Ford presents ’34 Ford 3 Window Coupe equipped with EcoBoost engine
Hot rodders have always lived by the motto "There's no replacement for displacement," indicating that the more cubic inches an engine has, the better the resulting performance. Ford Powertrain and Detroit Street Rods are out to prove that thinking out-of-date with their EcoBoost™-powered '34 Ford hot rod.
To be introduced at this year's Specialty Equipment Market
Association (SEMA) show, the Ford hot rod will be the "first"
rear-wheel-drive application of the 3.5-liter twin-turbo
EcoBoost V-6 delivering an estimated 400 horsepower and 400
ft.-lb. of torque – power numbers that easily rival a typical
hot rod's 302-cubic-inch V-8 or even a modern-day V-8 of similar
size.
"EcoBoost technology shows that there is a viable replacement
for displacement," said Dan Kapp, director of Ford Powertrain
Research and Advanced Engineering, who will be part of a SEMA
"Driving Green" technology briefing panel discussion during the
show. "As consumers' demand for fuel efficiency continues to
grow, and our commitment to delivering best-in-class fuel
economy remains steadfast, it's important to show that
performance does not need to suffer as a result.”
TheEcoBoost family of engines uses turbocharging and direct
injection technology to deliver up to 20 percent better fuel
economy and up to 15 percent fewer CO2 emissions versus
larger-displacement engines.
The first EcoBoost engine, a 3.5-liter twin-turbo V-6, launched
this year on the 2010 Ford Taurus SHO and Flex and on the
Lincoln MKS and Lincoln MKT. The EcoBoost V-6 produces 355
horsepower (365 hp in the Taurus SHO) and 350 ft.-lb. of torque.
Ford has recently announced the first four-cylinder EcoBoost
engines, launching in global applications beginning next year.
The 1.6-liter EcoBoost I-4 first arrives in Europe, followed by
the 2.0-liter EcoBoost I-4 launching on products in both Europe
and North America.
Going forward, Ford will shift its powertrain strategy to be
built around EcoBoost technology. Under the new system:
- A 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6 would replace naturally aspirated V-8 engines
- A 2.0-liter EcoBoost I-4 would replace naturally aspirated V-6 engines
- A 1.6-liter EcoBoost I-4 would replace naturally aspirated large I-4 engines
Following the launches of the new EcoBoost I-4s will be the
extension of the 3.5-liter V-6 to the first rear-wheel-drive
configuration in the F-150 pickup truck late next year. Another
global application, the Ford Falcon sedan in Australia, will
receive a rear-wheel-drive version of the 2.0-liter EcoBoost I-4
in 2011.
The fun-to-drive nature of EcoBoost engines is leading Ford to
introduce these fuel-saving powertrains in large volumes
virtually across its lineup. For example, by 2013 more than 90
percent of Ford's North American lineup will be available with
EcoBoost technology, and nearly 80 percent of Ford's global
nameplates will have an available EcoBoost option.
By 2013, global EcoBoost volume throughout the Ford, Lincoln and
Mercury vehicle family is expected to be 1.3 million units, with
up to 750,000 sales coming from North America alone.
'34 Ford EcoBoost hot rod project
Detroit Street Rods' latest build is a 1934 Ford and is a joint
venture with Ford Motor Company and Experi-metal. In this '34
application, the EcoBoost engine is configured for rear-wheel
drive and is coupled with a Tremec five-speed manual
transmission.
While the stock Honeywell turbochargers that drive the EcoBoost
engine are used, they were repackaged to fit the engine bay of
this all-steel replica body. The engine configuration and
turbocharger packaging was dynamometer tested by Ford Powertrain
for proper calibration of the engine electronic control module
(ECM). In addition to the all-stock engine, other components
including the fuel pump, ECM, fuel pump module, fuel pump
processor and drive-by-wire throttle were utilized in their
original production configuration.
The body is from Steve's Auto Restoration and is the recently
released 1934 Ford 3-Window coupe. The complete body and fenders
are from brand-new tooling, and are designed, stamped and
manufactured by Experi-metal in Sterling Heights, Mich. This
"replica" '34 features all-steel construction, full fenders,
running boards, electronic power windows, air conditioning and
custom bumpers.
The engine was repackaged and fitted with an engine plate
adapter to mate with an aluminum flywheel, performance clutch
and a Tremec TKO five-speed transmission. The turbochargers were
repositioned to the front of the cylinder heads and custom
aluminum tubing was used to route the air from the custom air
cleaner through the air-to-air intercooler. The exhaust gases
are routed from the cylinder heads through coated headers,
through the stock wastegates, and pass through large custom
exhaust cones located outside the engine bay and just above the
front fenders.
October 28, 2009
Photos: Ford