whoaru99
Epic Member
Well, since this thread was resurrected, I'll reply.
I think the small block you're referring to was the L-82. L-88 was a hot 427 big block....aluminum heads, big cam, high compression, etc.
The vintage engines thread
- Thread starter Adam
- Start date
Well, since this thread was resurrected, I'll reply.
I think the small block you're referring to was the L-82. L-88 was a hot 427 big block....aluminum heads, big cam, high compression, etc.
Ohighway
Wannabe Minimalist
Hands down my overall favorite is the small block Chevy engine. Lots of power, efficient and super reliable. Cheap to tweak and/or repair. My -personal- favorite is the 327. Honorable mention goes to the small block Ford engine.
The short lived Ford SOHC motor mentioned earlier wins my "sexiest" award.
The Chrysler slant 6 wins my "most reliable" award. I've seen these things abused on purpose, and still keep going and going.
On the smaller displacement side, the British Ford "Kent" engine... the crossflow1600 in particular... gets the nod of approval. The thing is virtually bulletproof, and can be tweaked up to high performance levels.
The "coulda, woulda, shoulda" award goes to the Chrysler turbine engines.
The short lived Ford SOHC motor mentioned earlier wins my "sexiest" award.
The Chrysler slant 6 wins my "most reliable" award. I've seen these things abused on purpose, and still keep going and going.
On the smaller displacement side, the British Ford "Kent" engine... the crossflow1600 in particular... gets the nod of approval. The thing is virtually bulletproof, and can be tweaked up to high performance levels.
The "coulda, woulda, shoulda" award goes to the Chrysler turbine engines.
JonL
Lunatic Member
On the import side of things:
Mercedes-Benz 300SL engine, 1950's. Slant 6 with long tuned length intake runners, direct injection into the cylinders using a modified diesel injection pump, desmodromic valve gear, dry sump. Probably the most advanced production engine ever.
More mundane, but engines I've loved:
Toyota 2TC - early '70s Corollas. 1600cc, hemi head, pushrod.
BMW 1.6, 2.0 liter 4 cylinder engines, smooth like butter for a 4.
BMW inline 6s - like the 4's but even more so.
Jaguar inline 6 twin cam. In the E type it had beautiful polished aluminum cam covers. Fast car. In the later sedans they painted the cam covers with cheesy crinkle paint. Yuck.
Jaguar V12 - the first time I cranked one I thought it had no compression because there was no pulsation. Smooth like an electric motor, very refined.
Mazda rotary... early ones had buzzers on the tach to warn you that you were at redline because otherwise you might forget to shift and find yourself in 2nd gear going 70 MPH at something like 12k RPM!
Mercedes-Benz 300SL engine, 1950's. Slant 6 with long tuned length intake runners, direct injection into the cylinders using a modified diesel injection pump, desmodromic valve gear, dry sump. Probably the most advanced production engine ever.
More mundane, but engines I've loved:
Toyota 2TC - early '70s Corollas. 1600cc, hemi head, pushrod.
BMW 1.6, 2.0 liter 4 cylinder engines, smooth like butter for a 4.
BMW inline 6s - like the 4's but even more so.
Jaguar inline 6 twin cam. In the E type it had beautiful polished aluminum cam covers. Fast car. In the later sedans they painted the cam covers with cheesy crinkle paint. Yuck.
Jaguar V12 - the first time I cranked one I thought it had no compression because there was no pulsation. Smooth like an electric motor, very refined.
Mazda rotary... early ones had buzzers on the tach to warn you that you were at redline because otherwise you might forget to shift and find yourself in 2nd gear going 70 MPH at something like 12k RPM!
I would describe these as the most dependable from the Detroit players of the 70's era, they would run forever if taken care of the least bit, just my opinion
chevy 350
ford 351-C
mopar 318 or 383
my personal favorite is the tri-powered (3 X 2 carbs) 389 from Pontiac
FYI- the Chevy small block cast iron pushrod motor came out in '54. They stopped production in the US and moved the equipment to Mexico for the Mexican/South American markets. This motor is still used in many of the current marine applications when the newer Gen III aluminum motors aren't. Mercruiser, Volvo-Penta, Indmar and PCM are big users.
soundmotor
super modified
Experience with & still like -
Ford 302
Toyota 4A-GE (1.6 DOHC)
Audi 2.2L 5-cyl.
VW VR6
Ford 302
Toyota 4A-GE (1.6 DOHC)
Audi 2.2L 5-cyl.
VW VR6
Unlike most other motors, this wasn't much of a problem for the rotary unless it was for long duration and it was stock. A company called Rotary Engineering was making different versions for aviation use and they topped out at >15K RPM, but they were custom and finely balanced.
I had an RX-7 and on a trip back from AZ, we were on the way up to Flagstaff from PHX. I usually stay in the right lane on open road so anyone who wants to pass can without waiting for me. For whatever reason, I didn't notice the line of cars that were coming up in the left lane and as I crested a small hill, I saw the Q-Tip in the Citation, doing a cool 45 MPH. I coasted to slow down and waited to pass. Having been cruising at 70+ before this, I didn't see a need to downshift but when my turn came, I mashed the pedal to the floor and nothing changed. RPM, speed, sounds- nothing. I just about freaked out because I live in the Milwaukee area and needing car repairs in AZ was not what I needed to deal with. I looked at the tach and saw 1500 RPM in 5th gear, going up a fair incline. I said "DOH!", downshifted to 3rd and cruised up the hill. 1500RPM isn't in the good part of the torque curve.
Vintage engine?
Here is one of mine.
1948 Briggs and Stratton 5S.
If I had taken pictures, I could have posted some of the 1927 Elto outboard motor I had when I was a kid. Elto became Evinrude and I got it from our next door neighbors after their garage burned. I cleaned it up and it was sold.
You mean they sounded like a harsher version of the Honda mosquitos that have been running around with the big mufflers? Yeah- without an exhaust, they sound nasty.
:tears: