What do these BMW or other newer inlines look like when installed in an early car? Are they major ugly once stripped of all the unnecessary parts? ? For this site engines are also styling. This old Jag DOHC 6 has styling....They are moderately expensive and once the Britsh car part is removed they are reliable And 250 hp will move a light hot rod quite well.
I think the BMW 4s and 6s look great when cleaned up. The Jag is very nice, but pretty big. Using an unusual, obscure or ferrin brand of inline motor doesn't bother me so much as having something really smooth, easy to work on and a joy if, for just once, the steering gear didn't have to work it's way around V-8 exhaust! Trad or not, the Pontiac OHC 6 just might be the best pick, as it's so much like all those custom head or OHC conversions of bangers in days gone by. Gary
I grew up with the SBC, my brother always preferred the big Mopars, I'm running a SBC in my 46 and a 235 in the wifes 52 coupe, they each gather a crowd and both are equally fun to drive. Flowmasters on the 46, and some long ass Cherry Bombs on the 235 give them each a unique sound which is pleasant to my ears. I freeze the wife out riding with the window down, I just love to hear them.
True. I think this discussion comes down to who is in what age group. I was racing against Ford flatheads in the early 1950's before the small block Chevrolet V8 came out. You had to take advantage of the six cylinder torque and know when to shift gears. Most Ford guys didn't. In my later life I had a 1975 ElCamino that I installed a 292 Chevrolet with Clifford intake and headers and a 500 cfm Holley 4 bbl. I used a Borg Warner super T-10 and left the Hydramatic ratio rear end in the car. Out on the road, I-5 to California I would stay with the other traffic until I got to those steep hills by Grants Pass. I would shift down one gear and pull away from the other traffic. Late model Cadillacs couldn't stay with me, and they tried. The drivers of the Cadillacs didn't realize that the harder they tried to pass me on the hill, the more their computer contrlled car would shift down. I probably caused a lot of new car dealer shop foremen to get chewed out by irate new car owners Monday morning.
what would be rad, would be a M20 with a custom intake and some sidedrafts. or a M70 with mechanical injection.
Would love to know what the exhaust setup is on this thing, kinda reminds me of a harley at idle.........potata, potata, potata, potata, potata
How come nobody mentioned the Chev Trailblazer 4.2 291 HP straight six? Watch one in a 1950 Chev beat a Camaro. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPJ6vBhHexg
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I like a 270 or 302 jimmy six...sweet music at idle thru 4 or 5000rpm..plus it is pure traditional hot roddin at its best...just sayin
Looks like it all boiled down to builders choice from mild to wild and 4 to 12 cylinders. Gotta love us Motorheads we're the same only different.
The old blue chevy is pushing some serious power out of an inline six there are a few more videos where he is pulling the front tires off the track for a few hundred feet. I wish my inline six was making even a quarter of that power.
I used a V6 in my truck 'cause it was $150.00 and rebuilt and came with a whole truck,,,now in hindsight I would rather have gone with a ford 300 Inline 6...Lots of power and there is plenty of room for exhaust headers and steering linkage,,,these items are not even an issue with a straight 6..Ford 300 parts are readily available.
The speed limit around my town is 30mph. Why do I need anything more than an inline 6 to cruise with?
im gona re use my 6 if i can. i know its under powered. i dont care. its a flat head 6. its bad ass. i dont care about going fast, its all about looking cool. same reason i have a harley and not a crotch rocket.
I have a 1950 Chevy pick up. Unless fully modified, I really don't think that a v8 looks right under the hood.
Why an inliner? Well, for me it's because you see very few T-buckets with one. Especially, a '57 235 matched to a '57 Powerglide transmission. Mine is basically a stock engine with a single barrel Rochester carb. Still, it produces a nice sound with it's single exhaust manifold and no muffler. Has all the power that I need to get around.
It's not just about power.. it's about "cool".. A guy comes up to your car, lifts the hood and expects to see a SBC like everybody else out there... instead sees a dressed up inliner.. unique is cool, style is cool... it's not how fast you can get from A to B, but rather the style in which you do it. "Low and slow" are how some people like to cruise. Different strokes ... ya know. Sure if you're building something for a straight line or for the strip and you're just worried about power and speed then a big ol' hurkin' V8 is probably the way to go... I'm thankful this lifestyle is about so much more than just that.
Exactly, 73Super. Hotrodding traditionally was about hopping up what you had and within your financial capability. THAT might be as simple as swapping a 230 Chevy inline for the smaller 216. Nice gain without much pain. Or a 265 Spitfire flatty into a '38 Dodge. More than 60 CID gained, but not breaking the bank, right? Isn't that hotrodding? My '38 Plymouth started out with a (if I recall) 201 inline six, then previous teen owners swapped in a Chrysler 265 flatty inline and had a ball wearing THAT out! LOL. I got it and put in a 230 inline six from a '55 Dodge panel. I like it, 'cause it's still bigger plus a truck engine. I've got a pristine, low-hours 250 MerCruiser (Chevy) OHV inline six in the boat I'm selling off. As much as I'd LIKE to have 165 horsepower in the '38, I can't bring myself to put a GM/Chevy-based OHV in the Plymouth, 'cause I'm a MoPar guy. Sigh. And it sure isn't because I don't love Fords and GMs. But I'm resigned to letting somebody else pull this Gen-III inline and put it in a GM coupe or roadster. One thing I had to swallow after 50 years of loivng hotrods and customs is that ONE GUY can't achieve EVERYTHING he can visualize! I think I've heard a TON of HAMBers say pretty much the same thing! LOL. My loss, some other worthy rodder's gain.
I have guessed since joining this site that there are a lot of opinions out there. No one I grew up with was looking for a 6 or flat head v-8 anything. We all wanted a ohv V-8 something and a stick shift. I am still that way and although I like the look, "for you" I still will opt for a V-8. I do have one 4 banger for a specific class.
Haven't read all the posts on this thread but it's probably been mentioned somewhere here on H.A.M.B. This car blew me away when I saw a story on it. And it's not "traditional". 1937 Chevrolet Coupe Owned by Harry Stirnemann All Original Steel Body Street Legal 292 Chevrolet Inline 6 Precision 70mm Turbo MSD Digital 7 Ignition 625 RWHP Best ET 9.95 at 134mph
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