4 cylinder Z?

[fl327]

i dont think a four cylinder z is right, or adequate power for teh money youwould spend to get it even stay up with a v8z, or even a pumped up l28et for that matter(which i am daily getting more and more fond of), and I DARE YOU TO PROVE ME WRONG(because i doubt you can)!!!! the l28 turbo is the easiest route to go, you dont have to change motor position, just have to learn the wiring, and boom there you go, little intercool, little bov, you have good power with room to grow, four cyl, i dont think so, the minor handling you would achieve is negated by the fact you see nothing but tailights after the launch....

my .02

Leonard

king of import racing.

[Guest John Adkins]

I agree with Leonard.

It's been pointed out many many times on this board that the weight gain from a V8 has

VERY little effect on handling if its setup correctly. In fact with the JTR-style setback

mounting of a V8 in a Z, it actully makes it handle BETTER by lowering the center of gravity and putting more weight towards the rear of the car. Unless a person lives in an area where V8 parts are not common, a 4 cylinder will cost MUCH more than building a V8 to the same horsepower level.

A V8 will be more powerful than a 4 cylinder with equivalent modifications.

 

Put a turbo on a 4 banger, crank up the boost and yes it will be powerful. But do the same to a V8 and it will TWICE as powerful.

[pparaska]

Just remember, that big old clunky V8 can be built low performance and be stone reliable and still move the car with authority.

 

The smaller you go in displacement, the more boost or rpm you will need. Not a bad thing! But you have to know where the trade-offs are.

 

BTW, SB Ford V8s are lighter than the L6. Generalizations will ALWAYS get you in trouble.

 

It's not my cup of tea, but a tweaked 4 cyl turbo motor could be very fun - especially on the track. On the street, I'll take the low end torque and low rpm throttle response any day. Hard to do with a small turbo motor (2.0 liter).

[fl327]

i like to agree with that theory, riddle me this: when is v8 parts or info harder to get than 4cyl??? its not, everyone and their moms knows the firing order on a sbc and every parts store keeps most of the 8 stuff on hand, no ordering half the time and a short wait when you, i like it. and about boost and revs, hey we alredy put the 8 in, the next level is one floor DOWN!!!

[karay240]

Waaay too many ppl talk about how the 4 cylinders turbos lack lowend torque. . . aren't we talking about a 2300lbs (ish w/ a I-4) car? I think for the size and weight of the car, a 300hp 4 cylinder z would be the perfect balance of weight, torque, and horsepower. This is for a autocrosser or a street car, and does not apply to drag cars.

 

For drag cars, go w/ the biggest baddest engine, but don't forget to fortify the chassis. The thing that ppl in the states seem to overlook is the necessity for chassis tuning. W/ stickier tires and double, or even triple, the torque, you're going to, at least, need a roll cage. Most of us have seen drag cars twist off the line. . . that's usually w/ a full roll cage. Imagine what 500, or even 300ft/lbs of torque is doing to your chassis.

 

Dispite the initial investment, I think, unless you're building the car primarily for drag racing, the I-4 or a V6 is goint to be better for handling and for the life of your chassis.

 

I really don't see why ppl think that going from a old carburated 2.4 (2.6, or 2.8. . . whatever fits) I-6 w/ LESS than 150hp (w/o accessories) to a modern 2 liter I-4 producing over 205hp is a downgrade. I can't help but think that some ppl believe that just because there's more cylinders on a car the car's going to be faster.

 

There are many ppl who "downgrade.". . . For example, I've seen MANY R32 Skylines w/ a SR20 swap done b/c the owners of the cars wanted more torque, and lighten up the front end. For a more professional example in the racing arena, look at the Toyota JGTC car. Do you think they use the 2JZ in that thing? Think again. It used to, until it kept loosing to the skyline. Now they have a 3S (I-4 form MR2), and they began beating the skyline.

 

Now, I understand that there are other factors that determine an outcome of a race, and that for JGTC (or any racing series w/ regulations) the 3S was better suited. The skyline has been using the VQ35 for a while now, b/c of weight and added displacement, but it's still a good race b/w the two.

 

What I'm trying to say in this overly lenghened post is one thing. . . WHO CARES. Everyone is going to have a different opinion about different things. If you take 2 Zs, one w/ a SR, and one w/ a SBC (both tuned to about the same hp w/o regards to price) on the drag strip the SBCZ will probably beat it (marginally). You take it on a road course, the SRZ will likely be the winner (again, marginally).

 

Kenny

http://www.rbmotoring.com

[quicker240]

ah yes,and lets not forget the Mitsu 4G63.I have one in a galant vr4 but they are a dime a dozen in lasers,eagle talons,plymouths etc.make about 200 hp stock and have huge aftermarket support.I think it would make for quite a nasty Z car if pushed with bigger cams and huffer.