No more E series

mchan68 · April 3, 2010

^^^ Correct on the 6 cylinder info Gym!

I'd love to build a straight-axle Econoline with a big inch motor in it, or a turbo motor.

This is the first Econo that came to mind: The Back Up Pick Up!

And in the style of pickup/tradesman vehicles: (Yes i know it's a dodge lol)

This was back when radial tires weren't even a thought, and a 10" tire was a 10" tire...not a 10.5W (which measures out at almost 14" wide depending on rim width)

I think I was born in the wrong era.

Jim, you don't remember these trucks do you, by any chance since we're on this topic?

http://dodge-semis.com/Brochures/1966COE/cover.jpg

Jim Warman · April 3, 2010

Yes.. that would be a mid sixties Dodge.. Comparable to about a C500 Ford... Seems to me all of these offerings (Dodge, Chev and Ford) were available with anything from a I-6 right up to big gas V-8s (Ford had the 477/534 engine series as well as the 361/391 FE type engines which were later replaced by the 370/429 Lima engines).

From the 50s, the "Detroit 3" all had a full line of trucks right from panel trucks and sedan deliveries (which evolved into vans) right up to highway tractors... Would be sometime in the early 80s (earlier for Dodge, IIRC) that they started dropping their heavy truck offerings.

T'would be late 70s or early 80s that Ford no longer produced Louisvilles or the big cab-overs.

Sorry for the digression.. I find automotive history fascinating.

DamageINC · April 6, 2010

[quote name=Aaron

This was back when radial tires weren't even a thought' date=' and a 10" tire was a 10" tire...not a 10.5W (which measures out at almost 14" wide depending on rim width)

I think I was born in the wrong era. [/quote]

Yeah, but on the bright side, there are guys running the 10.5W tires running mid-6's in the 1/4 mile at well over 220mph now. Talk about absurd.

And there are LEGIT 10.5 tire cars going 6's as well. Damn, it's been a while since I was at a good Outlaw race..

And Jim - the "horsepower years" are far from gone - just look at the LS7 Corvettes now (the C6 Z06), it's a 427 cube V8 with over 11:1 compression if I remember correctly, makes well over 500hp and still gets close to 30 mpg on the highway. And this isn't late 60's/early 70's power rating either, a new Z06 will run low 11's right off of the showroom floor with someone who knows how to drive behind the wheel. 10's are possible with nothing more than a tire change. Compare that to the absolute fastest muscle cars of the era which would struggle to run a 12-anything on a good day, and knocn down a solid 7-8 mpg in the process.

As far as I'm concerned, the muscle car age has never been better. Only difference is that I wish we had more cars to pick from... It's getting there though. Mercedes has 600HP twin turbo V-12 rocketsleds and VERY fast supercharged v-8 4-doors left and right, BMW offers a 500HP 5-liter V-10 4-door M5, You can even get a fucking TAURUS now with 365hp... not to mention the new Mustang GT will have over 400hp stock, SRT Hemi cars, LS-X GM offerings... maybe it's not so bad after all..

Dave

mchan68 · April 6, 2010

As far as I'm concerned, the muscle car age has never been better. Only difference is that I wish we had more cars to pick from... It's getting there though. Mercedes has 600HP twin turbo V-12 rocketsleds and VERY fast supercharged v-8 4-doors left and right, BMW offers a 500HP 5-liter V-10 4-door M5, You can even get a fucking TAURUS now with 365hp... not to mention the new Mustang GT will have over 400hp stock, SRT Hemi cars, LS-X GM offerings... maybe it's not so bad after all..

Dave

.....and can handle corners like a go-kart at previously unthinkable speeds, get 20 mpg CITY, and produce almost ZERO on HC/CO/NOx emissions, ALL IN THE SAME SENTENCE.

jimmy57 · April 10, 2010

...and pushing the brake pedal when going 90 MPH does much more than make the vehicle shake and smoke to come out of wheel openings.

Jim Warman · April 10, 2010

Dave... what can I say? Yes, there is some serious power being made thses days. Shit... even the V6 Mustang I bought for Mrs Grumpy is "peppy".

But you can ask Aaron... there ain't nothing gonna get your heart pumping like 400+ inches idling with a llllooooonnnnngggg cam. When you can look at one of your multiple carbs and see the true meaning of "fuel standoff". Back when tuning an engine was done with the mind.. not a nerd...

While todays homogenized, pasturized, gentile supercars are fun to drive (in a way)... the old school shit is what will separate the men from the !?@#%!.

I'm not sayin' the old way is better.... but I am sayin' it was more fun.

DamageINC · April 12, 2010

I'm not gonna argue you about the sheer simplicity of a big-inch V8 with a pair of 4 barrels and a solid-roller .750" lift cam with a 108 degree centerline, you can practically hear each cylinder firing and count the RPMS in your head. That's probably my favorite thing about the drag strip still, that sound is irreplaceable :)Not talking shit, by any means. But my buddy's '93 Camaro has a measly 342 cubic inches of LS1 under his hood and makes around 1100 HP with it Granted, he needs 116 octane fuel and a bottle of nitrous to get there (along with a little boost) but at the end of the day it goes mid 8's at almost 170mph. And that's enough to make anyone shit themselves. (Especially considering the car doesn't even have a cage :shock: )