Alternative motive power

[Rob Dyba]

Hi guys, as an experiment I thought I would trial fit a Commodore V6/Auto into an empty hull & see what the outcome would be. If this was to be something that a restorer was contemplating to do while an affordable flattie came along you would need to do a gearbox conversion, the Auto will not fit without cutting of the rails where the flatty would fit- not an option for me. I can't find an adaptor to mate a GM V6 to a CMPor Ford T8 box so that is that as V6/Auto goes unless you are prepared to remove a lot of original (structural) steel goes it's not a viable conversion. There is one Carrier owned by Emu Gully that is reported to be v6/Auto but I have not seen it move under it's own power, nor the install either.

Anyone got an adaptor to fit a V8 anything to a CMP box for sale? I have no flatties to spare, and to be honest I want a powerup over my STD LP carrier for a bit of fun.

Rob

[chris vickery]

I hear what you are saying Jordan but I will add my 2 cents...
I am all for originality, those of you who know me know that my restos are done in as correct a fashion as possible.
That being said, I would sooner see something "on the road" vs sitting in the barn if it was a case of $$$. Too many restoration projects end up spending most of their life in the shop while a guy gets around to doing all the things to make it right, if ever. Many times a well intended project goes awry after a long period of idle time.
I would hazard a guess in saying that worldwide, there are probably more carriers running with non-original engines than original.
I think many guys over the years seen how finicky the flathead is and I could actually see the use of a small 4 or 6 cylinder engine out of anything else used instead. We all know how flatty dizzys and coils like to be...
Truth is, small block engines are quite readily available and many time for cheap if not for free, especially if a guy has a project that is being upgraded (hotrod).