my daughter and I are building up a '64 ranchero to be ready (hopefully) by the time she gets her licence(we got 2 1/2 years). The frame and floor are shot so we got a s-10 frame to use and rebuild the floor and firewall. I have the straight 6 200 with a manual tranny. I started thinking about the full frame of the s-10 , the disc brakes and thought maybe I should put a bigger engine in it. The ranchero will be my daughters first car so I dont want it to get her in trouble but I do want it to be fun to drive. I have a 300 straight 6 with a 3 speed w/ overdrive I could use. Havent made any measurements but I will be redoing the firewall anyway so it seems I could make the 300 work. My main question is the 200 enough of an engine for the extra weight of the full frame and be responsive enough to be fun to drive? Any reasons I should not use the 300? Thanks for your thoughts.
what engine should I use?
- Thread starter brchopper
- Start date
Help Support Rat Rods Rule:
rainman
Rough Rodder
Personally I would use what I had you could always swap it out later. I don't recall ever seeing a 64 Ranchero how bout some pics?
dmw56
Busted and Rusted on Route 66
Isn't a Ranchero a unibody? How will you fit that on a full frame?
rustybeercan
Never met a beer he didn't like!
Yes, the Falcon based Rancheros were unibody's. Like most old Ford's, these cool pickups were very prone to rusting out.
Beercan
my first thought was to cut out the whole underside of the car , set it on top of the frame , then build the new floor , frame ,and body as one. So it would be a unibody with more frame to it then normal. my other option would be to redo the floor so it would mount on the s-10 frame. No matter what I do the original floor , firewall , and partial frame will have to be rebuilt. As far as engines I have both a 300 and a 200. Just want to decide which one I will build the car around. the s-10 wheel width is the same as the ranchero and the s-10 wheelbase is two inches shorter than the ranchero. I have to redo the metal around the wheel wells anyway so I think I could leave the s-10 frame the length that it is.
Attachments
42chevy
Rustier Rat Rodder
The 300has alot of power and speed parts are available at Clifford's. I had one with dual exhaust and a mild cam and it was impressive!
the reverend muddy grimes
Brother Binder
I-6's are for girls.....Oh wait...Dude if I was ever gonna run an I-6 it would be the 300. From everything I've ever read or heard about them, they are a good solid motor with speed parts readily avalable.
well, this car is for a girl. but wait, I just picked up another 292 y block last weekend. would that be cool enough. or I could use the 390 I have but it needs to be rebuilt. I guess I just have to decide how fast I want my daughterr to get to class in the morning. the problem is school is only five minutes away. and if I dont use the 200 what will I ever use it on? I am leaning towards something with power because wouldn't that be so much cooler and if I wasn't trying to do something cool why am I even messing around with this rusted out ranchero?
70_boosted
Well-known member
- Joined
- Nov 16, 2009
- Messages
- 357
got a nice powerful I6 available. up for sale and ready to drop in entire swap. not to over powering yet still much room to grow. its not an american built motor but still. its the 1jz twin turbo set up.
cantwell.colton
Rat Rod Philosopher
i personally love the I6 as an engine choice
good power - economical enough - and last forever /
are super easy to work on... my 3cents.
i also like the idea of chopping out the floor/frame
and poppin it on the full frame if it measures up ok.
good power - economical enough - and last forever /
are super easy to work on... my 3cents.
i also like the idea of chopping out the floor/frame
and poppin it on the full frame if it measures up ok.
