Big engine, little car

You guys like weird projects. So, what would you use to power a 1957 Tornado Typhoon, our latest Classic Motorsports project?

See it here: http://classicmotorsports.net/project-cars/1957-tornado-typhoon/

What's the purpose of the car?

Rotary

'busa engine
some other bike engine
cammed Ford 2.3L
12A
4A-GE
KA24
4.3 Vortec

EDIT: Buick/Rover aluminum V8

I really want to say LS1...

but...

The rotary makes a lot of sense as it might be awfully crowded in there. Maybe the G13B?

Does it have to meet any racing rules? Something about that car screams supercharger to me. I'd personally like to see something four cylinder and blown. It would be really awesome to have blower whine and fairly open exhaust when you fire it up. Something with a pair of blow through side draft webbers?

Nothing sporty until you ditch the straight axle/drum brakes front "suspension".

I gotta go with SFO, what's the purpose of the car?

If you're not sure, I think the default answer is LS1?

Anything but an LS. I'm currently liking the straight six in my 330ci.

BMW M60

Lots of cheap donor cars out there with them, nice high end power. They make beautiful sounds

Turbo Ford 2.3, stroked to 2.7 with an Esslinger ported aluminum head.

Maybe see if you can import a Cossie 2.3 from a Sierra or Escort from the Brits?

Boosted 2.3 DOHC from a Mazdaspeed Mazda3 bolted to a Ranger/B2300 transmission?

Conquest351 wrote: Boosted 2.3 DOHC from a Mazdaspeed Mazda3 bolted to a Ranger/B2300 transmission?

Hold up.

That's a thing?

Swank Force One wrote:

Conquest351 wrote: Boosted 2.3 DOHC from a Mazdaspeed Mazda3 bolted to a Ranger/B2300 transmission?

Hold up. That's a thing?

Don't see why it wouldn't work. Same engine isn't it? Ford/Mazda 2.3 DOHC? Didn't they use the same engine in the later Rangers?

In the spirit of odd and old I vote Taunus V4

Easy, if it can be made to fit without totaly destroying the car a V12 Jag engine, or if that's too wide and you want to stay a little more period correct a 3.8L Jag XK engine. Must have SU's which ever you go for. Use a decent trans though, not the Jag manuals.

In reply to ReverendDexter: I was going to say 2.0 Ford. Good suggestions!

Am other only one that reads the title and has "fat guy in a little coat" playing in his head?

The article in the last issue about the Datsun autocross car. It made something like 132hp? Can those engines be found? It would be a bit more 'vintage' if there's any desire to go that way.

Conquest351 wrote: Turbo Ford 2.3, stroked to 2.7 with an Esslinger ported aluminum head. Boosted 2.3 DOHC from a Mazdaspeed Mazda3 bolted to a Ranger/B2300 transmission?

Why stop at 2.7L of turbocharged Lima fury??? Esslinger does make their own tall deck now, so 3.2 or 3.3L are entirely possible. Add on the ARCA head, T76, might need meth, but 1200hp is possible.

The other is OK if you can work around the DI aspect.... Or just use the Ranger version, that is conventional, and do all the Focus upgrades for power.....

Swank Force One wrote: What's the purpose of the car?

This. Also, wish I had a better notion of the scale of the car... I don't know side-valve Fords well enough to have a picture of the size of the lump that originally had residence there...

Is this thing bigger than a Berkeley? A midget? An MGB? A Cobra?

At first glance, I just think it should be a throaty four, and I like the supercharger someone mentioned.

If it's really tiny and you're feeling the call of the odd, how 'bout a BMW K100 engine? Or the 2.3 L triple out of a Triumph Rocket III? OTOH, a car that looks like this should come with heel/toe downshifts, not a sequential box...

The LS-based V4 mentioned in other threads?

Ranger50 wrote:

Conquest351 wrote: Turbo Ford 2.3, stroked to 2.7 with an Esslinger ported aluminum head. Boosted 2.3 DOHC from a Mazdaspeed Mazda3 bolted to a Ranger/B2300 transmission?

Why stop at 2.7L of turbocharged Lima fury??? Esslinger does make their own tall deck now, so 3.2 or 3.3L are entirely possible. Add on the ARCA head, T76, might need meth, but 1200hp is possible. The other is OK if you can work around the DI aspect.... Or just use the Ranger version, that is conventional, and do all the Focus upgrades for power.....

Didn't know they had their own blocks now. Niiiice!! I always wanted to do a Mercruiser 190 3.7L aluminum 4 cyl that's half a 460 and bolt on a turbo and A460 cyl head and go to town. Apparently they don't have typical bearings or something that would prevent them from being used in automotive projects. Don't see why the mains and cam journals can't be machined for bearings though.

If it can fit, chrysler firepower hemi. Keep it period correct, but hot rod it.

Pick a v8 from the era and cram it in there if it will fit it. What would a period insane hotrodder shove in it?

I would just find it kind of sad to LS-whatever such a fun and eclectic car, just a kind of bland solution. Maybe if performance was the end-all, but keeping it somewhat true to a period would give it a lot more character and spirit.

In reply to Conquest351:

RE: Mercruiser

They have some damn thin webs for all the piston weight and crank throw to sling.... Although I have a friend running one in the local 4cyl dirt track class...... And they are trying their damnest to outlaw it.

RE: Esslinger

http://www.esslingeracing.com/Blocks.html

I'm going to double back and go with the Kent upgrade suggested as the alternative to stock in the CM introduction.

That just doesn't look like a chassis that's clamoring for big power. The Kent can presumably make enough power to be entertaining, and should make the right sorts of sounds for that body...

You might wanna consider upgrading those brakes, also.

Oh, and I vote Mazda rotary, preferably turbocharged to about 2 bar.

How about this?