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Appleseed
Appleseed MegaDork
4/4/20 12:08 a.m.

ShawnG
ShawnG UltimaDork
4/4/20 12:08 a.m.

Head on over to the Jalopy Journal and check out the HAMB Drags. 

Wouldn't take a lot to be kosher for that race.

NOHOME
NOHOME MegaDork
4/4/20 5:47 a.m.

Late to the party but will toss the Ford Modular engines into the mix. Visual successor to the Ford cammer and a nice engine in its own right. Boost is an option.

stuart in mn
stuart in mn MegaDork
4/4/20 7:09 a.m.

People have debated in previous posts what 'period' means for a drag car.  It wouldn't have been turned into an altered when it was new, but rather after it was old and used up and the cheapest body a person could find.   In this case that probably would have been sometime in the late 50s or early 60s, and a small block Chevy (or most any other OHV V8 of the period) would be suitable. 

FieroReinke
FieroReinke New Reader
4/4/20 12:03 p.m.

Why not make it even stranger and fill up the long front end with a jag v12?  

GIRTHQUAKE
GIRTHQUAKE Dork
4/4/20 12:30 p.m.

In reply to STM317:

I'm a complete engine virgin; the closest would be a Toyota 4A-GE, which would be HILARIOUS just for the reactions i'd get.

In reply to Bentwrench:

I *might* race for kicks, but building a weird proto-jalopy is more my speed right now 'cause I have no experience with racing.

In reply to Wally:

Hm, that sounds like a good idea! Curtis73 here has def sung the praises of the Buick 455... 

In reply to Appleseed:

I do want to race, but I also want to make it usable and regularly drivable first. Thankfully, my state has some pretty extensive provisions for getting titles for wierd, old cars like this that lack major components.

So... Street, then strip. Make it fast merely just to be obnoxious.

In reply to Trent:

Funny enough, I know a handful of things about studes 'cause I've basically absorbed ya'lls info like a seabed sponge- it's heavy. Like, diesel engine heavy. It would NEVER, EVER DIE but they seriously weigh ~700-800 lbs wet n' dressed which would likely require me to mess with front springs and suspension. Still tho, they were penned originally for compressions as high as 13:1 and I have great access to E85; if I can attach one to a T5 I'll mull it over.

In reply to FieroReinke :

 

Why not make it even stranger and fill up the long front end with a jag v12?  

frenchyd has entered the chat​​

APEowner
APEowner GRM+ Memberand Dork
4/4/20 1:07 p.m.

Probably not appropriate for this particular build but I've always wanted to try and build some kind of performance version of the Crosley engine.  I'm intreaged by the shaft driven OHC setup.

frenchyd
frenchyd PowerDork
4/4/20 2:33 p.m.
GIRTHQUAKE said:

In reply to STM317:

I'm a complete engine virgin; the closest would be a Toyota 4A-GE, which would be HILARIOUS just for the reactions i'd get.

In reply to Bentwrench:

I *might* race for kicks, but building a weird proto-jalopy is more my speed right now 'cause I have no experience with racing.

In reply to Wally:

Hm, that sounds like a good idea! Curtis73 here has def sung the praises of the Buick 455... 

In reply to Appleseed:

I do want to race, but I also want to make it usable and regularly drivable first. Thankfully, my state has some pretty extensive provisions for getting titles for wierd, old cars like this that lack major components.

So... Street, then strip. Make it fast merely just to be obnoxious.

In reply to Trent:

Funny enough, I know a handful of things about studes 'cause I've basically absorbed ya'lls info like a seabed sponge- it's heavy. Like, diesel engine heavy. It would NEVER, EVER DIE but they seriously weigh ~700-800 lbs wet n' dressed which would likely require me to mess with front springs and suspension. Still tho, they were penned originally for compressions as high as 13:1 and I have great access to E85; if I can attach one to a T5 I'll mull it over.

In reply to FieroReinke :

 

Why not make it even stranger and fill up the long front end with a jag v12?  

frenchyd has entered the chat​​

A Jaguar V12  would be Too new ( 1971 earliest) to be appropriate. And the earlier Six too long, too tall, and too heavy ( 30 pounds heavier than the V 12 ) 

The easy cheap button would be a small block Chevy. But it's boring. Very much like a belly button, every bodies got one. Plus it's too heavy. That little Crossly engine was tiny 750cc? and really light. I mean a bug eye Sprite looks big and probably weighs twice as much. 
While you could probably fit one in and it would make the car really fast ( compared to stock) it sounds like you wouldn't understand  it and that's about the easiest engine ever made. 
if you're going to check write this, talk to who ever is going to do the work. Toyota is likely the easiest because they made a whole lot of small front engine rear drive cars. Early Datsun too 

Patrick
Patrick GRM+ Memberand MegaDork
4/4/20 2:39 p.m.

Who is anyone to tell anyone else what's appropriate?  I vote jag v12 because frenchy said it's not appropriate 

noddaz
noddaz GRM+ Memberand UltraDork
4/4/20 3:03 p.m.

I could see a turbo 4 being pretty cool too if you don't mind ruffling feathers. A boosted Ecotec, SR20, Duratec, or 4G63T or some Honda alphabet soup would offer plenty of motivation in a lightweight (ok maybe not the 4g63t), compact package.

I vote jag v12 because frenchy said it's not appropriate 

And there you go.  Two choices.  

wspohn
wspohn Dork
4/4/20 3:29 p.m.

Needs some panache - I think the Jaguar XK engine would look great in there!

Appleseed
Appleseed MegaDork
4/4/20 4:00 p.m.

What kind (s) of engines are you comfortable with? EFI 4 cylinders? Holley's carb'd 350s? Give use a vector and we can give you rad examples.

stuart in mn
stuart in mn MegaDork
4/4/20 4:21 p.m.
APEowner said:

Probably not appropriate for this particular build but I've always wanted to try and build some kind of performance version of the Crosley engine.  I'm intreaged by the shaft driven OHC setup.

They were neat little engines.  A lot of people built small road racing cars with them back in the day (Jabros were one example, and I think they were used in various formula cars.)  There were a number of high performance parts for them but they're probably hard to find today.

GIRTHQUAKE
GIRTHQUAKE Dork
4/4/20 4:35 p.m.
Appleseed said:

What kind (s) of engines are you comfortable with? EFI 4 cylinders? Holley's carb'd 350s? Give use a vector and we can give you rad examples.

I have never opened or rebuilt an engine before- this will be my first "big" project after learning on my MR2. My thought is to go with a carbed V8 of some kind for ease and cheap parts, but I've messed with EFI before on friends vehicles and I've found more than enough guides that are saved and bookmarked on making things like mounts and such.

So uh, blank slate. Thus, this thread.

pirate
pirate HalfDork
4/4/20 7:20 p.m.
stuart in mn said:
APEowner said:

Probably not appropriate for this particular build but I've always wanted to try and build some kind of performance version of the Crosley engine.  I'm intreaged by the shaft driven OHC setup.

They were neat little engines.  A lot of people built small road racing cars with them back in the day (Jabros were one example, and I think they were used in various formula cars.)  There were a number of high performance parts for them but they're probably hard to find today.

The engines were also used in limited hydroplanes racing under rule of the American Power Boat Association. Want to say they were 48 cubic inches. Always thought it would be cool to own one. 

11GTCS
11GTCS New Reader
4/4/20 7:29 p.m.

I watched an episode of Chasing Classic Cars on my DVR earlier this week, they had a bunch of Crosleys.   One had a full race engine in it, it sounded pretty healthy for a small (1500 cc?) engine.   I can’t imagine that parts are easily or cheaply sourced.     Iron Duke with a blower?

Stampie (FS)
Stampie (FS) GRM+ Memberand UltimaDork
4/4/20 7:41 p.m.
GIRTHQUAKE said:
Appleseed said:

What kind (s) of engines are you comfortable with? EFI 4 cylinders? Holley's carb'd 350s? Give use a vector and we can give you rad examples.

I have never opened or rebuilt an engine before- this will be my first "big" project after learning on my MR2. My thought is to go with a carbed V8 of some kind for ease and cheap parts, but I've messed with EFI before on friends vehicles and I've found more than enough guides that are saved and bookmarked on making things like mounts and such.

So uh, blank slate. Thus, this thread.

WIth that said I'd go with whatever cheap engine you can find available in running condition.  Any SBC or SBF will work.  I'm willing to bet 200hp in that thing would be fun as hell.  Throw a T5 behind it and have fun.  When you get tired of it I call dibs.

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