With the El Camino and all of its associated parts expected to be out of the garage before Christmas, I will hopefully finally be getting the DeLorean into the garage and started on the extensive overhaul that it needs- including swapping in something more substantial for it's wildly underwhelming and anemic PRV engine.
Earlier this year I picked up a Park Avenue Ultra and pulled the 2nd-gen supercharged 3800 with the intend of using it as the new engine for the DMC- and that's still a very strong contender given I already own it and have it sitting in my garage and know firsthand how powerful of an engine it is: if it can make the Park Avenue, which dwarfs even the rather heavy DMC, absolutely fly it will do quite well in the lighter car.
But- it's not without its problems. The 3800SC was never used, that I can tell, in a longitudinal application- and the throttle body sits on what would be on the back (front in a rear-engine configuration like the DMC) of the engine when mounted longitudinally, and on most cars that would mean that it severely interferes with the firewall. There's the chance this won't be the case with the DMC- it after all in stock exhaust form had a crossover pipe that want over the top of the transmission forward of the engine which might mean enough clearance for the throttle body and intake hose- but it will be difficult to tell until I get the car in the garage and start really closely measuring things.
For reference, according to the specs, the L67 Supercharged 3800 from the Park Avenue Ultra puts out 240HP and 280ft-lbs of torque.
So, I've been considering other engines that have seen longitudinal use.
Ford supercharged V6 'Essex' (from a Ford Supercoupe): Very similar in general to the 3800, but in stock form puts out less horsepower at 210HP but more torque at 315ft-lbs. Also has the advantage of having the A/C compressor and the alt in the same place as the PRV does (though I'd need a delete pulley for the power steering)
GM 5.3 V8- More power regardless of the year, but also larger and heavier I believe, and heavier isn't something that I really need in the already rear-heavy DMC.
Mazda 13B-MSP Renesis- The original engine that I had wanted to swap into the DMC, since the original design for the car back in its development stages called for using a rotary engine that was being developed by a company in Europe that never ended up being produced. Has several advantages over the other engines, namely that it would be the lightest by far and makes fairly good power normally aspirated. I also just happen to love rotary engines, and think it would be a fun one to have in the car, but I'd have to get one and would likely have to rebuild one (not too much of a concern, I've rebuild at 13B before) to get it for a reasonable price.
What do you guys think? There's a definite appeal to the idea of one of the supercharged engines in the back of the DMC, but the rotary would put out about as much power (but less torque), be lighter, and rev to infinity and beyond- but I don't already own one...
