XR6

Here's a book out of my personal library by Tex Smith. Tex died just a few years ago but left quite a legacy of both written material and real live hot rod stuff. Probably his most famous car was the XR6.

Wild design from the early sixties. It was pretty popular on the show circuit and AMT had a model kit you could buy and assemble so you could have your own XR6 sitting on a shelf. The photo is from here. If you check out the link you can get a nice write up about the car as well as see this photo of the powerplant.

Slant Six, Baby! How's that for a cool hot rod motor? This one is an aluminum block with three Webers. The slant six wasn't known to be a real power house but I would imagine this one stepped out pretty lively in the lightweight XR6. I dug out one of my old Motor's manuals and the earlier 225 motors were listed at 145 horse. As they went into the seventies the power rating fell off until it bottomed out at 90 or 100 depending on the application. I'm assuming that was due to the emissions concerns back then.

I shopped around on the web and found both Summit and Jegs listed a kit for the 225 - cam, lifters, retainers, keepers, and timing chain. I paid the guy for the motor, ordered a kit with a mild cam and before I bring the thing home I'll have him work the head over, including taking a skin cut off the bottom to make sure everything is nice and flat as well as bumping up the compression a bit. Stock is 8.4. 9.0 to 1 would be better.

Tex's book has a nice photo of the frame of his XR6 to give me an idea of what he did. I don't have a specific design in mind just yet for my project, but I didn't want the engine to get away from me. I'll get it together and then mothball it until I get ready to start on it someday. 

This'll be the last big project I undertake - it'll have to serve as my masterpiece.