1934 Ford Hot Rod Gets 400 HP EcoBoost

A blend of classic styling with modern performance and efficiency. This is what Ford Powertrain and Detroit Street Rods are preparing for the 2009 SEMA Show. In other words, an EcoBoost-powered 1934 Ford hot rod.

In fact, the event will premiere the first rear-wheel-drive application of the 3.5-liter twin-turbo EcoBoost V-6 delivering an estimated 400 horsepower and 542 Nm of torque, and mated to a Tremec five-speed manual transmission.

"The beauty of EcoBoost is that it enables us to downsize for fuel efficiency, yet boost for power," Dan Kapp, director of Ford Powertrain Research and Advanced Engineering. "We're able to decrease the size of the available engine – such as installing a V-6 versus a V-8 – yet boost the power using turbocharging to deliver similar power and torque to that larger engine."

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 used in their original production configuration.

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 ‘34 EcoBoost hot rod project will feature an all-steel replica body, full fenders, running boards, electronic power windows, air conditioning and custom bumpers.

"This '34 EcoBoost hot rod is a fantastic example of modern green technology being applied in a manner that any performance enthusiast would love," said John Waraniak, SEMA vice president of Vehicle Technology.