. . . contrary to the lead-in this is not gonna be a ricer bash. My bud and I were talking - over a beer or three - about which four banger, USA, Euro or Japan would work best in a modified style roadster. Geez . . . with all the parts lying around here, we ought to do something. Anyway, not interested in a Pinto. It's a great little engine with lotsa parts, but it doesn't have the look we're after. Parameters would be - The engine was/is in production for a while. Easily convertable to longitudinal orientation - a must since so many of them are FWD and the engines sit transversely. DOHC so that with the upper sheet metal removed, the nice aluminum castings would show and if we were lucky, it would resemble the Offy just a little bit. Not sure we want to get into the computer bit so we'd just toss the injectors, non-distributor gadget and adapt carbs & a distributor to it. Either one of those wouldn't be too difficult. Neither would a set of headers. Fairly large in the CID department, 2.0 liters minimum. Not particularly interested in turbo's or blowers, natural aspiration is fine thank you very much. We're thinking a streetable modified seating two would come in somewhere around 1700# without too much trouble. We think too that a 2100# car would get yanked around by the little four banger pretty good as well. 200 HP would be easy to obtain . . . I think. Running the slipstick for the 1700# car shows quarter mile times @ 110 mph and 11.45 seconds ET. The 2100# car should hit 105 mph @ 12.2 seconds ET. Not too shabby in the performance dept. Gas mileage wouldn't be too shabby either, but that's not what we're after. Mileage wouldn't be any better than with the original car the engine came in. It would probably be worse since these little cars we like so well have all the aerodynamic qualities of a brick. Just talking about stuff for now, but sometimes interesting stuff comes up when you're leaning the chair back against the outside shop wall, sitting in the shade and watching the desert clouds roll across the blue, blue sky and you're on your first perfectly chilled bottle of brew pulled from deep under the ice. I wonder how many hot rods were dreamed up in similar situations? More than a few I bet....
GM made that Quad 4, motor, lots have been done, they make all sorts of cool parts for them. www.quad4rods.com i think. they make wber adapters, they look ALOT like a offy, make some unreal power with a little messing around. if i wanted a offy look alike without spending the 10-30k on a real one, this is the way id go.
What about the Li'l Toyota Hemi= four from the 70's -80's/ one with a 150 thousand miles is "just broke in"......... what do we drive these things 5 thou a yr??? that would leave about 20 years roddin' in a used one.......te he! they had a carb/& non-computer to, I believe -1981?? Lots were sticks too!
I'm proud to say that I've been away from imports and fwd and late models long enough that I don't know the answer to your question! but someone else might....
Actually I think that different avenues for bangers should be thought out. Back in the late '70s or early '80s if I recall Toy made a dohc 4 they was carbuerated and your basic ingnition from the factory. or maybe that was a 6. I was curious about your slide rule calculations though. My last 11 second ride was a 2800 pounder and it was hitting 118 on the big end. then I switched to a higher gear and it was hitting 122 (same et ). Just thinking that to hit 105 and still pull an 11 you'd have to be there by about half track. Not argueing just throwing out some thoughts.
Have you considered the Olds Quad-4? Ford Duratech or Zetec? This site has some stuff for these... http://www.quad4rods.com/
Alfa Romeo 2000. Get a Alfa Spider Parts Car ( I've seen some go real cheap...) All Aluminum DOHC Hemi Head Mini Offy, Twin Webers ( or Dellortos or Solex' ) stock on Euro versions. 5Speed Stock, beautifull Rear Axle with cast Alumium centre section ( ZF Posi stock on the 4Dr Berlina 2000 models...) One of the nices sounding 4Bangers that I have heard ( after the Ford BDA...)
I wont really brag on those-Quad Four only comes with an auto trans-[ONLY if you adapt an s10 a.o.d]......=====for a frt to rear install-======= and a lots of trouble to get a manual in place...I have one in my wifes 2000 [the low hp one] and its running good now/ but a lot of em grenaded early too.
my friends got one in his 81 corolla "drift car" its pretty ballsy for what it is itll chirp 2nd and 3rd pretty good and its stock
Any years better or worse than others? Do you know hat year they stopped carbs, started FI in the USA?
DOHC, eh? The Isuzu four that came in the old GEO Storms and Isuzu Impulses is an awesome little motor, but I don't know the logistics of converting one to RWD. Easy to find a stick shift version, though. You'll want one from a top line Storm if you're after DOHC, though...but plenty of those were built, and they're dirt cheap.
Back in the late 70's my stepdad ran a Toyota 20R (4cyl. out of a Celica) in his Model A. Wish I had the pictures to show you guys....
I think they are all about the same. Look for one that doesnt smoke, they will do that if they have been driven hard before they warm up. If you give it time to warm up, they are good strong Engines. I think they went to Spica FI in about '69 or '70, so most of the Twin Carbed ones you'll find ( that were sold here new ) will be the 1600cc ones or maybe a 1750... A 2000 in Euro spec will give 145 HP ( DIN which is always a lower number than SAE, different way of measuring ) Gearboxes have Ratios that are spaced nicely for agressive driving, but the Synchro on 2nd gear is the first thing to go. Havent seen one break though... Edit. An other nice thing is that this Family of Engines has been around since the mid 50's...
pull a motor out of the new EVO. I generally don't back mitsubishi since I drive a subaru for my daily, but I think it's what your after..except the cheap part. But you can get a 1st or 2nd gen Eclipse NA motor and it'll do the trick. Look good as well. A lot like that last photo of the quad 4. Other good ones would be something like a jdm honda Z motor. Cheap. Decent HP out of the box and easy to get. Honda B18b1. Non vtec. good power easily tuneable.
dont like to admit it... but raced NUMEROUS imports for years, built a few low 11 seconsd ones, and helped build a high nine second hatchback... things are CRAZY, and fun to beat on vettes with etc... my last import, gutted 94 honda cx hatch, gsr motor, 11.5:1 comp, fully built, toda everything, put about 234hp to the wheels all motor, then on top of that, 125 shot NoS.... but oh yeah, taht was before we tore it apart, built it 8.5:1, decked sleeved, etc... 27psi of boost... = 440hp to the wheels...(never got it to the track with taht much boost... 11.27 @ 14psi and about 312hp) in a 2200 lb FWD car, did burn outs on the freeway through the lsd trrans, drop it in 3rd goin 110 and watch the smoke FLY... was a fun car... needless to say, if u need any help pickin motor/parts, let me know... i still work on my friends cars, and still know how to tune and pick power combos very well... havent owned a built one for years... im on to the real world, LOL... the world where things can be unique, and worth money in the end... LMAO
kustom.....I had one offered to me awhile back. I think it has a blown head gasket. I'll check on it and P.M. you. I'm going to be in Charlotte in about 10 days. Unfortunately, the engine is still in a car and I have no way to pull it.
where are you from...not to many 9 second hatches around. I've worked on a few myself. Used to be a honda guy..haaa. I'll admit it. Had a little civic that could move pretty good. Definately not a drag car but you'd be hard pressed to find one on the street that handled better..haa. Would run around 150mph with ease. you'd have fun in my wrx. I can lend a hand with the import info as well. I still dodle around with it from time to time. I'd give you my extra honda motor but it's a d series...you don't want it..haaaa
1987 or so VW 16V was what I was dreaming about with a 2 speed glide and 4 weber carbs polished out valve cover.....
Ah, ferget them fancy engines. Get a SOHC Volvo from RWD days. The B230 is 145 hp and sounds like grandpas Cadillac at idle, dead quiet. Waking one up shouldnt be too hard. Rear ends are the Dana/Ford 8.8 (usually 3.73 and 4.10) and discs plus lockers are fairly common in the higher priced models. Dare to be different.
from milwaukee, WI... but flew down by florida and helped on a friends shop car... he used to live here... that was last year... KILLER car... hell yeah, WRXs are fun man... couple of my friends run em.. i still toy with hondas, but dont own one (daily driver 97 coupe civic)... hell yeah about the handling though man, had full tein coilovers with ALL teh progress roll bars, 15" spoons with potenza so-3 tires... 70 mph on curvy ramps with NO squeeling,,,, hehhehe... LOVE those cars... was just gonna build a h23 vtec hatch cause i stumbled upon a free h23 motor/trans, and have a h22 head frmo back in the day... buit screw it, not worth the trouble to me, LOL.. but gettin like 26psi on one of those, around 500-520hp, OMG... would be NUTS... good to hear man, nice to nkow a few of us crossed over well!
I'm using a Quad4 in my mod. The cost of rwd bell housing is just north of $425.00. The head gasket situation is best resolved with O rings, a copper head gasket and studs. Cams are pricey but so are all the other twin cammers. They also loolk soooo much like an Offy.
What about small truck motors? I'd think that they'd have some good options as far as manual trans (maybe a little over geared) and something that you could build. I think they made a Ranger with a dual plug four. Then again, I don't know Jack Schitt about anything.
Okay, Okay...I didn't say it earlier, but go with a Cosworth Vega DOHC motor! Already configured for RWD!!!
Don't let a Quad 4 motor get too hot, the heads turn into potato chips. Does anyone know of an adapter for a watercooled vw motor (rabbit, jetta, etc) mated to any sort of RWD transmission? I too have been thinking of a speedster type project.
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