Bringing back the slant six

[440 PHIXX]

With only 4 main bearings, the /6 never impressed me. I guess stock they were OK. I only ever had one in a ‘71 Scamp… it was ridiculously slow. Just as well… the 9” drum brakes were ridiculously awful.

 

[patrick66]

In the late '80s, I had a sweet little '67 Dart GT hardtop with the 225/auto. It had right at 150K miles on it when I bought it off a pilot at work; it was his Mom's car from new. Never had engine issues on that little beast, ever. But, my wife shelled the wimpy little 7-1/4" rear out of it when she was picking my up from work! I hear her pull up with that Dart with a horrible howl coming from the axle. I limped that car the five miles home, where the rear simply locked up in the driveway. That was at the 205K mike point. And that 225 kept right on a-rollin'!

It always seemed that in the '80s, especially, my most dependable cars and trucks were all Slant Six powered.

In Colorado (1978), there was a guy in Grand Junction who drag raced a '61 Valiant with a 225 that ran low 11's. Of course, he had done one or two mods on that. That car was a lot of fun to watch!

 

[Richard Cranium]

It always seemed that in the '80s, especially, my most dependable cars and trucks were all Slant Six powered.

They lasted because they were old man/old lady cars and didn’t get abused, and you couldn’t abuse them because they didn’t make any no power

 

[69a100]

They lasted because they were old man/old lady cars and didn’t get abused, and you couldn’t abuse them because they didn’t make any no power

You couldn't be further from the truth. Tell me that taxi cabs were well taken care of and not abused, then I got a bridge to sell you in the desert!!

 

[Photon440]

You couldn't be further from the truth. Tell me that taxi cabs were well taken care of and not abused, then I got a bridge to sell you in the desert!!

But RC has a point, they didn't have enough power to hurt themselves. I'm sure that if you put a 1 bbl. carb onto a 383 then it would last a remarkably long time as well.

 

[440 PHIXX]

You couldn't be further from the truth. Tell me that taxi cabs were well taken care of and not abused, then I got a bridge to sell you in the desert!!

When I was a kid in the late 70’s our local yellow cab company was still running ‘65 Belvederes. I don’t remember what they had in them but I asked about one that was parked at the doctors office and the cabbie said it had 250,000 miles. He also said they kept them maintained and changed the oil regularly.

 

[Richard Cranium]

You couldn't be further from the truth. Tell me that taxi cabs were well taken care of and not abused, then I got a bridge to sell you in the desert!!

I’d be willing to bet that cabs got regularly scheduled maintenance, tune ups and oil changes.

 

[Cranky]

I was always really hard on my slant sixes and none of them blew up but none of my Mopars ever blew up and most of them got beat on pretty hard. Only had a tach on one slant six vehicle of the three that I had and that thing wouldn't go over 4800 but it sounded like it was going 5800....kind of figured it was turning 5800 with 4.10 gears in the back and surprised me that it wasn't. Probably a good thing with the toothpick rods and only four mains.

 

[Pops1967GTX]

 

[Detective D]

It's funny seeing this thread, started in 2018 when Chrysler told the world there was a new chassis for the Charger/challenger and the hemi was going to go away.
Then they back pedaled big time, used the new platform for the Alpha Romeo Giulia and extended the 5.7 to 2024.
Heh, would you look at that, 2024. Right about now, when EV mandates and the "new platform" Charger come about, and the "hurricane" 6 (instead of tornado 6) come about. Almost like they knew it was coming over half a decade ago.....

As for the slant, the "better" factory parts like the manifolds were standard equipment on engines used in Agriculture applications. Like the J.I. Case combine in my wife's Grandpa's shed.
Anyone doubting the durability of a slant should understand that the engine was capable of running at full throttle 24 hours a day under load in an AG setting until the machine was worn out, and then the engine typically got pulled off and repurposed some other place like running an irrigation rig or powering other equipment where it did more of the same. They deffinately could take a beating.

 

[71Beeper]

Funny you mention the Hurricane 6 engine.
These guys just put one in a Dakota.

 

[Detective D]

Funny you mention the Hurricane 6 engine.
These guys just put one in a Dakota.

hey look, a modern power engine in a vehicle that doesn't weigh 5000lbs. See also: the EPA doesn't allow the manufacture of a truck like this. Or even one like that with a 4 banger in it.
Sounds like a toyota supra though, not for me. Would rather drop a mopar performance magnum 5.9 with upgrades in. Stroker kit or a blower, either type.

 

[Photon440]

hey look, a modern power engine in a vehicle that doesn't weigh 5000lbs. See also: the EPA doesn't allow the manufacture of a truck like this. Or even one like that with a 4 banger in it.
Sounds like a toyota supra though, not for me. Would rather drop a mopar performance magnum 5.9 with upgrades in. Stroker kit or a blower, either type.

The GMC Canyon is a mid sized truck, are they building it without the EPA's knowledge?

 

[69Bee]

@JimKueneman I know, tasteless plug...

 

[Detective D]

The GMC Canyon is a mid sized truck, are they building it without the EPA's knowledge?

It weighs as much as a 1990's F150. Coworker has a 2wd version. He bought it brand new. It sits 6" taller then my 4x4 98 Dakota and is a foot longer. It is wider too, but I never really looked by how much precisely. The 5.2 5 speed in my Dakota also pulls a full truck length on him by 40mph. It would be more but the 1-2 shift is like a tractor in my truck lol.
The 5 cylander version they made of the Canyon 15 years ago was close, but lacked power to meet EPA standards compared to even the 4.3 V6 S10 from a decade prior. They did manage pretty decent MPG with that engine though. The new one is not a small truck by any stretch.
People say the same thing about the new Ranger and the new Dakota coming out. They only share a nameplate. The Ranger especially.

 

[MarPar]

4.3 V6 S10 from a decade prior.

Vortec V6. Torque monster. Drove an S10 pizza delivery truck with a fiberglass hot box on it for 2 years. I had to pay for my own gas and it killed my mpg, but the food got there hot and fast.

Made SO much money in that thing I put part of the down payment on my house. I got there 45 min before my shift just to claim it first. P***y 4 banger S10 couldn't get out of their own way. lol

 

[kiwigtx]

@JimKueneman I know, tasteless plug...

Another shameless plug here --------->

 

[Photon440]

It weighs as much as a 1990's F150. Coworker has a 2wd version. He bought it brand new. It sits 6" taller then my 4x4 98 Dakota and is a foot longer. It is wider too, but I never really looked by how much precisely. The 5.2 5 speed in my Dakota also pulls a full truck length on him by 40mph. It would be more but the 1-2 shift is like a tractor in my truck lol.
The 5 cylander version they made of the Canyon 15 years ago was close, but lacked power to meet EPA standards compared to even the 4.3 V6 S10 from a decade prior. They did manage pretty decent MPG with that engine though. The new one is not a small truck by any stretch.
People say the same thing about the new Ranger and the new Dakota coming out. They only share a nameplate. The Ranger especially.

Depends on which version, the Dakota came in different lengths depending on what you ordered. A new Jeep Gladiator is shorter than some of the 2012 Dakotas.

 

[FU64RY]

Here's mine

 

[j-c-c-62]

View attachment 1707897

3 questions:
1. What is the point here?
2. And what was the result or improvement?
3. Did it have a mechanical cam requiring intake manifold removal to adjust valves?