What is the rarest or strangest, unusual engine you have owned?

I have had 2.

A 302 Chevy.

Many people know of the 302 Chevy was made for 3 years. Seems those guys think all 302's had the DZ suffix.
What they don't know is that in 1967 Chevy made the 302 but with a small journal crank and 2 bolt main block. Mine was a 67 with the "MP" suffix which was an engine destined for California with an air pump.

A 266 cu in International V8.

Again many people have heard of the 304 and 345 used in the light line international scouts and trucks.

Say 266 and people look at you like you have 3 eyes.
I always thought the earlier 302s were more performance oriented than the mid 68s and all of the 69s. The early ones had forged pistons with full floating piston pins. The small journal crankshafts would rev somewhat quicker also.
 
Just remembered....I had a Ford 302 with 4 of the cylinders used to compress air for an air compressor. It worked amazingly well.
 
Saab 96 3-cyl, 2 stroke ... the model year was about 1967-68

1972 Mazda RX-2 ... ran great when it ran. Resealed the engine twice before selling it. It sounded like a wounded, screaming banshee when I lost the muffler.
Proper weirdness.
 
In the U.S.?

Yes. I saw a few officially imported 2L 2.4 Liter Diesel powered 4th gen Hilux pickup trucks come in for various things, usually just routine maintenance, when I worked at a Toyota dealer back in the day.
 
Last edited:
Yes. I saw a few officially imported 2L 2.4 Liter Diesel powered 4th gen Hilux pickup trucks come in for various things, usually just routine maintenance, when I worked at a Toyota dealer back in the day.
There was a diesel offered one year (?) I thought in the '80s for the Toyota pickups here in the U.S.
 
1984 Mazda 626 Diesel , loaded with moonroof, digital dash Drove right after high school till the HG popped $300

1991 Golf GTi 2.0l 16v not super common , 1.8 was great reving engine
 
Toyota pickups sold in the USA prior to the Tacoma, were called the Hilux.
They were not. They were called "truck". I had one. Never called HiLux here. That's why I was confused.
 
Last edited:
Toyota 4A-GZE. Had one in a swapped '96 Corolla and it was a riot. The OEM supercharger was clutched like an A/C compressor and only engaged when needed. Combined with an underdrive crank pulley to up the boost, the thing went like stink.

The only other "odd" engine I've owned was a 4.0 Northstar in a '96 Olds Aurora. The Aurora got the 4.0 version because, at the time, Cadillac didn't want to share the 4.6. The Aurora was the only GM car to ever receive the 4.0 variant, although Shelby also used the 4.0 in his Series 1.
 
They were not. They were "truck". I had one. Never called HiLux here. That's why I was confused.

I owned them, and worked on them as a Master Tech at a Toyota dealer. The pickups prior to the Tacoma were in fact the Hilux.

For marketing purposes they were also referred to just as "Truck", "Pickup Truck", "Compact Truck" etc. The Hilux pickup in the USA, was replaced by the less utilitarian, more highway oriented Tacoma for the 1995.5 model year.

So while YOU didn't recognize the pickups prior to the Tacoma as a Hilux, that's what they were.

The more utilitarian trucks with the Hilux name continue on in the rest of the world to this day.
 
  • Like
Reactions: GON
I owned them, and worked on them as a Master Tech at a Toyota dealer. The pickups prior to the Tacoma were in fact the Hilux.

For marketing purposes they were also referred to just as "Truck", "Pickup Truck", "Compact Truck" etc. The Hilux pickup in the USA, was replaced by the less utilitarian, more highway oriented Tacoma for the 1995.5 model year.

So while YOU didn't recognize the pickups prior to the Tacoma as a Hilux, that's what they were.

The more utilitarian trucks with the Hilux name continue on in the rest of the world to this day.
I'm aware that what was called "truck" here was called HiLux everywhere else. Nobody including Toyota referred to it that way in the U.S.
 
Had a Nisan Maxima 2.8 diesel six with a five speed that was surprisingly fun as it sat low and handled well. Was a naturally aspirated IDI that pulled like a truck.
 
Saab 96 3-cyl, 2 stroke ... the model year was about 1967-68
With freewheel! We had a 1969, which used the Ford 4 stroke 1.5L V4.

Guess the most oddball engine is the boxer in my 1975 R90/6.


2020060519195163--7377285389096434514-IMG_6496.webp


Or maybe the 5 cylinder 2.7L turbodiesel in a Sprinter van. Neither particularly rare.

 
With freewheel! We had a 1969, which used the Ford 4 stroke 1.5L V4
Great little engine. Had one after the 3-cyl. Got 44mpg returning to Berkeley from the Sierras. Loved its torque curve and the way it moved that little car about. I think it was a 4-speed on the column.
 
  • Like
Reactions: GON
I had a '59 DeSoto Firedome with a first year 383 engine. The demand for the new 383 ci displacement version of the Chrysler B engine (also the 361) exceeded that engine line production. So, they had one of Chrysler's RB engine lines, making the 413, also produce a 383 ci displacement engine with an RB block. For one year, '59 model year, the Chrysler line up and at least some Desoto's with 383 engines had an RB (tall) 413 block with reduced bore. A different bore size and longer stroke than the regular "B" 383.

Also had a 2001 Olds Intrigue. A little-known, Olds only, LX5 DOHC 3.5 V6. Similar design to the infamous Cadillac NorthStar V8 and the same fault. Nicknamed the "Shortstar". Supposedly designed independently of the NorthStar V8, but similar. 1999-2002 Olds Intrigue, 2001-2002 Olds Aurora base engine.
 
Lucky for me, I’ve generally owned engines that are highly regarded. A 318 Mopar in a 1969 coronet, a VQ30 in ‘97 maxima. A 5.9L Cummins B series. A j35 Honda, etc.

Probably only two engines I’ve owned might be remotely unusual. First was the old poly head 318 I had an my 1967 Coronet. Technically being a 1967 it should have had the newer LA 318 that everyone knows, but this had one of the last “A” engine 318s. Much heavier than the later LAs (LA= lightweight A engine). It was rumored that some of these old 318 could be bored all the way to 340 bore (a whopping 0.130” overbore) if the casting was sonic checked. Cylinder head was quite different from later LA wedge heads (I think they called it a “semi hemi”. 2 bolt valve covers that always leaked.

The other was the 4gr-FSE in my 2007 is250. GDI only in 2007 and pretty small for a v6 at 2.5L. But it revved and it was smooth. And unlike most of them, mine was reliable and didn’t have major carbon problems.

Question on your 1967 Coronet with poly A 318 engine. Is there a chance that your Coronet was originally a Canadian market car? The '67 Canadian Dodges used the poly A 318 engine one year longer than the US. The 273 LA engine had been around since 1964, but only A bodies, I think. Not doubting you at all.

I had a good bit of wheel time on a '60 Plymouth wagon that my dad owned in the 60's. With a poly A 318 engine. The family also had owned some older Mopar sedans with early hemi block poly head engines and a small bore early hemi. It's amazing that they made those 3 engines in so many different displacements across the brands.
 
Back
Top Bottom