Anyone building a 4cyl/auto car ?

Late model 4cyl auto that is.

Just wondering if anyone has put any research into what current/late model injected motor & trans would be the best choice, as in fast/quick, good mileage, the least electronics/computers as possible (i'll put a damn computer on, no problem) & least specialized parts needed. I don't really want to start a "why not a banger" debate though. I've got to drive about 15 miles a day very reliably and absolutely trouble free through hot, cold & snow. These cock suckers are talking about over $4.00 a gal. by the end of Sept. and I'm about to the point I could torture and kill the MF'rs that engineered this shit. Since that's out, I've got to beat the system and decided to get started doing it today, so I'm looking for ideas. I've got a 30 roadster I can slap together, or a 29 Leatherback, which is what I was thinking of as a highboy so we could use it as a long trip/highway car. Thanks

Brian

 

The hard part is finding a rear wheel drive 4 cyl setup. Then next best option I've thought up is turning a 4cyl with transaxles sideways, then running a driveshaft off the output thats supposed to go to the wheel. May have to do something with the differential in the transaxle. I've been seriously considering a 4 cyl Cummins diesel. I'm confident I could get close to 40 mpg with one. Only problem is the high cost of the motor, and then trying to find a manual tranny to go behind it. It would take alot of miles to recover the cost. If any one knows of one cheap, let me know.

Gary

 

little pickups still have them.

But anything made in the past 20 yrs will have computer on it.

 

Don't forget about the ford 2.3. Get lucky and you can find one with a turbo already on it cheap.

 

Im twisted but let me bounce this offn ya- How about a '93 Festiva 4 cy with manual 5 speed[a front wheel drive setup] WITH steering FIXED/LOCKED and installed as a rear drive UNIT in THE BED OF a 29 model A Roadster pickup?
AND USE THE FULL HOOD as a trunk/AND A LOUVERED HARD COVER ON BED.......

 

That's a good idea too, I thought about rear engine, and also even fwd, which is extra queer....but I've got a fubar knee and even my current ride with a light Centerforce clutch gets to it after a day of stop-n-go, so I need an auto.

 

Roost I've bee thinkin the same thing, and I've got a simalar problem with my leg.
I'm considering usin an old mid 60's 153 cu. in. Chev. banger I've got in the shop in my '32 pickup instead of the flathead (sacrilege).
I'm told a 350 will bolt to it but a special torque conv. will have to be used. Anybody know? I think they came with a Power Glide. Anybody know what gear ratio would work best behind one of these?
Keep us posted on what you come up with.
Later
Count

 

The torque converter for the 153 Chevy II motor had a higher stall speed to get her going because of the lower torque of the motor. 3.36 or 3.42 ratio with a 28 or 29 inch tire might be good. It won't be a neck snapper. They came with air cooled powerglides which are cool.

overspray

 

If you're going rear engine...


I don't know if you've ever heard this before, but there's a little German company that used to make a 4 cylinder rear-engined car. It was named after some insect or something. And if I remember right, it didn't even have a radiator!

Air cooled VW, man. Cheap and easy. The auto might not be as easy. They have an "auto stick" back in the 70s which most people dislike, but Fat Hack told me once that they weren't so bad. I know everyone thinks you can only build a sand rail or weird looking GT40 clone with a VW chassis, but in the 60s and 70s a ton of guys were building T-bucket sorta VWs. Very cool. Do it up all 70s style. Chicks'll dig it.

 

I would do 1 of two motors personally...

Quad 4 with a T5 conversion.

2.5L Chrysler from a dakota! 4 spd autos, or 5 speed manuals were available. Turboing is easy, and the older 2.2's came with a carb. The 2.2 carb intake will bolt righ tup to a 2.5L.

 

Kennedy Engineering does adapters to mount just about any motor to a VW transaxle, but I don't know of anything in the vise-versa variety, mounting a VW to a "conventional" trans. I'm sure it can, and has, been done though.

 

What do the VW powered midgets run? It's a front mount application. May be an in & out box, but a tranny should adapt to it.

 

I've been thinking about the same thing... fixing up 6's and 4's to be cool, quick, and affordable transportation. Everyone around here is sticking their 440's, 390's etc. in the garage and driving their ol'lady's minivan.

My 2.2 gets about 30mpg, but it's a 5speed... I was looking around to swap it to an automatic, and heard there are at least three diff. auto-trannies that swap right in, but it is a FWD so my #'s wouldnt do you any good. I don't mind the wrong-wheel-drive... but lots do.

I'm gonna start hoarding all the old inline sixes I can find, I've always heard you can get real decent mileage out of them and still get around the block pretty damn fast.

Gas prices ain't going down for awhile guys... get used to it.

 

I've blown apart my t-bucket for a new chassis. I plan on using a 86 Ranger 2.3 with a 5spd(althougth they also came with autos). 86 is still carbed. I figure I can update later to fuelie and a turbo. I agonized (and got a lot of shit) over swapping the dual 4 350 SBC out for a 4 banger. But, even with good tires, it was still a nose heavy, tire smoking ride(OK, now I want to keep the 350). I'm looking for a more well balanced ride, and with the 2.3, I can build the car shorter and lighter.

Karl

 

Just finished building a modified using the radiator,motor, and close-ratio 5-speed out of an `81 Mazda B2000. It's actually a Hemi-styled motor with cross-flow head, rear wheel drive and no electronics. Chunked the factory intake/carb and built a log type manifold that now runs two 94's for a little older look; the exhaust manifold -- cast iron -- cleaned up to look like a header and it's a factory split! I'm happy. Send me an e-mail @ garrycarter@satx.rr.com and I'll shoot you some pix. Still can't do the HAMB picture thingy.

 

I like to see your car and engine Gary....

 

Count Scrapula, if you want to put a 350 Turbo up to the 153 , use a Vega converter. The 350 really brings the 153 to life since the Powerglide low gear was very close to the same ratio as second gear in the 350. The smaller size of the Vega converter(10' I think) helps also. There are some slight mods nessecary to use the vega converter in the 350 that are very simple and most older trans shopsand drag racers will know what to do.

 

I've got a '93 toyota mr2, rear engine.. there are several guys building homebuilt racecars with that setup.

 

Nissan L20, side drafts, 150 horse combo. Can use auto from any 240/60/80 Z, and parts are cheap. Also 240sx/pickup 2.4 and auto are easy to find, everyone is swapping in turbo motors and giving away the 2.4/autos. I have several laying around. the FI is really simple, and since they have distributors, you can run carbs if you want, and modify the valve body to eliminate the computer. it has been done.

S10 2.5 is probably easiest.

 

is it blk w/ grn wheels? i think i saw it at this yr's roundup

 

have thought along the same lines.......
but in the rear of a corvair body.

 

Mustangs and thunderbirds are also a good place to look for a 2.3L ford, rear drive trans, and rear axle. If you're lucky enough you may find one with a turbo setup. Not sure when fuel injection started but I've seen it on 87's and you'll probably want to avoid the NGS/ OBD II setups I think that happened in 96. And there's more aftermarket then you'd think for the old pinto motor. Probably for 2 reasons. It's in Mustangs, and it's used for jr. racing classes. There's a 17 yo girl on another board I frequent that has a 2.3 Ford in her race car.

 

I've had a few late model S10's and the auto's don't get the mileage the sticks do, but I'm going to have to do an automatic anyway.

At any rate, this thread has got some good replies and good ideas. I'll post some ideas once I get something a little firmer.

Hopefully we'll strike on some killer little combination that's kind of a natural, easy, available, cheap & fun to drive, with great mpg's of course. I've put my mind to it now. (so don't worry if you smell smoke )

 

Are there any particular years to look for or avoid?

Do you have any pictures of these engines?

 

Here are the pictures of "Seymour's" (Garry) Roadster with the 4cyl.

Looks really right in there .

 

I'm working on putting a 2.3 turbo out of a 88thunderbird with automatic in a 57 nash metropolitan for my wife. Personally I love the V8 but with gas prices rising, I might have to build me a 4cyl bucket myself.

 

My buddy is building a fenderless 27 T roadster using a 20R Toyota engine and auto trans from a Celica. Its about 65% finished, so no performance tests yet, but its looking real good with gas prices as they are.

 

Glenn,
Thanks for posting the pix of my Mazda-powered modified (although my HAMB "handle" is Skulker -- not Seymour).

And I've also got a `29 Ford rpu that's powered by a 2300cc Ford motor out of an `84 Bronco II. It's a good setup, fits into the Model A very well, and has a TON of aftermarket/speed equipment available for it. A buddy of mine runs a highly-stressed version on the salt and the dyno says he's making a little over 300 hp.