A few years ago either Car Craft or Hot Rod built up a slant 6 for a Duster and raced it.  It had gears and a 4bbl.  It went 15s or slower if I recall.  Not a lot of results for a lot of cash.  I would like to see a Vortec 4200 swapped in it though.  That engine has good power stock.

Tom

A few years ago either Car Craft or Hot Rod built up a slant 6 for a Duster and raced it.  It had gears and a 4bbl.  It went 15s or slower if I recall.  Not a lot of results for a lot of cash. 

     The problem is the idea of what they would call a "build-up".. For a six, the typical approach is to bolt on a header, and a clifford intake.. MAYBE a cam... and call it a hot rod. There are plenty of other go-fast goodies to be used and adapted to the non cookie-cutter engines. There is head work, hotter ignition, fuel injection options, forced induction, longer cranks for more cubes.. etc. The mag needs to do a real (for once..) detailed build.. this project is long overdue and would give life to loads of untapped candidates for such a build. I can't expect 12's or something.. but sixes can make respectable power with the right mods. (For proof, check out how the foreign auto makers continued development of inlines.. i.e. 280Z, BMW inlines, Ford of Australia.. etc.) 

just making sure of what you are saying...you are asking them to spend more money than an already expensive build to produce a car that will not go into the 12's just to be different?  Is that right?  I'm just askin.

Also...why does this thread exist...there is already a thread on this topic that has been going fairly well, so why was this one needed?

i say put in an efi 5.0 5 speed and a 8.8 inch explorer rear with discs and with an eye towards pro touring fully independant suspension complete with a dry sump system  

just making sure of what you are saying...you are asking them to spend more money than an already expensive build to produce a car that will not go into the 12's just to be different? Is that right? I'm just askin.

     Well, when you look at how much they blow on the outrageous all aluminum, big block mega cube mills, the custom transmissions, mega dollar suspension parts.. (most of which no one can afford..) it kinda makes the six build look do-able. As for the 12's... I don't know how fast it can be made to go, but look what the other manufacturers have done with their sixes.. (Datsun/Nissan.. Jaguar, BMW.. etc.) The potential for a fairly nasty ride is there.. it just is going to take someone with some innovation/fabrication skills and a drive to "git er done"/ make it happen.  Being different is o.k. too... I think good results would generate even more interest, and this type of build would become more popular and accepted. I'm a V-8 guy myself for years, but the idea of doing something like this has been in the back of my mind for years. A great example of sudden popularity would be the 472/500 cadillac stuff... until a few years ago they were considered boat anchors.... until some guy got the bright idea of hot rodding and racing them.. then the aftermarket got it in gear.. and now they are getting popular.  Food for thought.....  

I'm not against the being different part.  I own a 68 Olds cutlass and am running an oldsmobile 350 (not a chevy, and not the ever popular 455).  No its not completely odd ball...but its a pretty healthy car...and have you ever seen carcraft build a small block olds??  If so let me know when...they did an article once saying what can be done to one...but they didn't actually build one.  There are plenty of opportunities to be different without opening the hood to an empty engine compartment...

When was the last time carcraft built a mega buck all aluminum big block?  How bout a mega buck all aluminum small block?  Its been awhile since they've really tipped the scales...and this six will tip it for not a lot of performance and hardly any wow factor.  If I see a car with a straight six...assuming its in amazing condition...I'd be like "hmmm...neat..." and move on.  I'd be a lot more intersted in a decent buick or pontiac.  I'm an oldsmobile fan...so those are always welcome...but I tend to skip over the Chevy and Fords unless they are really well detailed (not the chalk mark-100 point factory restoration...or the chrome everything buildup...but just everything is clean, painted...and the car has a decent paint job on it).

This really isn't an argument to me...I know that you and a few other people on this board really want the six buildup...and I'm not going to throw those opinions away just cuz I disagree...but I'm just saying why I disagree...if carcraft does the six article...i'm not going to cancel my subscription...but I will skip the article...

Different strokes for different folks... guess by my screen name it's not too hard to figure I'm a chevy guy at heart, but I'm rooting for this ford idea. (Olds are cool too.. stuffed a 455 in a 79 cutlass.. same into a '76 monte carlo and '74 nova .. all of them were nasty rides... ) I think the wow factor is different for everyone.. I know what the yawn factor is though... like yet another sbf build in an old body. ... (or the "how to paint your car" YAWN..... printed up in one form or another every year).  Building this type of thing to me means more variety.. and variety is good. It seems alot of the car mags lately use these "build-ups" as advertizing for the parts manufacturers... or publicity for some engine builders... trust me.. I do plenty of the article skipping myself each time I get the monthly mag. CC should do more oof-brand builds.. the AMC stuff was interesting.  

The paint stuff has gotten really old...its been a little while...but there for a little bit...you couldn't find a magazine without a cam basics article...that got old too.  I don't really care for the engine buildups...mainly because it seems as though they never put them in a car.  I always thought that was the whole point of an engine was to put it in a car.  Oh well...its still the best mag out there...every once in a while they hit one right...  

All good points here but it has all been said in the other thread about the six build. The one important factor was that the more expensive parts, (hipo heads, induction ect.) were offered to carcraft for free from a manufacturer of these components. It would not cost them much at all to do the build and everones question as to is it worth the cost and how fast will it go , will be answered at no cost to us to find out if it is a worth while project. I think all of us would read the article with interest.

We have been playing with the Ford 250ci crossflow motor for along time down under.

Ford has refined this motor over the last 30 years, the motor now sports efi, VVT, etc.

The most effective way to get power out of these motors is FI, they can be quite lazy until you force some air into them, the low down torque is great for spooling a turbo. 

I own a naturally aspirated 97 Falcon Ute with 250ci motor with cam, extractors, chip, head work etc and it is struggling to deliver over 200 RWHP (best dyno run 197RWHP). (should have gone with S/C or turbo for the money spent) still manages to blow both rear bags tho'

I have seen at the local drag strip cars running in the 11sec zone with suck through turbo setups (stock motors with turbo bolted on) , admitedly these are in cars lighter than the Stang, reliabilty is another separate issue.

Many FI kits are available for these motors (check out http://www.capa.com.au/) and due to efi etc are reliable daily drivable horsepower.

I dont know how hard you guys have pushed these motors, so I thought i would add some input.

i  personally like the idea of the six i would like to see it with fuel injection a turbo or two and a five speed maybe a newer mustang rearend to help the handling  

I own a '66 mustang that was originally a 289 2-V car.  When I got the car it was missing the engine and trans.  I was 14 at the time and my mother was not to keen on me having a V-8 in the car so I ended up with a 200 I-6 and a 3-spd manual.  That thing made an amazing amount of torque.  It was a blast to drive.  Now, 14 years later, the car still has that same engine in it.  I have been toying with leaving the 6 in there and playing with it.  It would be great to see what Car Craft can do with that little engine.  It would help all kinds of readers find companies that can help them hop up their little 6's. 

Here's another interested reader.. perhaps CC should sit up and take notice that there is genuine interest in doing a six. The last comments in the latest issue regarding the six appears as thought they are not taking the response/interest to this seriously. Perhaps it is time for readers to not bother waiting to see what CC comes up with, but rather begin the mods on their own and send in the results to CC. It's a real shame they are ignoring the potential here. Well, maybe the competition at Super Ford magazine will take the idea and run with it. It's all about sales ya know.. **LOL**, sad but true.  I suppose I'm going to have to go out and find a suitable car and begin the experiments myself... anyone have a front fox bodied ford crossmember to install the straight 6? BTW.. hear clifford makes a kit to install a 300 in a fox.. interesting... (with gas up to 3.25 now.. this idea looks better all the time.) Check this sound bite out... don't sound like no six to me.. http://www.bigblocksix.com/f100swb/idle.mp3   

you are all going to hate me i am a all time ford lover first ford was a 1972 ford f350 that was given to me when i was in 1st grade ive learned manny lessons with it and almost traded it for a 68 ranchero im not as into mustangs as everyone lse there great looking but id rather have a torino or ranchero or a late 60s-70s thunderbird id rather have something big with alot of power that i can easilly get parts for cheaply from a junkyard than a sporty car that people are killing each other to get parts for i say rip the #### out find a smashed newer dodge truck with a hemi and drop that in there or what everyone hates dual carb stacked with a blower and a big hole cut in the hood throw some cragar ss on it rase the rear end 3 inches and go rule the streets of california