Engines: The unlikely choices.

So let's start our engine talks with one that I don't want, one that even I think is unrealistic and one that we can't ignore.

First, what I don't want. Let me be clear. No V8's. No Small Block Chevy. Lo LS1/LS2. Their not hard to do, but their inefficient. An LS2 uses 6.0l of displacement to get 400hp and enough torque to twist our frame. It's not a bad option for racing or if all I wanted to do was lay down tire tracks everywhere I went.

As you can see, American V8's seem right at home in our Datsun engine bay. There's a lot to like. All the engine weight is behind the front strut towers. Tons of power and torque. The problem for me is it just doesn't sound right. I mean to your ears. The 8 cylinder exhaust note out of a Datsun is just not right. Let the old Camaro and Covette guys keep their big thirsty V8's. We have better options.

You know what would be really neat? A Rotary.

So why not? Well a few reasons. Due the grenade like temper of rotary engines we would have to be very VERY careful about heat management  That means no turbo's. There's two versions of the rotary one is a 2 rotor with a turbo that clocks in at 1.3l. Small, but rotary engines are rated differently  That 1.3l with a good turbo steup can put down anywhere between 200-500 horsepower at the wheels. All while centering the weight behind the strut towers. Without it's turbos, it's hard to make good power and still be civil on the streets. That leaves us with the other option. The 3 Rotor 20b. 2.0l of displacement. Without turbos and some clever tuning it can lay down 300hp and still be light weight. It can rev to 10k RPM as well and sounds amazing. So, again why not? The 20b was never sold in America and it was mostly sold in a twin turbo set up. That means it's expensive and would have to be rebuilt for non-turbo living. It also means any time we need parts it's all special order. Not only is it a foreign motor, it's a foreign motor idea. Finding 20b tuners is tough.

This would also be a very cost-prohibitive engine. Easily a $5000-$8000 project to get running right.

So let's play a game of what if. What if......we build a period correct car for the late 80's? Our engine of choice would be another L-Series like we talked about yesterday, but with a twist. This is the L28ET.

It's a factory turbocharged L28. The "E" means "Electronic Fuel Injection" and the "T" is for "Turbocharged".

A L28ET can lay down 150-400whp with careful tuning. Physically it would bolt right in. We would need to run fuel injection hardware and wiring, but we are going to do that anyway. So why would we not use this engine? Mainly because turbocharger design and layout wasn't that great in the 80's. It's still a basic L28, so it's still only has 1 camshaft with two valves per cylinder. The two valve thing means that intake and exhaust ports are on the same side of the engine. On a non-turbo car that's okay. A turbo makes things more complicated though. The turbo is RIGHT BELOW the intake manifold and the brake master cylinder. Turbos generate a lot of heat. By using an S30 chassis, we make the engine bay a little smaller so heat management is EVEN HARDER. Also, turbo L28's sound like diesel trucks.

We can do so much better than this relic. If we already had one, I'd use it, but not worth spending $3000-$4000 to find, rebuild, plumb and modify one to fit our needs.

Tomorrow we talk Four Cylinders. Yep. Four cylinders.