Who has a STRAIGHT 6 in your HotRod? Come On, stand up!

I've got an AMC/Jeep 1988 4.0L with 1974 258 crank and rods, bored 0.030" over to make it 4.6L (right at 280 inches). Been running it since 2000. Jeep AW-4 auto trans with manual control box in place of computer, 90s T-bird rack and pinion steering, 1987 Jag rear axle w/3.54 gears. Runs great, plenty power, adequate gas mileage (averages about 19 -- 17-18 in city, 20-22 on highway). I plan on making some improvements this fall -- 1996 head and exhaust manifold, 1999 intake, 58mm throttle body (original is 52 mm), and factory performance computer (hard to find!). I expect slight gas mileage increase (1-2 mpg) and 30-50 ponies too. Well, mileage will increase if my foot doesn't...

 

Frank,

Nice ride. Love the fact that the car is powered by the 4.0L (well, 4.0, originally).
Like the paint job, too. Really nice.
Gave ya' 5 nuts @ Jay Leno's Garage.



...and speaking of 4.0L powered AMC's, I just found a really nice example of a '69 Rambler....



Somewhere, about 1000 pages back, I think I posted the Youtube link to the photo shown above.
I tell ya', the car coulda' used a Cherry Bomb for a muffler, but regardless, it squirted around that course slicker than $h!t.
Apparently gets 24MPG and still turns 15.40's in the 1/4!
That's a hard combination to beat....and now...I want one!


6narow

 

My two kids cleaning a Ford 300 that's going in a 23 T Bucket

Mike

 

Senior dragster now has a 4 bbl instead of 6 singles. Also a new cam. Test run indicated a gear change required . Gears would not do it perfect but a tire change provided exactly the ratio I needed so it is also done. Waiting for good weather and a test and tune to try it out again. Last race it was the first car ever to run under the new Glorydays nostalgia banner. it sure is a lot of fun to drive

 

Here is a progress picture of my '29 Essex RS coupe. Homebuilt frame and all with a 230 Inline 6 from a '69 Camaro! Still lots of work to do, but having a blast. First Build too. Perley

 

Guilty.

 

Here's my junk. 250, 3 webers, Offy intake, Cast Iron ceramic coated headers (Langdons), dual Smithy's, 3 on the tree, in a 63 Belair.

 

55 235 to an s10 t5, nicson intake with three pots and
split fentons. drove the wheels off it this summer

 

Nicson tri-carb intake - I don't think I've ever seen one before.

I have a Nicson twice carbed and a McGurk 3 times, a Nicson Valve cover, and I'm looking for a repopped Nicson side plate, which I believe will be produced soon.

 

Dude,

The truck project looks nice.
Is the old coupe in your avatar 6-powered, too?
That thing is S-W-E-E-T!


6narow

 

240cid Ford motor with a Clifford intake and Holley 390cfm 4-barrel and a set of split exhaust manifolds from a later model 300cid motor in my '66 F-100. It has the stock 3-speed and a 9-inch with 4.11:1 ring and pinion gears so it is a rocket until it reaches the top speed of 58 miles per hour.

I really need to swap out the ring and pinion to something a little more freeway friendly...

 

an Orig 216 and anything youve got for it!

 

Sorry man the coupe is a 4 cyl

 

Not neccessarily.
There was a version of the Toploader that had an OD gear.
Check THIS.
Scroll down and you'll see a list of trannys with their corressponding ratios listed.
Notice the "Toploader" section and you'll see the OD version I'm telling you about.
The reduction in high gear would change your 4.11's to an effective 3.33.
Much nicer to live with on the hiway, and you still get the dig from the low gears when you need/want it.

...anyway, just a suggestion.

Its cool that you're rockin' the 240. Don't hear about that one nearly as much.




6narow

 

Really? Now THAT'S different!
Way to think outside the box.
Looks like you do some nice work.
Cruz'n


6narow

 

I've always fancied building a modified with a Jag straight 6, good engine and easy to get power from.

 

The Jag six is often replaced with a Chevy 350, not because it lacks power, but because it LOVES dollars!! Cost to rebuild the Jag six is high, at least in the US. Cheaper to buy a kit and swap a Chevy 350/350 combo in, or more likely close to the same price. The Jag six requires a bit more maintenance also. For one of us gear-head types it might be a good unit though -- but price parts for rebuilding first! I suspect that most of the rebuild cost for the average guy is in labor.

A true Ford toploader guy cringes every time they hear about the 3+OD "toploader". It is similar in appearance and loads form the top, but isn't in the same family as the old rugged four speed of the 60s. It's a T-170f, maybe 170fs. There were two versions, one that has the shift arms on the side (known as the SMOD -- side mount OD) and one with the shifter rail built into the output shaft housing similar to a T-5 (known as the SROD -- single rail OD). The SMOD is the stronger of the two with a cast iron housing and was used in the late 60s and through the 70s. The SROD is aluminum and was used through the mid 80s. I have no idea when the SMOD stopped and SROD started, I think it was late 70s. They were used in F-100/F-150 trucks with the 300 six and in Granadas, early Mavericks, and even 70s Mustangs (and similar size Ford/Merc cars). Search the web to find out how to identify one without driving it. Some of the 60s vehicles just have 1-4 on the shift know, but I know the early 80s have 1-3 and OD (a white circle with a D in it) on the knob. Dad had a 80-83 Ford F-100 short bed with the 300 six and SROD trans. Rpm dropped significantly when you jumped from 3rd to OD, but that truck was geared for highway mileage -- it sucked when stacked with hay! That was more the weak rear springs than trans/motor though. The old 300 six had plenty low end torque even with a highway geared rear axle.

I only know about them because they will bolt right up to an old Rambler that had a T-86/T-89 three speed... Should be same or close to a T-10 four speed pattern -- I know the top two bolts are the same, not sure about the bottom two. FYI Ford used the BW T-86/89 with the old BW electric OD units in the 50s and early 60s, they weren't put behind Ford transmissions.

 

I as an old Jag mechanic from the late 60s though similar. I thought though a 32 Austin bantam roadster with a Jag six (early vintage with triple SUs and smooth polished valve covers and a 50s Jag sedan grill up front would be the ultimate street rod. Only trouble is you would need an argyle sweater and one of those goofy hats like Denis Gage wears to drive it. Im more your checkered flannel shirt, no hat kind of dude. Don

BTW the big cost of Jag rebuild is the head work as the valves are shimmed . On a rebuild this can take many hours but if it was your own then it is only time and a lot less costly. The engines at least from the 60s were very high quality and well designed. They gave great mileage and huge power for their size.
Comparing them to small block chevy is like comparing Sophia Loren to Janet Jackson!

 

Nah, I bet Janet Jackson is every bit as "high maintenance" as Sophia Loren is/was!! The Chevy would be some down-to-earth type... can't think of an actress like that!!

Any motorcycle mechanic should be comfy with the Jag then... or maybe an aircraft engine mechanic. I know Jag has a lot of details you'd normally find only in aircraft. The rear axle in my Rambler wagon is from an 87 XJ-6. Lots of bolts drilled for safety wire and needle bearings in the swing arms!

 

Here's mine. 59 Dodge 230 in a 29 Dodge Brothers deluxe coupe. Engine is fresh with Fenton twin carb intake and Fenton headers. Trans is a 3spd manual from a 41 Plymouth.

 

Build it and be different, Had a v-12 jag and the torque would throw you back in the seat, that six with the side draft would look cool. Never had any engine problems but it was an electrical night mare. Fuses, fan motors and electric fuel pumps, alway had extra fuses.

 

That was thanks to Lucas electrics.... Lucas was sarcastically known as the "Prince of Darkness" way before Ozzy Osbourne (I wonder if that's where he got it?). It was a play on the early Lucas headlight brand "King of the Road".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucas_Industries

Some Lucas jokes, which is mostly what you'll find if you search:
http://www.hermit.cc/Mania/tmc/articles/lucas.htm

I knew the "Prince of Darkness" came from an old slogan or brand by Lucas, but had to go to the Wikipedia article to find it. Plenty of the POD jokes on the 'net, hard to find useful info though!! That's one of the problems with the internet now -- so many sites, so much useless info to sift through... and too many people who don't know the difference between useless drivel and fact!! If you knew if, why are you searching for it...

 

Thats Hot!!! Where in CT do you live? Nice ride! Todd

 

I just dropped off my 240 at the machine shop last thursday. Its not going to be a hot rod but it will be packing a few Clifford goodies on the inside and a Offy intake manifold backed by 3 speed O.D in my 66 f100. Im doing a lot more than just the engine. Will post a build thread soon.

 

Lynn has a good sense of humor too, amonst the neat old plates under the seat was a ghost flamed toilet seat for those awkward moments
We called it MoFo and will never part with it.
The certification rules here in NZ wouldn't allow us to keep the pipes (they were cool) and we've changed a few small things, but have kept to Lynn's theme 'cos he built a beauty.
We've done a ton of miles in it but pulled the mill this winter as it was a bit tired. It should be back in a couple of weeks with raised compression,a bumpier cam and a balance job, then it gets a set of triple webers.Summers coming
Lynn told me he's a bit computer challenged....I don't suppose he posts on here? If not, please say hi to him for us, thanks, Jerry.

 

Just found this thread, getting in a little late. I'm building a 31 Chevy roadster, low boy east coast style and decided I didn't want to go 350/350/9". I found an ad on Craigs list and went and drove the 69 Nova with 250/PG. I'm thinking it will fit, a 6 in it was stock, so shouldn't be a big deal.

 

NorthEastMetals and CruznCougar,

Those are some right-on rides!
Way to go, guys!
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Farna,

Be glad you never had to prime a Perkns diesel, which used LUCAS fuel pumps, after changing the LUCAS fuel filters.
There was a hand primer that was a tiny little lever on the underside of the fuel pump, and a bleeder valve on each side of the fuels filters.
Pump the little handle 50-75 times for each valve.
"Writers Cramp" don't even begin to describe it!
Even if I had run around with a pocketful of fuses, I'll take electricity over that mess ANY TIME, thank you.
Also, thanks for the insight on the tranny's.
I worked with a girl in a tire shop about 20 years ago and she bought a new short and narrow F-100 in the late 80's that had that tranny. You're right. White writing on the shifter knob with the circled "D" for 4th gear.
Had the 300-6 and she always complained that it never had any power.
They should've really put those tranny's in front of shorter gears, but the thinking back then was turn the engine slower, because it was a cheap and easy way to keep the CAFE up, especially considering the way they tested the drivetrains to get the ratings, back then.
------------------------------------

langy,

3.8L or 4.2L DOHC out of an E-type? That would really be something in a mid 60's Ford Zephyr (don't forget the mag wheels, either).
------------------------------------

RedSteeley,

Aw, you remind me of me...right down to the checkered flannel shirt (hey, its Washington, we invented that look!).
Only difference is I usually have room to pull the motor inside of the garage.
Also, you don't appear to have a basement that you have to haul the motor down into, to work on.
Wanna talk about an "art form"? Try doing that gracefully.





6narow

 

I never thought of Sophia or the Jag 6 as hi maintenance. I was referring to the exotic beauty and grace. While we did not sell a lot of Jags where i worked the ones we did were not a problem. In fact I dont recall ever doing anything but regular service on them. I also worked on a few in Montreal when i lived there. Plugs points oil change and carb damper service was about it. The old jags were pretty reliable engines. I am talking sixes here. The V 12s were a disaster in my opinion. I can understand someone replacing them, even with such a boring engines as a small block chevy.
Don

 

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Wow! That thing is BAD! NASTY BAD even!!!
mart
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I do!!!!! Not as bad a** as mikaelmtb!!