[hat_man]

I bought a Triumph Tr7 a few years ago with the intention of doing an EV conversion. The plans have changed, but I'm not sure if the 7 will fit this category. I was looking at the new 2.3l Ford Ecoboost for a swap. 310 hp (the 7 is around 100 hp) and around 300 ft/lbs of torque. It get around 32 mpg on the highway in the heavy Mustang with the stock manual behind it. I was looking at a close ratio T-56 Magnum with the wide ratio 5th and 6th (.74 and .50) with a 3.45 rear. The hypothetical outcome would have been a 2800 lb car cruising at 70 mph at around 1500-1600 rpm. I was guessing about mid to high 30's for mpg with the ability to still get on it in the first 3 gears and have some fun. But alas........the 2.3 EB is too tall to fit under the hood.

Now I'm looking at the L99/LS3 GM small block. 415-430 hp stock with a T-56 Magnum but in all wide ratio gears and the same 3.45 in the rear. Unless there is a weight and space savings, I might consider the L33 truck motor. I believe its a similar block so there probably won't be any real weight savings anyhow. With a properly geared 5 or 6 speed and rear I would think it would be capable of high 30's for mpg.

The 7 was never a "muscle car" or really an "eco" car, but would a fuel efficient "hot rod" fit?