I saw this a while ago; https://youtu.be/r1blqsD_79k?t=2m59s
Home made 4 cylinder Briggs and Stratton. Thought it would have been best if they put it into a little car of some sort. Didn't, but, it's still awesome (Yes, they have an entire build log of it in case you haven't seen it already)
It kind of tied into my desire to have a Cyclecar, or Olde English style of Hill Climb Special.
Recently, I learned about Wisconsin V4 engines. Can be had in 2.9L with 65hp and 1.8L with 30hp versions. Both are Air Cooled. They are big, robust as hell industrial engines...and modern ones come with a forged steel crank. Older versions were flat heads, modern ones have OHVs.
I want to build a wood framed thing, with transverse leaf springs and rotary or friction dampers, straight axles, drum brakes, skinny tires, with one of the 2.9L engines stuck out front like Morgan 3 wheeler, with a turbo or supercharger thrown on for giggles.
Or, hack two of the engines together to make a 4.35L v6, or a 5.8L V8. Though the V6 idea would be a lod harder, as the cylinder blocks only come in cylinder pairs...but they might have had a single cylinder 725cc engine at some period....
Or, make a straight eight for giggles.
HappyAndy wrote:
So any number of cars and small trucks could get in on this, IIRC there were even some AMCs that used the Iron Duke. I think I'd go for an F body, but I would see which, if any, AMCs are elegable first.
Early Jeep XJ Cherokees used an Iron Duke. Wouldn't surprise me if some others did too.
In reply to HappyAndy:
I'm just imagining a fleet of early and terrible FWD X-Body Olds Omegas and Buick Skylarks on skinny 14" whitewalls having to deal with the burden of transferring over 300hp to the pavement on a road course. It would be like watching a bunch of elephants trying to ice skate. 
FWIW... I think about 170hp on a regular Iron Duke will make the rods leave.
MadScientistMatt wrote:
Early Jeep XJ Cherokees used an Iron Duke. Wouldn't surprise me if some others did too.
I'm pretty sure these used the 2.5 AMC I4, not the Iron Duke.
HappyAndy wrote:
In reply to SilverFleet:
This thread is about bad ideas, the SD Iron Duke sounds to much like a good idea
How far you can push a stockish Iron Duke with out blowing it up is an important part of my concept.
I've seen one site say that 150hp is the upper limit on the Iron Duke and that is with swapping in the best parts from later versions of the Duke. I've heard that after 120hp, things go south quick....
I would build somthing with a radial engine.
Daily drive something with 4 digit rear wheel hp... With a 6spd.
HappyAndy wrote:
I think it would be fun to build an all out GM Iron Duke.
I'm working on one right now. Well, a medium-out. Should be a fun little car when we're done.
I remember seeing an 8 second all-motor doorslammer that was Iron Duke powered. The Super Duty heads and blocks and cranks were the real deal.
This:
With a rotary to put in it.
Halfway automotive idea. For years I've thought of putting a turbo rotary into a 1949 aluminum 14ft boat I've got. mid engined like a ski nautique or something. Most people would probably think it's just jetski powered, until it blows by at 100mph
So what's the limiting factor on the non SD Iron Duke? I'm vaguely aware of weak rods, oiling system problems, and timing gear failures, that's why I didn't stipulate those parts to OE. I was under the impression that the block and crank could survive into the mid 200s with improved oiling and good rods & pistons. I could be completely wrong though.
The Super Duty Duke ain't cheap, and IMO its not really the same engine.
In reply to chiodos:
Do it!!!
http://www.atkinsrotarymarine.com/index.php?pag=2
slefain wrote:
I just want to own a 2001-02 XJR. The only thing stopping me is logic. The cars are cheap to buy, buy keeping it going, oh my...
Do it. I really like mine.
The cranks are spindles with no counterweighting, the rods are made out of dried boogers, and the heads kinda suck.
So they are a Bad Idea! 
Now what engine I like is the 2.2 pushrod engine. On the face of it, they have decently sized and shaped ports (BEAUTIFUL downdrafted intake port) and they have 44mm intake valves. The VW 8v guys would murder to get valves that big, and they do Pretty Durn Good with 42mm. So the 2.2 is already two different ways better than the VW engine. It's also less undersquare and the bottom end isn't QUITE a scrody as the Duke.
I always had a crazy idea in the back of my mind to make a good intake manifold and header for the 2.2, have Comp grind me a sufficiently wild cam, and throw that in the RX-7. "Oh, just a 2.2 out of a S-10." 250 crank HP shouldn't be too terribly hard to get. And engine cores are cheap to free.
In reply to Knurled:
I always did think my 2200 Sunfire could have used a lot more cam or something. The lost foam aluminum head looked like a nice part but it quit pulling harder at 4500 or so. It also didn't seem to mind me taking out my anger on it all the time, which supports the hypothesis the guts have more strength left in them. If the temp needle was off the peg that pos was ready to redline.
