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400-HP 3.5L Twin-Turbo ECOBOOST V-6 '34 Ford Hot Rod

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Khatir Soltani
'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.

"The decision to use the EcoBoost engine for our powertrain on this project was an easy one in that it gave us the opportunity to combine the iconic '34 Ford sculpted body lines with the advanced technology of the EcoBoost powerplant," stated Robert Smith, president of Detroit Street Rods. "The result is the perfect hot rod marriage of advanced technology for power and legendary automobile design."


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.

photo:Ford
Khatir Soltani
Khatir Soltani
Automotive expert
  • Over 6 years experience as a car reviewer
  • Over 50 test drives in the last year
  • Involved in discussions with virtually every auto manufacturer in Canada