2375 lbs, is the normal weight, but this one will be a fenderless sedan, so that will reduce the weight and drag a bit as well. I believe the engine on a stock A is about 375 lbs., but not for sure. Add the weight of a cast iron manifold heater and you have a bit more to contend with.
Huey

I reckon any A series motor would be severely underpowered for your car. Back in the 70's guys like Buttera were dropping rotaries and 2 litre Pintos in A's but most of those cars are running 8s now. I have a 28/9 roadster pick up that will get a alloy 3.5 litre Buick /Rover. It is not too big and still has the torque and v8 rumble. Here in NZ there a a few guys who are building some strong 4 cylinder A motors with alloy heads , new manifolds and even new quickchange rearends.They are all made here in NZ. I would hop up the original motor and perhaps bolt a modern gearbox behind it. I know of a 4 banger A here with a s10 5 speed in it .

Quote:Yes Huey, I have driven stock model A's back in the 60's & 70's, & there are a few of us here who would like to brag that we were as young as 50 again. That 40hp original engine displaced over 200 cubic inches, had a stroke as long as your arm, a bore big enough to stick your leg into & a flywheel that would hold the Queen Mary if used as an anchor, so it wasn't the 'power' that pushed the old girl along, but the TORQUE.

By contrast, the little 1200 displaces 71 cubic inches, has a bore of about 2-7/8", a stroke about the same as my d**k [2-3/4 inches] & a flywheel that, by comparison, could almost be used as a frisbee, but it develops 69hp, almost 75% more than the Model A. Thats just enough to keep a small 1565 Lb Datsun car moving along nicely.

I like your ideas, but my personal choice would come down to three basic groups.

1. Model B engine [1932] or better still, the C engine [1933 with pressure oiling] with Riley aftermarket OHV conversion [I hear that you can buy them new again] with an updated driveline. Stirlingmac has the right idea here I think.
2. Late model 4 cyl, like the KA42 or similar
3. Something V8, but light like the 215 Buick/Olds/Pontiac or even the 3.5L Rover which is the same engine with godawfull Lucas electrics.

Oh yeah, the original engine formed a structural member of the chassis [solid mounted] so you will probably need to box the rails back to the firewall or crossmember when you replace it, no matter which replacement engine you chose.

Huey,
Probably one of the coolest old cars I have seen was a model T that was owned by an engineer- he had custom made a counterbalanced crank for it and had fitted the Fronty OHV head- it was good for 140km/h and revved to 5500 rpm. the next phase to his project was a 16 valve twin cam Fronty head from the late 20's that he had picked up (I think from someone who didn't know the significance of it) The head was in pretty average condition but repairable.

So there is plenty of precedent for a twin cam conversion

The original engine will either go to front the cost of the conversion, or go into a speedster project that I have always dreamed of doing. I love the boat-tailed speedsters of the 20-30's. The original engine is great if that is your desire, but it no longer is mine for this particular project. Although Riley two ports and Brumfield heads and such do indeed look great and function quite well, the cost has dramatically climbed over the past few years.

I can pick up a wrecking yard complete engine and tranny set up, do a bit of freshening up on it and have something that will do nicely for what my plans are. I can't begin to do that in the low buck mode for the stock conversion to full pressure oiling, high compression head, inserts and so forth.

How does the B-16/B-18's rate against the T3-C, R20 or R22 Toyota engines, as to HP? These can easily be bumped up to as much as 200 HP with some mods. The mods I'd be looking at are pretty limited to set of headers, possibly K&N filter and some new carbies. Remember, I am striving for a low-buck only approach.

Torque: I learned quickly in driving my Model A to never drive off from a dead start in the snow, in first gear. Your back end will easily pass your front end when minimal gas is applied. It is a feeling that is unexplainable, unless you have experienced it.

I originally started the project with a 321 engine in mind. Even got th etranny adapter and lots of old Rod mags when these engines gained favor in the early 70's. However, they are just too sparce in my neck of the woods, and fewer and fewer people seem to have learned about them. I like an engine that is not filled with modern day electronics. My Model A is Y2K compliant. ....a term people have not heard in a bit, I suppose. Just like my old '62 Falcon, '54 Chevy wagon, '42 Chevy coupe, etc.

No question the A will get boxed. I already have plans for that. Be interesting to see if the original suspension will need to have the wishbones cut or not. That is not always a given, so I'll have to see which engine I end up with before I do any splitting of the wishbones. Chassis Engineering makes and adaptor for the original suspension, if it is not to be cut. I am going to try to keep as much stock as I can. I'd love to have a tilt column and yet, keep the original steering wheel on it. (I personally love the original with its great size and unique feel in my hands). Part of the charm of the car was allowing my kiddo to ride on the running boards. Just hopping up on them had a unique feel over the years. I'll miss them in that regard, but have decided a fenderless, highboy-style sedan is what I want to experiment with for a low-buck cruiser.

No plans to chop the top or such. This car will have some overall weight reduction though. Original wheels, new engine and tranny will drop off some of the pounds quickly when comparred to the stock A stuff. Not sure if I'll fill the roof or not at this point. Personally, I like the soft top on her, but it needs repair/replacement, so I don't know if a hammered top is in the works or not.

Wish I had more time and car frames to put all the engine combos in I'd like to. It would be interesting to see just what some of the engines could actually do with a sedan. May surprise everyone in reality, but one never knows.

Where can I learn more about the L-16/L18 engines? Not turbos, as I am trying to not get any more complex than necessary. I have copied the pics of many of these engine modles from this site. Interesting in seeing them.

oops, gotta run.
Later,
Huey

For the engine output you are looking for, there will be no advantage by boxing the rails. It is just going to add more weight and still not strengthen the chassis where it is needed. You are better off welding in a good complete engine crossmember and gearbox crossmember.
For the engine I would go for a 2.7litre out of a toyota pickup. Readily avaliable even in injected form. Plenty of torque and both manual and auto boxes drive like a family sedan.

i think what you are looking for is a Dot Rod built by Dick Dean inthe 70's.
it was based on a complete 620 ute chassis (j15 and 4 speed). He sold instruction books for $10.
they were based on '32 coupes.
to find a picture google "dot rod " it will come up with a rod and customs magazine page about him.
i have rusty but complete 620 taht i am thinking about doing the same to, but the body cost around 8k.

74sss, have a look at Stockman Fabrications site. They are in Oz and do a neat flat back Model A cab in fibreglass,it would be a dodle to drop on your chassis. Around 6000 aussie gets you all the bits including fenders and bed.

i will. the concept of building a hot rod from a ute appeals to me. it is basicly re-bodying a 620.
a pickup would be great. cheap part and cheap to run