I know it's non-trad, but don't overlook the BMW V12 from the 750 and 850 luxo tourers. With the injection off, they look like 30s aircraft or racing engines. You will need to come up with intake and ign. systems, but the engines can be had for 750-1000 all day, and unless you run them out of oil, they last forever. We've got one with 250k on it and it still runs like a top. Ok, I'm duckin'...fire away.
Here's a pretty good one. Not many pics of them with the intakes off. I DID point out that it's non-traditional...but it "looks the shit".
Get a Datsun 240 Z motor , stick a Paxton on it and have someone fabricate a really trippy looking valve cover that says "Duemilia Quadroporte con Compressore " . that'll flip'im out .
like coupster said, aircraft engines are made for completely different purposes than car engines. The whole concept behind an aircraft motor is to have really high Cubic inches and lots of power, but then only use very little of that power, this is how they keep them reliable in the air. When airplanes are on the ground ie taxing from park to run-up they have really bad overheating issues, thats why at air shows people are always turning off their engines when they have to wait in line to take off. One run to the grocery store and three red lights could do your motor in. If your only planning on racing it then you can probably get away with it. Not saying it can't be done but there is going to be a high learning curve and budget to do it. As far as looking for one, you might look for some AMP (Aircraft Mechanic) schools in your area, they are usually held at highschools afterhours and they always have tons of donated engines and stuff for practice. Hey on second thought you might just want to take the class if your gonna be putting an airplane engine in your car.
There was a feature in HRM long ago of an Australian roadracing hotrod that used one of the common flat fours from small planes. The guy was able to build the engine nearly for free by using parts discarded because they had reached mandatory retirement age in hours of flight. Are there any common light plane engines that are not flat fours?? Those are pretty much packaging nightmares for car use.
I had tossed around the idea of using one of those V4 aircooled engines used in trailered welders. I believe Wisconsin, Onan, and probably others built these. The problem again though is that if you remove the shrouding designed to control the air flow around the fins so you could see them, you risk overheating. I'd love to build a speedster with a couple of these mounted end to end with their finned heads peaking out the side of the hood. At the rate I'm going with my rpu build though, this is a far far distant project.
Sanity is the cruch for the week minded... Wrench till you drop and create till you pop! Balls to the wall or nothing at alllllllll!!!!!
Wasn't there a car made in '48 with a 6 cyl. helicopter engine... I can't remember what it was called... Tacker? Tecker? Tocker? Maybe it began with an "F" Anyway, just find one of them fuckers and grab the engine.
Contact your local or nearest Air and Space Museum and talk to someone in the resto shop, if they have one. They might turn you on to someone that has the stuff if they don't. And also, they love to trade for stuff if you have anything that is plane related. But I like the Datsun 240Z inline idea, and they are cheap!
check IVECO trucks, I've got one with the air cooled 5 banger, they are lightweight (for a diesel) with lots of aluminum. I was thinking of using mine in a RPU.
I want a R4360! There are some in a yard south of me. I had a chance to buy some Hisso's. Some were already converted to 4Cyl. Could not get it done
Good luck keepin THAT bitch cool! There's a guy in Cen Cal that has a YARD full of Rangers that were top head unit for citrus wind machines. He's a stiff prick, and convinced they are more precious than gold, as I recall.
Didn't Nash or one of the other independants use a Lycoming straight six at some point in the 30's? two plugs per cylinder, looked kinda cool. Sounds like a neat project
Continental 4s and 6s were used by many small manufacturers in the teens, 20s and 30s. Kinda like the Cosworth DFV opened up Formula 1 to a lot of smaller teams in the 60s and 70s.
check out Corngrower32's post in the vintage sprint car thread. all the Ranger-engined cars inverted the engines pistons-skyward. you might also check out the Jot Horne Airoadster '27 T on 32 rails that ran early drags in the '50's and at bonneville. Horne was an employee at Bell auto parts and developed many of the Cragar intake manifolds, some marketed under the Horne brand name. The Airoadster later sprouted a track style nose that accomodated a front mounted GMC 6-71 blower. see Don Montgomery's Hot Rods As They Were and the American Hot Rod by Dean Batchelor for history on the Airoadster SORRY! post edit! the thread with Corngrower32's Ranger engine is the "What's the Holy Grail of Rare Parts" thread
I saw a Fad T with a 6 cyl. Kawasaki cycle engine turned North-South that look pretty cool. This was at the LARS a couple decades ago before I got "the message" about "furrin" engines...
Really old Peerless V8 engines are kinda impressive looking, as are early Cad. V8 flatheads. My '17 Caddy engine looks bigger than a Hemi. If you can find a '15 they have non-detachable heads with a nice ancient look. Of course, they ARE ancient! Some of the early flathead Cads could be set up with 4 downdraft carbs real easy. Maybe an early Lincoln would do, too. Bob
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