but I'm tossing around the idea of using a pretty big (watercooled) engine for a (mainly) street buggy, but my main concern is to keep the front end on the ground so that I can steer.
The engine I'm looking at will probably be around 350lbs with all the goodies, but we'll say 400 to be on the safe side. I'm thinking one of the best ways to keep it on all fours would be to have pretty long trailing arms.
I know there are other things too, but what should I be looking at for that weight of an engine hanging off the back?
Also, how much torque/horsepower can a 6-rib handle?

Larry, don't be mad! Tony, protect me!
This is just an idea, so once I know what it's gonna take, I'll be able to make a decision.

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Get me that hammer, pronto!

build a mid engine. centers out the weight more and if you want you can still pop them up

Well, I agree that would be the best option, but that would just be too much trouble for what I'm working with. I would love to do that in the future though.

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Get me that hammer, pronto!

wut r u working with?

A warrior frame and a shallow pocket.

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Get me that hammer, pronto!

I have been on the same 6 rib (stock gears with a super diff) for a little over 4 years now. My 4.3 has all the power I would ever want and more then the 6rib could take if I drove it the same way I used to with my big VW motor. Now the power I have is more on tap and I don't have to be at 5000RPM to find my power band. Now a days if I get over 4000RPM I must be in a really bad spot and having to work at the hill I'm on. So if your going to keep it on the street ( for the most part ) and just trail ride I think you could get by with a 3rib at half the cost. A high TQ motor will tend to take out a 2 spider diff so what ever tranny you go with, get a superdiff for it.

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A bad day Buggying is better then a good day of most anything else.

Go ahead crazyboner and tell him about those extended trailing arms like you are gonna use on your next buggy.

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If your clutch ain't slippin,, you probably got it adjusted right!!!!!

Ah, thanks Tony. Michael told me he thought you said that your 6-rib had welded gears, that's why I brought that up here, I guess his memory is almost as bad as mine.

Do you think I would need something as big as your 4x5's to keep it on the ground when I want it to be? That's what I'm worried about. I don't want to spend the money on them, nor the axles...
I should've never gone to your place and heard that buggy, that's where my problems began.

Yeah, yeah, I've seen the beginnings of his next buggy and I'm a bit jealous...I'll be alright though

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Get me that hammer, pronto!

My next one is a chain drive and you know they don't over to well around here. So I better keep my mouth closed about that. Or this tread will end up in trash talk, RailHommie came out to the house this weekend and I start my buggy for him and his friend. I think he liked seeing the buggy and trailer rock side to side as I hit the gas. I guess you all can pick on me if he don't go VW power on his buggy.

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A bad day Buggying is better then a good day of most anything else.

[quote='CrazyBone']My next one is a chain drive and you know they don't over to well around here. So I better keep my mouth closed about that. Or this tread will end up in trash talk, RailHommie came out to the house this weekend and I start my buggy for him and his friend. I think he liked seeing the buggy and trailer rock side to side as I hit the gas. I guess you all can pick on me if he don't go VW power on his buggy.[/quote]

I just trail ride to find nice hills, I have the ha

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A bad day Buggying is better then a good day of most anything else.

The last V6 buggy I had was a cobra frame with a 2.8 ford Mustang II motor was a small V6. Had 2x3's and was a good climbing buggy but was just alittle off on the power the weight. To me you have the have the power to weight just right to make a nice buggy. If it was a alum motor it would have been just right or if a turbo was added it would have been fine too.

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A bad day Buggying is better then a good day of most anything else.

Yeah, I guess I'll say what we're talking about...

It's a Ford 3.0L Duratec V6 all aluminum block and heads. Came as an option in Tauruses/Sables from around '96 to 2004(?) so it's relatively easy to get your hands on.
In stock form (in the car), it puts out 200 hp and about 200 lbs of torque at around 45-550 rpms. Redline is around 7 grand I think.
It's supposed to weigh 360 lbs "fully dressed."
I think I can probably get one for around 250-400 bucks.

What do you think?

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Get me that hammer, pronto!

Sounds nice to me, for that power a VW motor would cost about $5000+. IF it goes out no big loss find a Pull-A-Part and your back in the game. The wiring will be the biggest down fall. Look to spend $400 to $600 to get a harnes made. Happys knows a guy that will make the adapter for about $400 his name it meathead. Or there is http://www.kennedyeng.com and hecker. Hecker is the best but they will all work.

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A bad day Buggying is better then a good day of most anything else.

[quote='RailHomie']

Larry, don't be mad! Tony, protect me!
This is just an idea, so once I know what it's gonna take, I'll be able to make a decision.[/quote]

Hell, I aint gonna get mad. Its your time and money. With your plan, the money will be less, but the time will be WAY more. I think any well-built , non cobbled up buggy that goes well is cool, be it a cheese drive, water slumper, or air-fooled. Just do it up nice. There are SOHC and DOHC versions of that 3.0 Taurus mo

I wish I could've bought his, but then I wouldn't be able to say I built it! Plus, I'm not ready to hand out that much change for a buggy. I'm gonna get mine in working order, use it on the street, maybe some trails, and slowly start the endless modifying game. I can't wait!

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Get me that hammer, pronto!