Hey, Everybody,
boy, this is fun talking about all the possibilities.
Several of you mentioned the Datsun L24 motors.
These motors have an interesing history. My understanding is that in the
60s, when the Japaneese car builders often employed an R&D style of "Who
makes the best? Let's copy that."
They took a Mercedes OHC inline-six, copied it and lopped off two
cylinders. That was the L16 L18 motors that went into the 510s. It is a
fantastic, near bullet-proof engine. But TALL. It would not fit in the
Datsun roadsters. They continued using the 1500\1600 pushrod fours which
look suspiciously like a Mowog motor. So when the 240Z rolled around, they
added those two cylinders back, and had yet another fantastic, smooth,
powerful, long-wearing engine.
I had a '72 240Z and it was a fantastic car. I always thought it was a
poor-man's Ferrari Daytona Coupe.
I've heard the L24 engine actually weighed MORE than a small-block V8,
though I've always thought that probably failed to take into account some
required accessories. I don't know really, but I've never seen a
competitive V8 240z in autocross events.
Anyway, that L24 motor, while great, cheap and plentiful, is also long,
tall and heavy. I don't think it would be possible to shoe-horn it into a TR.
A couple of folks mentioned BMW motors. They seem to always mount their
engines slanted to get the hoodline down. At least, that's how my current
735, and prior 528 were, as well as the 2002s.
I was behind an M-series BMW roadster yesterday....I started wondering how
big the mill was on that little beastie.
Anyway, enjoying the chatter. It's nice to know that I'm not the only one
who thinks about this stuff so much.
-jeffrey
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