Beater car with $90 junkyard motor runs 11's at the dragstrip

[Simonator]

For any of you that are into drag racing, check this video out. This is a board member's car from another message board I am on. I been following his work for a few years now. The car is a P.O.S. beat up plymouth sundance. He was running a built up 3.0L V-6. The shadow/sundances were optional with that motor in the 90s. Anyway, he installed some forged pistons and rods, major headwork, custom intake, and a big turbo. He took it to the track and ran a 12.7. It is not a 12 second car though. I know it can do alot better. He didn't get a good run in. Well something went wrong with his motor, so he pulled it out and stuck in a $90 junkyard motor for now, and bam 11.95 @ 117 the first pass! Since it's just a cheap used motor, he wasn't afraid to beat on it hard. Those 3.0L 5 speed shadow/sundances are quick cars to begin with. I had one a few years ago. A few mod's later I was running 14.2's.

Anyway here is the videos:
http://videos.streetfire.net/video/9...-on_649313.htm
http://videos.streetfire.net/video/O...***_647377.htm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DcDkv2j0-rg

I think that car is going to see 10's before the summer is over

[Simonator]

Forgot to include the dyno video of the built race motor

http://videos.streetfire.net/video/5...T67_635700.htm

[Tinker1980]

How cool is that? I love sleepers. A economy car or family car that hauls @#$ is so much cooler to me than a shiny new sports car! I once saw a Gremlin GT with rust on the bottom of the rocker panels beat a '82 Vette... Although, I kinda wonder, would my C1500 with the 350 outrun the same 'Vette? Didn't they only have 190 horses or something?

-Mark

[Large Filipino]

CARAVAN ENGINE???





.....caravan engine?

[Simonator]

Originally Posted by Large Filipino

CARAVAN ENGINE???





.....caravan engine?

Yep, but it is also a sundance/shadow motor. Chrysler used that motor in 1987 - 2000 minivans. It was designed for minivans and SUV's. The motor was actually built by mitsubishi, even though it says chrysler on the intake plenum. in 1992 - 1994 they stuck it in the shadow/sundance. The junkyard motor he found happened to be in a 97 caravan. It is almost exactly the same as 92-94 motors. Just a little higher compression. It is also the same block used in the mitsubishi 3000GT/dodge stealth


Like I said, I used to have the same car a few years ago and it was pretty quick. Mine didn't have a turbo though.
Here is a crappy quality video of my car in 2004
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEj1Qj-1eKA

[machiasmort]

When I was a young punk, I had a 69 Olds Delta 88. 455 W-30 Police motor from Texas.
I ran the whole Buffalo PD with it several times, until I got caught one day! Would love to know what that baby would do??? 455's were fast to begin, this wasn't a normal motor! Had the high compression heads w/2bbl (rare)! We put it into an 81 firebird!

[machiasmort]

I had a friend a while back who swore you could convert a shadow to rear wheel. That's a nice job guy's! Nothin like hearin her start the first time! I like the caption with the "Great Depression", See ya got er set up to run on shine too!

[arceeguy]

Originally Posted by Simonator

Yep, but it is also a sundance/shadow motor. Chrysler used that motor in 1987 - 2000 minivans. It was designed for minivans and SUV's. The motor was actually built by mitsubishi, even though it says chrysler on the intake plenum......

The Mitsu 3.0 was used by Chrysler in the late eighties and well into the nineties because Chrysler did not have a V6 engine of their own, and when they did introduce their own V6 they still needed the Mitsu engines to keep up with demand.

They are notorious for having the valve guides drop in the head due to too loose a press fit. (earlier models only) This results in oil being drawn into the combustion chambers and puffs of blue smoke. This was the eventual death of many Chrysler vehicles that would have otherwise continued on because of the expense of the repair. Once new guides (with retaining clips) are installed, the engines are pretty much rock solid. Along with the minivans, the 3.0 can be found in Dodge Spirit/Plymouth Acclaim/Chrysler New Yorker, Plymouth Sundance/Dodge Shadow (of course), Dodge Stratus Coupe and others.

I used to own a 1987 Sundance with the 2.2L Turbo engine. It went 174K miles, and I sold it running strong. In the mid eighties, Chrysler was hedging their bets on fuel efficient but powerful turbo motors. This is why they had to outsource V6's from mitsu in the first place because they had learned that a 7/70 warranty on a turbo motor didn't mix with the general public that doesn't really maintain their cars like they should. They had turbo 4 cylinder minivans, turbo New Yorkers - I believe every car in their lineup had a turbo engine available - even the lowly Dodge Omni (in Shelby GLHS trim).

Marty - way back in them good old days, we used to go to the junkyard and pull engines from station wagons, which often had big block engines behind the fake wood trim! Of course, back then, it was pretty easy to do an engine swap with no computer harnesses and sensor wires.

[machiasmort]

Exactly AG, that's where my knowledge started falling behind the times! I got that good UNION job that took any spare second I did have away...

Is that the dodge daytona era you speak of AG (with the turbo's)? My buddy had one that went and I just wasn't smart enought o fix it then.

[arceeguy]

The eighties would definitely be the Dodge Daytona era!

Actually, I think that modern computer controlled cars are easier to fix than their predecessors but more difficult to do engine swaps and some performance mods. It is nice to be able to plug in a laptop and read live data from the engine sensors or pull codes when the MIL comes on. (check engine light)

Check out this video of a turbo minivan dusting a Camaro!