There is already a firm that makes the kit to put this motor in a Samurai and make it a rock crawler, so how hard could that be in an old Ford frame? How about the small Benz-designed turbo diesel from the Jeep Liberty? One of the newer Benz or BMW diesels? Or any number of small Ford Focus or GM I-4's?
Some years ago a fellow had a really cool, black track T in Street Rodder. The motor looked like a little Offy, but NOTHING was said about it in the write-up. When I queried the mag via email, they confirmed my suspicions, it was in fact a little DOHC Alfa Romeo! But I guess they were just too embarrassed to say so about the hot rod. That is a very nice little mill, too, and it's all aluminum so you can polish it to your heart's content. Also comes with a VERY slick 5-speed and is all inline drive already. Any number of healthy, powerful Nippon I-4 car and truck engines? The 2L I-4 from the Honda S-2000 sports car makes 240hp/torque in the 250 range. But, sadly, it is tuned for premuim.
Of course, you can build up any of these small motors to get a lot of performance (anyone race a Lotus 7 clone lately... they are SO fast but only weigh about 1400lbs) but that would defeat the whole purpose of an econo-rod, eh?
By the time I get my "eco-rod" done, who knows what gas will be priced at... so I'm thinking light, small and torquey - with pin stripes. If it can haul some cargo, handle well and look good, too... I'm thinking 200 hp and as much as 250 torque would be perfectly affordable. While I'd prefer an I-4, there are plenty of nice little V-6s to choose from, too.
Later, Gary

 

I don't think you need to run a 4 banger to get efficent.
Irene everyday driver is a 96 towncar with a 4.6,I do nothing to this car but put gas in it.
It gets 26mpg. this is no joke and its a heavy car,think if you put this combo in a lighter car.
And it's not bad,kind of quick.don't take myword for it,go drive one.
These old boats are cheap too.
Russ

 

Russ, TOO wide for my planned pickup. Thanx, Gary

 

I agree.

 

Just installed a 2x4 set-up on my 350 in the A. I always wanted one so I ponied up the bucks and put it on. Maybe the 700r and 2.73 rearend will help. I don't plan on winning any mpg contest right now but if I do I'll change it back to the Holley Q-jet or possibily 600. I agree that hot rods and fuel econony shouldn't be used in the same sentence but, if things continue on there present track I may change my mind. The creative folks on here will be a few bucks ahead of me but at least I can learn from them.

 

How many of you seriously use your hotrod as your daily driver? I know there are some, but not most.

Your hotrod is your toy, and driven for fun. So who cares how many miles per gallon you get? Its a hotrod!

Ive got a inline 6 in my daily driver (65 wagon). But my hotrod? 440 six pack baby! Im never bowing to the gas pump. I want big noise and plenty of power with my hotrod.

The day I have to compromise that, is the day I wont run a hotrod, ill run a custom with an inline.

 

I've had a few motorcycle toys, too. All daily drivers. Go anywhere, park anywhere, looked cool, got good mileage and they were plenty sporty. The only down side was the lack of a roof (sorry all you FTF and FTR guys) and luggage space. But my street rod isn't... insurance and mpg are the two primary reasons. While my 4-door 37 has a lot to offer, it just isn't stingy enough. It has never been to the strip and I don't street race but it turns plenty of heads and it can keep up with the pack all day long. In fact, it runs real purdy at about 90 and will do it all day long, rain or shine. My appologies to all if you think I'm a wimp because I can't afford to put fuel in it at those speeds.

Besides... cruzing a burger joint or the fairgrounds doesn't take much motor - the loping blower is all for show, eh? You can profile / cruise / vogue around in anything. If you wanna go FAST, then get a race car. No matter how much you hop up your muscle car or hot rod, it probably wont be as fast as a real race car. Better to start with an old race car and work the problem backwards if you really want fast.

Gary

 

The technology has been there for years.
We just have to figure out what it will take.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/351903_needle20.html

 

so if they heated the gas lines so the carb was spraying vapor how did they keep the lines from vaporlocking?? Or maybe since it was all vapor it doesn't get stopped????

 

I'm going with the late model Ranger 2.3 DOHC in my '29 Sedan. And probably turbo'd. It'll look as much like a traditional Offy as I can get.

 

I'm building a "37' Stude boat-tailed speedster" three wheeler (2F1R) powered by a turbocharged flathead 6 Stude motor, running on LP. Engine dyno'd at 233 hp, 290 ft-lbs torque on gas. Expect LP will give a little less, but support the octane requirements of 15+ pounds boost and give 25% the hydrocarbon emissions. Three wheels means lower rolling resistance. Low frontal profile will help. Total weight expected to be around 2000 lbs. All parts are recycled Stude, scrap steel. Parts of body are to be made from that material created from plastic milk cartons.
Hoping for 50 mpg with the Stude 3 speed overdrive tranny. Can run fairly low numerical final drive with light weight and huge torque. Low CG means 1.5 G corners. At the salt, this engine went 137 in a 3250 pound car.
See Tribaker website.....

 

well i think what some people are saying is they would like to be able to drive them more.has anyone thought about the old benz diesels from the seventies . they had some tough old motors and interesting too. i'm trying to remember if it came in a four. they were all mechanical too,no elctronics for the fuel injection system. but they had some torque now. antique german engine in a rod might be pretty cool. look at some of tom daniels creations he has made. make you an old natzi helmet into an air cleaner lol. plus there is something cool about an old engine that sounds like it's eating marbles. nothing wrong with an old four. even the 40 would be cool with a nice built flathead in it. i think sometimes that people get so hung up on v8's that they forget there were a lot of really interesting engines around. what did people do before the v8 was invented? dammit now i'm going to have to search out one of those benz engines that is still running good.

 

heres one running in the back of someones truck,it's an eighties one, but it's identical to the ones from the seventies. def have some ideas now. you have to admit they have character. and i'm sure you could get a manual tranny,since a lot of them went in delivery trucks also.
at least it would be something totally different not the same as you see over and over. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m00MBqnxacY

 

????? how's a turbo going to help gas mileage......Im also thinkin about a v-6 or the like in a model A and sellin my 39 poncho....since its 48 miles round trip to my office and yeah I ride my Harley about 70% of the time then again maybe just a good tune-up and tryin to get that eldebrock carb right and common sence I can keep things the way they are.........

 

Two more words: Ug Buttly

 

Check this out www.austinev.org/evalbum/618.html
As for me I'm still going to use the Buick V6 for my 26 T coupe project.

 

It would let you use a smaller lighter engine and still get a certain amount of performance (talking overall economy here, not specific fuel consumption). Works best in a small light car (go figgure).

 

That's cool... but do you have to make the "hot rod sound" yourself with a bullhorn?

 

You "Hot Rod Sound" folks crack me up. Poor inliners

Heres what the V6 Buick came from, sounds like. (the engine not the car)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZqsxkDbphQ

Heres a HAMB thread.
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=252532

 

I have a really nice blender... but only it makes great margarita's

"Hot-rods" be they 4-6-8-10-12 cylinders... need that jus' right sound don't they? If I'm gunna drive a car with no radio and an open roof... I at least want to enjoy the music of an engine no matter how many slugs are pumping up and down. An electric hot-rod sound must be like something from Judge Dredd

 

very cool! I recently picked up a Lotus 7 clone w/ a similar Zetec engine and a T9 trans (typical driveline in modern 7's) and am very happy with it, 175 hp as is and many people get them up to 225 hp w/ cams. Just put a Hushpower muffler on it, sounds great (NOT like a ricer at all) and power feels as good as with the stock raspy glass pack....and 175 hp is pretty intense in a 1300 lb car Also, FWIW many 7's are being built w/ small GM V6's and go on to win at road races and autox's...this car is not a traditional hotrod but is worth looking at to see and hear this driveline in use http://www.bruntonauto.com/

 

birkin08,

How do you like the T9 tranny? I've heard both good and bad- just wanted your $.02.

 

works great so far (only 2 mos.), shifter has a good feel, and mine has an alternate 1st gear as the stock gear is useless in such a light car. Since they are so common in 7's there are lots of parts available, especially from the UK

 

Birkin08, first I've heard of the T9. I searched Google (and here) and didn't come up with anything. What is it's claim to fame?

 

What gears are you using? I'm putting together a T speedster and have thought about the T9, since I'll be using a Quad4 and will have a lightweight body. The T9 looks like it will give me a little more footroom than the T5?

 

Just for fun,
In my 4-banger research I looked for sites on cars that used motorcycle engines... WOW some crazy folks are putting turbo Hayabusas in Sevens. Probably not enough torque for a 2K lb rod, but it must make a seven sound like a vintage F2 car. Gary

 

In Croatia a gallon of 95 is ..... are you ready?.......

7.28$

And only now are with the sport, talk about bad timing.