Just been day dreaming a bit. If I wanted to build a super cheapo ratrod, what would be the cheapest hipo motor?

Categories include.
1. made/sold in large numbers.
2. super reliable/strong in stock form.
3. made before polution gelded things in the early 80s.
4. lot's of hipo parts still available CHEAP.
5. running examples available at any wreckers for under $300.
6. comes with a good factory gearbox combo CHEAP.

BTW, not interested in a VW motor. Too expensive and boring. :P I want a carby watercooled jobby.

Which one do you rate? Have I missed one?


[ Edited on 14-8-06 by pete wood ]

singer single off my dam lawan mower would have more power than the above

By My SR20 & fit a carbi

i voted pinto. theres no denying the performance people get out of these in escorts.

mates dad has 2lpinto mk1 escort, NA 12.7 second quarter (not on slicks)

Anthony

and thats not unstreetable

Ant

The old Holden Six would be at the top of the list. Still picking up s/h good runners for under $200 no problems. Stock 202 is about 130hp, and you can easily get 180hp with a 'stage 3' head, extractors and some better carburation.

Goes really well with a factory Trimatic beefed up for about $400, or a Toyota Celica 5 speed box manual.

mate of mine has an EH with a 202 red motor with a blue head (i think he said?) big holley on it and celica 5 speed. it hammered.

2 litre ford escort motors are great. but ive seen a few worked ones with contant problems.

freind of mine has a 1600 lotus mk 1 esky which is a machine but not sucha common cheap engine

cant comment on the rest.

yer i voted for pinto,

at Barbagallo raceway recently (Perth), there is a few MKII escorts keeping up with supras, wrx's and skylines,

sure they are all worked as all hell..... but the pinto's are all n/a engines designed 30 years ago!

YEP. mate is building his mk2 pinto hillclimb car now (same one whos dad has the 12.7 second na) and i can vouch for them. good shit. and plenty of parts available also.


Anthony

hemi/nissanL

Chev Blue Flame

I said common and cheap. You wouldn't see many chev 6s at the wreckers and i'd be surprised if yellaterra make a head for them.

It's who you know... there's plenty around.

ok, cool. I'll take your word.

What's their strength? They'd have to be pretty good to be better than a hemi or cheaper than a 202.

on the 4cyl scale you could get a very early ea81 scoobi, they came with only a 2 hose emmision system, could be had from the factory with a twin-carb 120hp setup, reliable enough to be the engine of choice for thousands of light aircraft and pretty easy to tweak cos they were popular and made them right up until the start of the 90s in the Brumbies. the one Ive got now came from a late brumbi and i cant wait to get it on the road, sounds and fantastic (maybe thats partially the 2" pipes ) and revvs beautifully

265Hemi wit 245 head,xtractor,600 holley ,150hp nos runs 12's in a Centura.
Cheap,plentiful,tough.
The mate with the Centura dosn't rebuld em.He just acquires another and pulls the head,inspects and bults the 245 head and inlet on an away he goes.
Very cheaps racing!

how about a 308 holden 30 ' over size for $400.00 ?

I may have a gear box about .

sorry seagull, I don't own a boat.

Back in the 1960s some American hot rodders tried to get one horse power, per cubic inch capacity, per pound weight of the engine out of a naturally aspirated engine.

The 1940s Rolls Royce Merlin engine did it, but with two speed, two stage, intercooled supercharging. They got 2000 hp out of 1670 cubic inches and about 1800 pounds weight.

Using Volvo 1800 parts, they welded up their own block out of sheet steel and wet sleeves; used the Volvo head, pistons, rods, crank, camshaft and other bits etc.. It weighed about 110 pounds, had a capacity of 110 cubic inches and they came very close to achieving their goal.

The older Volvo engines are almost unburstable. They can be hotted and supercharged to blazes and they won't break.

The Fiat 2300 engine is as strong. They were used in power boats in the 1960s and were consistent winners.

In the 1980s I had a 1962 Fiat 2300S fitted with a standard 2300 sedan engine which got sick. The Abarth modified 2300 S engine was clapped out and was not in the car. I got a newly reconditioned engine to replace it and in a Canberra winter I drove it cold at valve bounce in an effort to blow it up in the traffic. It just got sicker. I could not kill it. They are a very tough motor.

265 Hemi, they still give more torque then a toyota quad cam v8...
they have a big l o n g stroke and you can still buy hot up parts cheap. There is a 727TF auto that bolts up to them although you'll need to look around for it.
But if you want to go outside your restrictions the motor of choice for me would be the Ford ea II 3.9 multi point with the 4 speed Auto. you can buy whole car for $100 these days and if you stay with the early stuff they don't run engine trans and smart lock in the one computer, this make then a dream to wire up. Almost as easy as points....lol

Go the 202. Upgrade it with the VL injection and modified ECU and away you go.But as we want carby still happy with well tuned triples and sounds sweet for a six. Remember it still fits in a 900kg Torana. Mates GTR ran high 12s.

Mopar,Mopar, Mopar.....265 hemi with tripple webbers made that big old charger run 13's.
Rapid Transit System and Krazy colours, back in the late 60's that hemi head made silly power. I asked a mate what mopar stood for when I was 14...he replied..Masters of Power and Respect! Its not true, but sounded cool all the same.

Just watched overhaulin and they did a roadrunner with a new 426 crate motor...about $30,000 engine.

Matt

yeah i was about to say matt...you seen the price of mopar engines?

mate was considering but found it has worked out cheaper for him to build his twin turbo 460 big block.

Ant

202 stroked with a ford crank stage 6 yellaterra triple su's cant remember the cam specs but straight cut cam gears a must woooaaaahhhhhhh AND mounted between the front seats of a bay kombithrough a celica box to a 9''with 4.44's:bounce

The bell housing to hilux is still there for the 308 , fits the supra box as well

Hemi motors are very close to the 1 horsepower per cube.That 426 Mopar crate motor is 425 hp.So their cattledog specs say.They are dear though .528 ci crate is $26000us.
I have a 245 an 727(still attached) if you need it.
PS you can order your Mopar Hemi Crate motor from Rocket Idustries in Sydney.

Toyota wins but no one comments?

They are the quiet achiever.

Economy, light, power (some) torque (less) but would rev their tits off all day for ever. Until the radiator went, then they would smoke and smoke until they finally sag to a stop!

my 1974 TA22 celica springs to mind :party:party:party:party:party:party

kkk

which toyota?

That would be an 18R or similar... 1.8L 4 cyl ohc I think

I'd agree with the EA81, super reliable, enough power and cheap as old chips to buy and maintain.

Can you tell I run one?