How would you build up this Crosley Drag car project for the Challenge?

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/621691446828104/?ref=search&referral_code=null&referral_story_type=post

I've seen this car for awhile, funny enough starting out on the HAMB Boards out of Missouri. It's supposedly a late 50s Crosley that's been dropped onto a late 40s caddy frame that was originally set up for a flathead, that was sold for $2K to someone that's now reappeared. I keep revisiting it which tells me I'm super interested, but for something so small and light I'd want to equally do something small and light with it's engine and trans- and I'm coming up with nothing. So what would the brain trust here attempt with it?

There's a Harley powered Crosley in the Detroit area.

I would go for an old school Open Wheel Modified vibe. NASCAR slicks on all four corners V8 and side pipes. It may not be fast but it would be cool as berkeley

I was going to say the price is worth it just for the wheels, but then I read that the wheels have already been sold.  

In reply to GIRTHQUAKE :

I went down the small and light rabbit hole a few years back. The winners were the Saturn LLO that matches a lot of the GM metric teams pattern and the Suzuki G13. Either way you're looking 124hp max stock. Say the car comes in at 1500lbs with one of those that gives you a 12:1 weight to power ratio. If you throw in a 5.0 SBF you're adding 200lbs but your weight to power ratio goes to 8.5 to one with a stock 200hp. I'd take the 8.5 to one. 

That sure reminds me of something...

In reply to GIRTHQUAKE :

Is it still small and light even though it is sitting on a 40's Caddy frame?

As a drag car, looks like an easy candidate for a small block or LS.  That may not be what you want to hear, but it's the easy button. 

Me? 

I'd collect all the parts then sell them for half 

Stampie said:

In reply to GIRTHQUAKE :

I went down the small and light rabbit hole a few years back. The winners were the Saturn LLO that matches a lot of the GM metric teams pattern and the Suzuki G13. Either way you're looking 124hp max stock. Say the car comes in at 1500lbs with one of those that gives you a 12:1 weight to power ratio. If you throw in a 5.0 SBF you're adding 200lbs but your weight to power ratio goes to 8.5 to one with a stock 200hp. I'd take the 8.5 to one. 

That's my first idea- try to play power to weight ratios, try to find the best intersection. I'm even considering aero and what can be turbocharged, because engines like Honda K series can take up to 500whp on a turbo on the stock internals.

In reply to SV reX :

As a drag car, looks like an easy candidate for a small block or LS.  That may not be what you want to hear, but it's the easy button. 

No its fine! And I even have a GM T5 hanging around, but it's one meant for the V6s that has the 15 degree cant, and I don't think it can be used for a bigger engine than the 3800s.  I also have a lot of family experience in GM V8s so it would be an easy button.

In reply to GIRTHQUAKE :

Then perhaps the supercharged 3800?

When I think of small and nimble, I don't think of a 40's vintage Cadillac frame. 
 

I say put a Caddy 500 into it.  

In reply to GIRTHQUAKE :

First stage build for the Challenge slap that easy button like you mean it. If you're a GM man then SBC th350.  Wanna get a little fancy and claim bragging rights/ Concours points put a th400 behind it and do the no cost drill it and you got a manual valve body th400 trans mod. Honestly for the Challenge a manual valve body auto trans is perfect.   Autocross lock it in 2nd and drags you don't have to worry about what rpm to slip the clutch and all that. 

In reply to GIRTHQUAKE :

Stampie's right. Keep it simple. 

Put the front end back on. Moon tank ahead of the factory grille. Zoomies out the wheel wells.

In reply to SV reX :

I actually came here to say Caddy 500.  Only about 30 lbs heavier than an SBC, massive cubes, and doesn't need much of anything.  Get an earlier one with the higher compression.  Don't change the cam.  Powerglide with 2.90s in the 9 inch.  The torque in a Caddy 500 peaks at about 1800, so you don't even need to add a different TC.

I had a 500 in my Bonneville for a while that I ported the exhaust and bowl-blended the intake.  I opted for a cam that was actually smaller than stock.  On a Mustang dyno, we couldn't get torque numbers because they get overloaded around 600 lb-ft.  So it had somewhere north of 600 and it would ROAST tires with 3.08s.  Traction was a serious problem.

Do spring for a used Edelbrock intake.  The iron stocker is pretty useless and also heavy.  Use cubes.  Use torque.  It's cheaper.

Actual Crosleys aren't terribly expensive, and they have genuine H Mod vintage potential. I search for them periodically. They're fairly cheap and sort of common.  

In reply to Curtis73 (Forum Supporter) :

You know I love my big block Cadillac but they aren't on the ground like they used to be. You can still grab 10 vortec SBCs in the first couple of rolls at the junkyard. 

 Since I saved the receipt for the transmission- never even brought a broken one back for a core charge even!- a 3800 would be the real easy thing. Even on stock parts and supercharging that'd be what, 200+ whp?

SV reX said:

When I think of small and nimble, I don't think of a 40's vintage Cadillac frame. 
 

I say put a Caddy 500 into it.  

YEAAAAA

For real, I've been looking for a local caddy 500 engine for awhile- for some reason they're all away from me, like "in the other half of the state 4 hours away" tier, but I guess it's time to just bite the bullet and accept a trip. Maybe I could shove one into the Model 3's trunk? That would be a great shot for the Tesla fan clubs, "Using my EV to cart the biggest displacement engine in a consumer car"- I'll have to look for measurements to see if it can fit.

In reply to Woody :

I think it's because a good Crosley cannot go above 50MPH on modern roads. I don't even think the wheels have tires that fit anything anymore.

I bought this about two years ago. It's a really interesting book. 
 

Not necessarily a realistic suggestion, but...

If you're going to keep the Caddy frame, you could build something like this:

FB link

You could use your trans and get creative on the engine choices.
- Snowmobile engines could get you 9000RPM with 100+hp per engine (and keep the drive belts and pulleys to eliminate the need for a clutch).

Realistic suggestion would be maybe a 4.3l v6 and trans from an S10 (easily set up to run on carb with SBC or marine parts), but some of the earlier suggestions for a 3800 are probably better for weight and power. 

I could be wrong but that frame doesn't look like it came from a late 1940s Cadillac.  Looks more like a modified Model A Ford, if anything.

In reply to stuart in mn :

Agreed. Or a Beetle sand rail frame

Stampie said:

In reply to Curtis73 (Forum Supporter) :

You know I love my big block Cadillac but they aren't on the ground like they used to be. You can still grab 10 vortec SBCs in the first couple of rolls at the junkyard. 

Sounds like someone is jealous of my free 500/TH400.

Still don't have anything to put it in yet... other than the Corolla wagon which might be fun.

Dusterbd13-michael said:

I would go for an old school Open Wheel Modified vibe. NASCAR slicks on all four corners V8 and side pipes. It may not be fast but it would be cool as berkeley

I was thinking this too.  A Crown Vic front suspension, would be an easy swap for the front, whatever V8 fits in the budget and go.  

Curtis73 (Forum Supporter) said:

Stampie said:

In reply to Curtis73 (Forum Supporter) :

You know I love my big block Cadillac but they aren't on the ground like they used to be. You can still grab 10 vortec SBCs in the first couple of rolls at the junkyard. 

Sounds like someone is jealous of my free 500/TH400.

Still don't have anything to put it in yet... other than the Corolla wagon which might be fun.

I mean since you obviously can't provide a good home for it I can.