So you wanna build a muscle-modded ecocar or an ecomodded muscle car? What is that?

[samwichse]

I think the problem is with the thread title. The thread's not talking about ecomodded muscle cars, but both that and musclemodded eco cars.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=i9-moIwnBPc

[California98Civic]

Originally Posted by samwichse

I think the problem is with the thread title. The thread's not talking about ecomodded muscle cars, but both that and musclemodded eco cars.[/url]

Yeah, good point. Maybe I will mod the thread title. Late in writing the post I decided to add those projects that put a newer drivetrain into an old shell because they seemed related. I admit, the thread title is meant to attract certain search results (not saying it will). There's an ambiguity. Projects from the old days that might be comprable to musclemodded ecocars like a K-powered Insight might have been whenever some guy dropped a V8 into an Vega, Opel, Chevette or something. But the engine bays were often too small and so the engine assembly sticks out of a hood cutout, messing with the aerodynamics pretty badly. These newer ones like a K-powered Insight can look stock from the outside while creating a lot of power, 250-400+ HP it seems. But they're still aerodynamically intact, have great gearing options, and can be fuel mapped in ways that kinda make them fuel sippers on demand. AND they can pass as street cars. It's more than a Vega V8 could hope to accomplish, probably.

Here is a Vega with the big cutout:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=oYHvb3vKQI0

This '68 Opel GT is really cool looking:
https://barnfinds.com/tiny-corvette-1968-opel-gt-v8/

[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?

[freebeard]

So you wanna build a muscle-modded ecocar or an ecomodded muscle car?

I built this model in 1995:



I bought this Baja bug sometime before 2002 (note the semaphore pockets):


I got the Lexus drivetrain in 2014



You might call it a long range plan.

[California98Civic]

Originally Posted by freebeard

I built this model in 1995 ... I bought this Baja bug sometime before 2002 (note the semaphore pockets) ... I got the Lexus drivetrain in 2014 ... You might call it a long range plan.

I have seen some of these photos before and it definitely fits the thread, I think. Which Lexus drivetrain is it?

Originally Posted by hat_man

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

Why not? Let's think of "muscle car" in a little broadly!

[freebeard]

I have seen some of these photos before and it definitely fits the thread, I think. Which Lexus drivetrain is it?

LX400h rear axle. If I was buying today I'd look for the new RAV4. The LX400h has an open diff, the RAV4 has twin motors so it can do torque vectoring. This is important to me since that episode on black ice.

This one fits the topic less, but it's derived from the rat rod.



It shows up (not well) in the side view in front of the barn.