Will rodded 4-bangers & 6-bangers really save gas?

[Tripper]

In the new Street Rodder there's an article about an RPU with a 200+HP Ecotech 4-bang that's a pretty kool truck. I'm reading this after a few beers & start wondering... as gas gets more & more expensive (which IMHO is totally bogus, to be polite)... will rodders start usin' rodded 4 & 6-bangs & will that *really* save gas?! At my age... I can't imagine buildin' a car/truck with gas mileage as the main goal. I have to have HP & can *not* stand to get beat on the street. I've never really had a hopped up motor w/less than 8 cylinders... what do you think?! Will rodded 4-bangs & 6-bangs really save on gas & still go fast?

BoB

 

[Old Gold]

A nice old 6 in a rod isn't bad, but I'm with you an the 8 cyl. Save the 4's and 6's for daily drivers. But then again my Packard is my daily and thats an 8. Gets about the same mileage as my 4cyl Ranger.

 

[tiny1]

I just don't like the way the 4 bangers sound. My son had a pony car he was going to race on dirt it was a Toyota and it was built to the max and sounded terrible to me. I've always liked the sound of a v8 bowtie. We all may have to get us a couple mules and knock out the windshield and hook the to our rides before its over with

 

[frozen_bohemian]

Save Gas OR What??

I agree with the 4 banger sound, had a Honda Ciivc Si that revved to 9000+ rpm. The sound was irrating to me, but maybe Im too old to appreciate it..

So whats the answer? Sleeve down my Chebbie V8 to 150 cubic inches, would it sound like a V8, or like some grand prix racer buzz.

here is another idea lets bring back the old Cadillac V8-6-4 technology....
never mind that didnt work either.

The answer comes from the movie "back to the furture" part 2 I think, when Emitt is scrounging the garbage can for "fuel" for the Delorean of the future.
Garbage I go lots of......

 

[YoungBlood]

I will guarantee my SBC/700R4 combo with my 2.76 gears will get better gas mileage than my 4cyl Tacoma on the freeway. F*** the gas crisis.

 

[Joliet Jake]

What? Me worry?

 

[rahatawa]

maybe i am that younger generation...i don't know that if i was building a daily (that had a hood to cover the hideous thing) that i wouldn't run a 4 or 6. I mean i am young, broke, and in love with rodding. What's the other option. build a monster and park it half the time? there are several 6's on this site that still make me drool. I would prefer an 8 but money for gas is becoming an issue.

 

[Old Gold]

It really depends on the build. You have to take the horsepower to weight ratio into consideration. A well tuned 8 in a medium/light weight vehicle will yeild similar gas mileage as a smaller engine. depending on how you drive. As a side note: gas broke the $4.00 mark here today

 

[donsrods]

I know some of you were rodding in the mid-70's when the first gas crunch happened. It was like Russia had dropped the big one on us or something. People felt we were never going to have gas supplies again, and everybody went nuts. Suddenly you couldn't find a Toyota, Honda, or similar import to save you, they were in demand and were going for way over sticker price.

Conversely, you couldn't give away a gas guzzler. Hemi's and all other muscle cars were going for ridiculously low prices and even at that they were not selling. All of the hot rod magazines started to feature articles on putting little four cylinder engines in hot rods, and lots of existing rods had their V8's yanked out and replaced with four bangers.

But people soon realized those cars were nothing more than economy cars with neat old bodies and were no fun to drive. The reason we build these things is to not just drive them, but to also feel the push in our backside when we step on the gas. That craze of installing weak little engines ended almost as fast as it started. I see the same thing happening this time. We are all going to get scared and start looking for little engines to install in our cars, but we hot rodders like big old Amercian HP and the more cubes the better.

We find ways to fund our hobbies. Boat sales are slumping right now because gas is over $ 4.00 a gallon on the water, so to fill a 100 gallon tank costs over $ 400. In most boats that equates to a couple of weekends usage. I went out with my Son Don on his boat a couple weeks ago, it took 50 gallons to top off, so the tab was about $240, and he will burn that up in one days running. He may use his boat less now, but has no plans to sell it, and is talking about more HP in it. That is what will happen to us rodders too, IMO.

We've all seen the bumper stickers that read "I'd rather push a Ford than drive a Chevy" (or vice versa). I think hot rodders would rather drive no car at all than one that runs like a stock Corvair. We will see some people doing it, but I will be the guy buying up their unwanted 455's and Hemi's.

Don

 

[bob w]

Diuring the mid-70's gas crunch I was building a '31 Model Slant Window Town Sedan. I put a 2300 Pinto engine in out of fear aboug gas prices. Onenight I sat up in bed and said, "What have you done, boy? Ruining a perfectly good hot rod like that." A few days later there was a 350/350 in it. I'll save money other ways in order to pay for gas for the hot rods.
I figured little old ladies in their new Buicks would smoke me from a stoplight with my 4banger A sedan, and they wouldn't even be trying. Now, that ain't a hot rod in my book.
I'd say if you build a light enough rod, then a 4 banger is fine. Like someone else said, it's all about power to weight.

 

[donsrods]

That exact same thing happened to countless rodders Bob. When kids on mopeds start blowing the doors off of a hot rod it's time to take up fishing.

Don

 

[SmallBlock Jimmy]

My brother recently bought a nice 4x4 with a crate 454 in it. He got (IMO) an incredible deal on it (the builder sadly died from cancer and his wife didnt like the mileage). Anyway, we work together and when he first brought it to work, everyone there were commenting negatively about it having a 454 as they are quick to think about the lack of mileage. I couldnt believe it as I would love to have a bigblock yet alone a nice newer crate 454. Besides, what would the BB get, 8-10mpg instead of a SB that might get 10-12? I say whats the difference except an easy extra 100 or more horse, hehehe. V8's forever!!!

 

[Joliet Jake]

I remember the mid 70's gas thing, dad was building a Model A sedan street rod with a V-6.

 

[chopper tom]

Its never really been about hp to me any ways [that just costs money ,and that means the rich are allways gonna be faster ],As long as its chopped ,lowwerd as much as possible and still drive it ,and has to have a certain coolness to it . but i will miss the v-8 sound and fill .
I guess ive always been more on the custom side any ways .
I never was the fastest cat out there ,but i sure was happy to be out there!
I will be happy to adapt and change,as long as i can still build it with my own two hands .

 

[riverrat44]

v8 or bust

Yea, I'll cast a vote for the v8's don't matter what brand or how much Hp ya come up with.

 

[Willowbilly3]

I just don't like the way the 4 bangers sound. My son had a pony car he was going to race on dirt it was a Toyota and it was built to the max and sounded terrible to me. I've always liked the sound of a v8 bowtie. We all may have to get us a couple mules and knock out the windshield and hook the to our rides before its over with

Yeah, that. I just can't listen to anything but a V8, well maybe a V10,12 or 16 I guess. Anyway that is why I have changed my build from a 429 to a 260, and I would do a 221 if I could find one. The stock 260 fairlane was good for a solid 25-26 mpg hwy so in a 18oo pound roadster it with open pipes it should do 30.

 

[1931s/x]

i really wanted to run an ecotech in my essex, i could give 2 ****s about the sound, dont get me wrong i cant stand imports, but if the car would scoot along just fine and get good mileage id be happy, even if it sounded like a pack of angry bees. right now its got the original flathead 6 in it, it is pretty bad on gas and it has no power, there were times i almost got rear eneded taking off at lights because it is so under powered. i figured at this point anything would be an improvement, good gas mileage or more power, if i could get poth it would be even better. my dad had a cavalier with the ecotech and it ran pretty good, my buddy has the hhr with another variation of the ecotech and it too moves pretty good. wouldnt win races with it but it would be fun. you can pick the engines up in any junkyard, they makes tons of **** for them and they are cheap to buy. you can get a bell to adapt a gm 4spd trans ro t5 with the same pattern, or an adapter to mount up a 200r4. i did some more digging, the other option for me was the rover v-8 which is what i went with. i do want the option of running no hood and im not sure if i could handle al lthe wiring with efi myself. the rover weighs the same as most 4 bangers and stock hp is probably a little higher on the rover than most hi perf 4 bangers. i just hope i nthe end i can get 20 mpg. that would be almost double my daily driver.

 

[custom cabby]

About 14 years ago I had a fox body Mustang that I blew the motor up in and I had a friend ask me over one day and his dad wanted to show me something. At the time, I didnt know who his dad was as far as his name being well known here in Springfield. As we went to his garage he had a "roundy round" car that he climbed into. I thought he was just going to brag to me about his car still ran while mine was up on stands waiting for the motor to get yanked. As he started this thing up, my ears rang, the windows vibrated and I was 2 seconds away from making my pants wet. He shut it off and asked me how I liked it.... duh! As he proceeded to open the hood... out popped a 4 banger.... thats right, a 4 cylinder Ford creation. He told me he built it and thats what he did for a living... he was a machine shop owner that was very well known for his motor building. He told me he could build me a 4 that would out do the 5.0 (302) that I had in my Mustang by about a 100 horses and with no boost or juice. Sad to say, my dad (which was helping with the funding) didnt like the idea too much for spending a grand more on a motor half the size of what I had originally. I ended up with the 302 being rebuilt but always wanted to have the 4 just to say I had half the motor you did beside me and could walk all over you from the light. It can be done.... and I for one know someone that has done it. Yes, its the tradition of the 8 cyl. but the options are just as endless with a smaller engine. As far as me... I like tradition but I really dont know what I would do if I had a built 4 sitting beside an 8. How different are you wanting to be? And what does being traditional mean to you?

 

[lowbuckrats]

I will guarantee my SBC/700R4 combo with my 2.76 gears will get better gas mileage than my 4cyl Tacoma on the freeway. F*** the gas crisis.

Yup, my SBC/2004r combo w/2:42 gears is about the same as my 4cyl ranger. I average 18-20 mpg not hammering on it.

 

[Tripper]

The problem!!!

not hammering on it.

Yep... here lies the old Tripper's problem!!!