Does America Make a Better Barra?! Vortec 4200 Turbo Engine Builds!-Hot Rod Garage Preview Ep. 85

Watch the full episode on MotorTrend: bit.ly/2OmYS8Z
On this episode of HOT ROD Garage, hosts Tony Angelo and Lucky Costa are going to take on the legendary Aussie engine, the Ford Barra. It’s a beastly 4.0L six-cylinder turbocharged unit that churns out enough combined tire smoke yearly to blot out the sun! These engines are the best that Australia has to offer, and they reign supreme in the land down under. The boys think that Chevrolet might have just built something in the Vortec 4200 that could be a better Barra! Both engines are around four liters, both are inline-six cylinders, both have 24 valves, so there’s only one thing to do, and that’s build a couple of these Vortec engines up, bolt turbochargers to them, and see what they can do!

[@TyBraek]

Please put the Barra in a Cuda!! Please... the Barra-Cuda

[@John.strong]

Too bad There isn't a car that's called mundi Barramundi is the fish it was named after not the barra cuda

[@asyourgm]

And a stereo that only plays Heart's Barracuda.

[@davefroman4700]

a GM knockoff of an Aussie Ford motor in a Mopar......Can you think of a bigger abortion on wheels?

[@adamwebster9784]

67 barra cuda! I bream of this car!!!

[@grahambate3384]

Yes

[@moddifried]

Dead set bunch of flaming galahs if you reckon that tired old donk would flog our taxi engine

[@hondajack8049]

hahaha

[@undeadexile2485]

you forgot to put another shrimp on da bahbie. take your barra and shove it, chevy 4.2 will reign supreme

[@james.macca23]

Legit look up summernats and see what he have down here. From what I've seen. America have nothing quite yet like some of our stuff. Our whole country loves fast, loud and crazy cars.

[@davidbell1676]

@@undeadexile2485 bubba Gump has shrimp, but not down here.. prawns and 2 weeks payed vacation every year for everybody down here plus the Barra famous for up to 1000hp. and free medical. lol.

[@undeadexile2485]

@@davidbell1676 ok you win. lmao

[@rucarnuts13]

Great episode. What a sleeper of a motor with tons of potential! With just a bolt on turbo and injectors, it made over 400 horse and lb/ft. Hopefully they get some aftermarket development and attention now and become the USA’s Barra. We need more I6’s in the states.

[@fuhkoffandie]

Look up nivlac57s Channel. You'll be surprised to see they got one of these almost stock that they're making 605 horsepower with, on a conservative tune with basic junkyard parts. They have another 4200 with some reground cams, making over 772 horsepower at the wheels, through a 4l60e. It's an awesome channel in the explaining exact detail of what they do. If you don't like the idea of looking at the numbers, they put them in some beater cars and run eights and nines.

[@daniesalex7073]

@@fuhkoffandie they are developing stuff for that platform, as well as testing its limits, they were successful at blowing up a 4200 at 800 whp

[@fullboost]

Nice one guys, I always wondered why these engines weren't being modded. Like our Barra engines, they are cheap and plentiful locally.

[@gregmyatt9932]

Good, they can stop buying our barras.

[@goingforadds]

Because 2k Barra - that's why lol

[@ddd228]

@@goingforadds It needs better rods and mains?

[@daniesalex7073]

There is a channel that does Vortech 4200 builds You should check them out , It's called Nivlac57

[@ut2k4wikichici]

They where not anymore

[@BillPhillips4]

Its good to see a non-V8 build! Next season, please consider the High Performance version of the Ford 2.3 Ecoboost. It was only available in the Focus RS, but now its an option in the Mustang as well. The HiPO 2.3 Mustangs are beginning to show up in salvage yards and they are cheap because most people want the Mustang V8. The 2.3 makes 340HP/350FtLb out of the box and can easily make over 500HP with just a larger turbo and tune. Turbonetics has a package for the 2.3 Ecoboost. The 2.3 is a easy swap because it bolts up to the same motor mounts and transmission as the Ford modular V8. Drop a light weight 500HP 2.3 Ecoboost in an old trashed Lotus 7 kit car and have a 1200lb thrill ride!

[@xmo552]

Shh. Don't tell everyone !!

[@tylerw8983]

I'm so glad this engine is getting some attention. It's a beast. Loved it in my Trailblazer

[@Silkmaster4200]

Pat Ball Ya u think be torquey. Isuzu 4.2 Vortec engine. 291Hp and TQ only 277. Little bit more then GM 3.6 V6. Hp 288 and TQ 270. Pretty close.

[@anonymousanonymous9991]

@@Silkmaster4200 It's not the torquiest of small i6 engines but they do lend themselves better to lots of torque than pretty much anything else. That's why commercial haulers use i6s and v12s so much. I6 crankshafts are so easy to balance and therefore don't flex much. Ill take a strong v8 any day but IMO v12s (2xi6) are the way to go for durability and potential.

[@milehighcustoms]

Finally this Engine is Getting It's Deserved Attention!! Things a Monster!!

[@Barrysteezy]

What's going on with your capitalization?

[@MrAnviljenkins]

I worked for a company that did machining on the I5 and I4 evolution of this engine. If they kept main and rod bearings the same dia as it appears then the I4 would be a super strong setup :-). The I5 might be cool too. The I4 did not sell well.

[@DeviousPizzaGuy]

As a trailblazer owner, I'm very interested how this goes.

[@trailspeed7037]

Derek DeGroate same! I want to see if it’s even worth putting a turbo on one

[@willdog3]

@@trailspeed7037 Quite a few people have already done it, I think they are basically limited to 400 horsepower or lower though for reliability concerns. Some people have swapped these into old I6 cars, like the Dodge Dart Sprint, and reliably gotten high 300 horsepower from them. The problem is that nobody makes aftermarket parts for these, so everything has to be fabricated. its much easier to pick up a junk yard LS motor and make way more horsepower for far less money and with out the need to custom make everything. But, at the same time, the LS swaps have gotten stale, and hopefully enough people start looking at the Vortec 4200 and maybe someone will start making parts for them. I also have a Trailblazer, its my daily. I wish I could put a small turbo on it just to gain some HP in the upper RPM range, but I also would have jsut bought a V8 Trailblazer if I actually wanted power. The 4.2 is just a reliably boat anchor, and thats all I really want out of it.

[@trailspeed7037]

Will Thornton well i don’t see it as a boat anchor, it’s a DOHC setup, surely it’s got a lot of potential with boost, but like you said aftermarket support is non existent so it would be hard.

[@voidisyinyangvoidisyinyang885]

@@trailspeed7037 is boat anchor a compliment? haha. I have an 04 LT. Yep...

[@PetrolHeadMike]

@@willdog3 your right on the aspect of after market support but your wrong on horsepower, these things will make almost 500hp with upgraded fuel system and a turbo and the limiting factor is pretty much compression getting in the way.

[@sirpercival4731]

Can't afford Motor Trend Channel ..... Summit Racing has all my money !

[@LoudGuitar14]

No need, this episode is free... for now

[@mrmidnight32]

Mike Louder this wasn’t an episode. It’s a commercial for the series on MTOD.

[@perfection570]

I have 42 Barra's being loaded on a container and will be here in February. I have already brought in and sold 13 Barra's in the last year.

[@PureCountryof91]

Whoa..

[@thicc1]

Stop taking our barras

[@ice429]

@@thicc1 pretty sure theres more then 42 on the roadside in armadale, perth, being stolen every night XD

[@smithy2]

Thats why i cant find any 🤣 seriously 🤨

[@Michael-jq5pf]

Any left? I'd buy

[@MojoWitwicky]

My 4.2 Envoy sitting in the driveway... *I'm in Danger*

[@Carterprobinson]

Mojo Witwicky I got trailblazer SS wheels on mine just need a turbo 😈

[@darkblaze176]

Please tell me you all read this as Ralph!

[@baron1c]

Mine too

[@ITsrule]

lmao same mate

[@Hazinclayton_007]

My Trailblazer LT

[@69JANKS]

Nice motor & plenty of similarities to a Barra, but it's also about the readily available hp parts out there to keep it alive. Barra already has manufacturers making Crnk/Rods, main stud girdles, billet oil pump gears, head studs, various intake plenums & exhaust manifolds, proven turbos etc.

[@7891ph]

I used to own a Colorado with the 5 cylinder version of this engine, with my special ordered 5 speed manual transmission. Even with the Z-71 off road package it could outrun a lot of lesser exotics, and even low range, flat out, the rev limiter would let me clear 80 MPH. Did I mention that the 80+ MPH pass was in low range????

[@chrisnolan6838]

we got Barras making 2000hp here in the land of oz.

[@jeffwilliam7500]

Barra sux

[@jeffwilliam7500]

Barra suc

[@anthonywebber2211]

Chris Nolan We got 1900 HP from a 2.1 4 cylinder

[@boostjunkie2320]

2JZ makes more but hey you Aussies can build a great motor too

[@fullnoyz7670]

Pat Ball were did you pull 30 years from mate?

[@aliciaANDanthonySandoval]

When are you doing the part 2? Been waiting...

[@connorb9097]

Never

[@petrospago3515]

they failed at making a better barra thats why they scrap the idea of continuing 😉👍

[@IC3XR]

“Does America make a better Barra” You’re joking, right? 😂 You can’t improve upon P E R F E C T I O N

[@robmotown1]

L E M O N yes it does!!! It's called a gen1 small block chev!!

[@IC3XR]

robmotown1 that’s a V8. Not even in the same category lmao

[@robmotown1]

L E M O N that's right!!! Gen1 sbc's are on another level/category!!! Lmao!!!

[@vlt873]

@@robmotown1 he said barra, not boat anchor

[@alexdelo882]

um maybe google barra 5.4 lol there are also v8 barras

[@2theCore777]

Your kidding yourselves ! The Aussie Barra is a BEAST ! I have one 👍👌

[@robertphillips3078]

The Aussie Barra 24 valve double over head cam engine makes 1200 - 1300 hp without sneezing. But can make 2000 + hp . U just gotta know where 2 purchase the right bits .

[@jimmyj2563]

So who is going to be first to swap one of these 4200s into an Aussie ford ...( insert sound of vegemite sandwiches being dropped onto the floor) to fill the hole where a Barra was taken out and shipped stateside..

[@youcanbesmartaskhow3857]

Probably no one I dont think they are allowed by law. Details?

[@IC3XR]

Why would ANYONE drop a 4200 in an Aussie Ford?? Talk about a downgrade

[@chrisdinkha8275]

You know I turbo one of these engine over 2 years ago and it’s still running on 10psi over 165,000miles on it too they love boost. The only thing I lacked was actually making a custom intake manifold for it.

[@warrenlancaster8045]

I've got a few billet intake flanges for sale

[@daniesalex7073]

Check out Nivlac57 they do 4200 stuff

[@ripnsoar]

Finally a motor trend video actually worth watching

[@ripnsoar]

Surprised they're not trying to charge money for it

[@robwright5440]

This is great in my opinion.. if you can show these GM motors can be modded reliably with plenty of power, there won’t be a market for the barra in the US, meaning there will be plenty for us Aussies to keep having fun with 😎

[@boosted_l6787]

I've got to say that episode could have been a bit longer and the 270kw bara you said will make around the 410hp would have been measured at the wheels not the flywheel so more around the 500hp at the flywheel. We also had the fpv which came from the factory with 310kw standard and you literally change the air filter and it will sneeze out 410hp at the flywheel

[@68mustangmustang77]

U forgot about our 325 which on over boost gave 370 in stock form under right conditions.

[@jedclampett6466]

Agreed... take it down. Absolutely worthless upload

[@lemmy9996]

Yay!!! Go Benny!!!! ( and no Aussie accent either!!!!)

[@craigsawyer8368]

We don't have an accent you guys do. lol

[@markvires4844]

Finally! Was wondering if anyone was ever gonna do this. Thank you...

[@daleyarborough]

I LOVE the Barra and am Super Jealous that we can’t get it; so I’m absolutely here for this!! Always thought that the GM 4.2 had potential, but not like the Straya King Kong.

[@HJZ75driver]

B Ross You can. import it

[@KingatowCrew]

dont bother ..they dont tell you the cost and the unreliability of them with big power heaps of mates spent big money to end up with a couple of dyno sheets and good runs then bang

[@HJZ75driver]

Kingatow Crew And yet, Benny had no issues with his. $200 taxi engine. Went bang after numerous 9sec passes. Just havta build em right

[@KingatowCrew]

the motor cost 200 ...its the add ons that cost stock motors dont run 9s if you think they do well yer

[@i_am_tinny_man_2267]

Kingatow Crew maybe it’s the people that are building your mates, I’ve had big HP barras for 7 years now with no issues at all, comes down to the tuner at the end of the day with any engine..

[@chevyman4336]

I have a Chevy 4200 vortec in a 05 trailblazer with 200 shot nitrous fogger I smoke most new mustangs in a suv the atlas motor is off the hook reliable

[@bilbobaggins4710]

Chevy baby 🙋

[@bezzyrussell9871]

Never thought anything of these motors.. cool

[@billyray4716]

Not with a 200 shot you aren't sit down. Probably losing to foxbodies with misfires lol

[@boostjunkie2320]

@@billyray4716 lmao bro fox bodies can't even beat 4 banging ricers🤣🤣. Even a bolt on 5.0 is a dog

[@IdiotSlayer2010]

Too bad the rest of the vehicle is garbage... I speak from experience.

[@lehtinen1068]

My 4.2 TrailBlazer LS sitting in my parking lot nervously

[@brianbird3756]

Hey! I did this with my '02 Bravada! The original motor got smoked when we had an oil starvation issue so I jerked the 4.2 out of an '06 Ranier at the junkyard and had PCMofNC program the ECU. While everything was out I swapped front diffs with one I had rebuilt and put a trailblazer transfer case in it along with a trailblazer TCCM and a few extra wires so I could have selectable 4wd with lo range. Today it sits on a three inch suspension lift, Discoverer STT tires and has a 13,500 winch on the front.

[@johnkropp3793]

I noticed the portal through the oil pan for AWD usage :) Nice!!!

[@dylandesmond]

We put 20,000rpm through our NA Barras with a shorter stroke.... Much higher up than 260hp.... 1200hp is common on a turbo Barra with a stock crank as a daily cruiser over here also, I have a 1000kw territory set for 800kw daily running a 4.1 ratio rear diff and a centrifugal supercharger. You should really get a Barra and hit up atomic performance for some parts....

[@Hazinclayton_007]

"We dont care about these engines" Envoy and Trailblazer owners load shotguns with religious intent.

[@xmo552]

"Religious intent" I'll be using that term 😂

[@danieljacobs7594]

2003 Trailblazer is the goat😂

[@Hazinclayton_007]

@@danieljacobs7594 bro I have a 03!

[@danieljacobs7594]

@@Hazinclayton_007 ayy nice! i love mine

[@Hazinclayton_007]

@@danieljacobs7594 ya I love mine too! its on a 3 inch lift kit with 33s

[@derekpaul907]

Where's part 2 and 3. I was really hoping to see those videos

[@cread80dsflkdsh]

Mighty Car Mods and The Skid Factory FTW !

[@ericgarrison5097]

Love the show, especially the 2jz/LS/12v shootout. Sooo glad ur doing 1 of these atlas inline engines,as theirs a ton of interest just no aftermarket support. Give them a little support in the aftermarket I think theyd smash a 2jz. Nothing against a 2jz, they're awesome motors but,these 4200's have just about as strong bottom ends from the factory. GM used this 4.2 w turbo in Baja 1000 race. It made 650hp w zero issues. Alot of people,inc myself have wanted to build 1 of these, especially a turbo 3.7 i5 but no support cuz everyone goes LS. Anyway, look forward 2 seeing the rest of this show (only seeing preview now). Love the show. On another note, velocity selling to motortrend really screwed my favorite channel up. They imed got rid of almost all best shows,best people,esp Heather storm/Dan shore etc

[@speerspeerjeff]

Remember when David Freiburger said that roadkill would always be free on KZbin? LOL

[@thejunkshop5022]

Well their goes the price up on these engine awesome cheap swap for anything i called them the poor mans 2jz lol

[@TheMissiIe]

Barras have been the best I6 engine for a long time here is Aus, cheap and parts are literally everywhere

[@Watchmedome3017]

The most action I’ve seen on one of these is standing on top of it looking for an LS 😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@kensmechanicalaffair]

Lol

[@aaronisgrate]

I read these things don't have adequate oiling for the mains when boosted.

[@alexcorona]

The Aussies are running 8s on bone stock shortblocks...this isnt even close to being better. Click bait AF

[@james10739]

I don't know how much they can make i mean the ls are doing the same with 2 more pistons and between .8l and 2l more

[@mikewalker6016]

😂😂😂 might be a stock shortblock but the 40k worth of bolt ons is where the magic happens.

[@802Garage]

If you are talking about the skid factory Barra engines used at drag week, they are fully built.

[@spankthemonkey3437]

ACPHOTO stock block means no mods to strengthen the block like filling the water jackets and forged piston sleeves. Now stock bottom end internals means stock rods pistons and crankshaft. Know the difference before you speak

[@noahv1916]

@@802Garage not the first engine they used was stock

[@rustybogans2508]

As soon as i saw the timing chain and gears I laughed The barra would eat this for breakfast 😆

[@thewraith6360]

The vortec 4200 has made more stock longblock vs stock longblock than a barra and makes more NA power than a barra 😂

[@nordic5490]

@@thewraith6360 yup, the Barra will eat this for breakfast. The Barra factory cast block and head and destroked can make 2500hp. The Barra is a long stroke design, and has superiour low end and midrange torque in NA, and turbo, has superiour pre spool response, ie much better on the street both NA and turbo. I own 3 factory barra cars, one turbo.

[@altruismfirst6489]

4200 is 104mm stroke 93mm bores and makes more NA and won long distance events vs turbo v8s and big blocks no barra has done anything except in Oz and has had 20 years development yet still wont beat a JZ which is an even older engine. JZ has the hardest block tensile and material density of any 6 all in the right places to make them even lighter than other 6 cylinder cast iron blocks. Yet I still love intech an Barra but reality is the key.

[@nordic5490]

@@altruismfirst6489 ?? Who wants to be limited with just normal 14.7psi atmospheric pressure filling those cyclinders ? Boost is where the fun is at mate. A destroked barra can make more than 2500hp at the crank, and still be street driven to and from events, with engine coolant, all on the factory cast block and head. The Vortech 4.2L can make how much on the factory block and head ? Not that much, I bet. The 2JZ block deck warps @ 1800hp. This is according to Jay from Realstreet. Fyi, Jay has run consistent 6sec 1/4 mile 2jz mk4 Supra, so I think he knows what he is talking about. Jay moved to a billet 2jz block because of this issue. Jay explains this at 1:39 kzbin.info/www/bejne/eX3Tpqtoq9epjdU

[@GTFORDMAN]

props to you guys for doing a motor that hasn't been done before and everyone looks over so im very interested to see how it does! btw on the Barra motor you dont need to swap the head or the cams to make over a 1000HP :-p

[@GalaxyVette]

The LL8 VORTEC 4200 4.2 is a much stronger barra.

[@jake0122]

I've swapped these into a canyon and a h3 . They bolt up to the the manual transmissions in both

[@KenshinNX60]

What did you do about wiring and ecu? This sounds very interesting. I always liked the manual H3 just not the weak I5 it came with.

How did you get the electronics to work on that?

[@ImpalamansGarage]

I was wondering when someone was going to realize these existed.

[@802Garage]

I've been wanting to mess with one for a while, but no funds and nothing to put it in!

[@mpetersen6]

@@802Garage I worked with a guy who's nephew put one in a 37 Chevy. When asked why his comment was "any idiot can put a small block or LS in a car"

[@802Garage]

@@mpetersen6 Enough time and energy, for sure, hahaha.

[@voidisyinyangvoidisyinyang885]

trying to keep our 04 Trailblazer going cuz it has this engine. thanks

[@xmo552]

I was a salesman when these 4.2L Atlas engines came out. I liked them back then. I read somewhere these put out 90% of their torque way down low and for most of its operating range 💪😁👍 Now I'm considering upgrading a 4.0L Jeep 4x4. I'm looking at hp/tq, availability, reliability, parts sourcing, and fitment. MPG is a big factor for me also. And, I need to keep California emissions people happy 😩 I can do a 4.0L based stroker, but honestly, as much as I hate to say it.... an LS based Vortec truck engine is looking mighty favorable.

[@markregner7478]

My buddy did this several years ago. Signal turbo. Custom rods and pistons iirc. It is in an old chevy truck. 52 rings a bell. He sells a cast rear sump oil pan for these as well.

[@FIREPHILSPENCER]

GM 4.2 is a very reliable underrated engine.

[@roballan4944]

I like the ol' boy. His attitude is excellent

[@realalexesparza]

Have fun snapping the head bolts. Use a left handed drill bit with a guide to get them out. I bought a dead trailblazer a year ago and decided to bring it back from the dead. It had spun a rod bearing. It was a project. But now that it's running, I must say it's a beast. My first american car.

[@Jenuin]

I’m actually looking forward to the next episode on this / these engine...s.....

[@jonathancallender8185]

Me too.

[@xmo552]

I was a salesman when these 4.2L Atlas engines came out. I liked them back then. I read somewhere these put out 90% of their torque way down low and for most of its operating range 💪😁👍 Now I'm considering upgrading a 4.0L Jeep 4x4. I'm looking at hp/tq, availability, reliability, parts sourcing, and fitment. MPG is a big factor for me also. And, I need to keep California emissions people happy 😩 I can do a 4.0L based stroker, but honestly, as much as I hate to say it.... an LS based Vortec truck engine is looking mighty favorable.

[@jeffscott3160]

Looks like they gave up on this. Over a year later and no part 2? Must have been too much of a challenge for them.

[@PaulThomas-qo9vy]

Mmm Hmm

[@RDChanse]

would love to see a m104 build

[@hussguy1990]

Always was curious about these engines, what an oddball I6.

[@ThemDotcomBoyz]

I live in NZ, neighbour of mine has a Ford Territory, the man made his Barra making 1200hp 😂😭 he the goat

[@smithy2]

A better barra 🤔 with a gm 🤣 you's guys made me laugh

[@elektro3000]

I've been fascinated by these engines for years, always wanted to see what they could do with hotter cams and boost. Can't wait to see where this goes! The one thing this should do better than an LS motor is rev to the moon, if you put lightweight pistons and good rods in it. Maybe Stage 3?

[@darkblaze176]

Whats Crazy is the Trailblazer SS was supposed to be a TT version of the 4200 but they instead went with the LS V8

[@daniesalex7073]

There is a channel named Nivlac57 they do content with the 4200, they have cars making 750 whp or close to it with stock bottom ends they found the limit of these motors as well

[@CirocObama.94]

There is some guy my city who swapped a 4.2 L Vortec inside of a Monte Carlo it's a sleeper

[@markhenderson4435]

As an Aussie, I'll pay ya for that "Goodonya", Lucky. Well played.

[@undurdalip]

When does the follow up to this build come out?

[@connorb9097]

When you pay for subscription on their website

[@salazar7008]

Part 2 please

[@ViciousPandaJ]

Theres a guy on thirdgen.org by the online name of AutoRoc who did a 4200 turbo swap into a third gen camaro convertible running low 11 quarters. Wicked ride. Check out the build www.thirdgen.org/forums/engine-swap/608490-autorocs-turbo-vortec-4200-a.html

[@wayneollison4179]

My 1956 Plymouth Plaza is getting one of these this winter.

[@petrospago3515]

is that supposed to be a joke? the vortec 4200 doesn't stand a chance against a barra 😂

[@beatupthatbeat]

Trailblazers and envoys everywhere are screaming in fear at the moment

[@Deftonesdsm]

Surprise a 6cyl GM vortech same format almost same displacement makes bout the same power as a barra. Just watched it

[@wonk1238]

No it doesn't. It is way short. With a spring and injector change bur standard turbo, a Barra will make over 600hp

[@ridingwiththereids]

So what did the GM motor make boosted?? Common now, spill the beans.

[@ydavevr4]

Riding With The Reid's 401hp

[@Deftonesdsm]

@@ydavevr4 yup but the stage 2 was locked up so just the baby engine

[@Deftonesdsm]

@@wonk1238 well according to research a 100% stock N/A Barra with an added turbo factory EVERYTHING was 420ish hp so yeah

[@CRXUGLYKID]

Dude I've been searching for an engine build for years now for the vortec 4200 i6 motor for the Chevy trailblazer. And I happen to come across your channel building two different versions of this motor.do you understand how excited I got when I heard you're doing a stage 1 and stage 2 vortec 4200 i6 pill,only to have the rug pulled from under me because the video is only 5 minutes and it stops right after they talked about starting the build. I mean come onnnn talk about tease.can you please put up the full video so I could rule as you build both motors and decide whether or not I should get a junkyard motor and have it sent out to get built the same way. PS other than this video love your content lol

[@HeinH-dx1gu]

Search on the Inliners forum or Facebook, there have been built turbo 4200s for well over a decade now.

[@2JZLS]

You should checkout the youtube channel Nivlac57. He did a bone stock 4200 build, made 750bhp. Then swapped to Schneider 66RH reground cams and 2JZ valvesprings, made 1000bhp until the con rod snapped. He shows you how to do the cam install yourself and all of the tools needed. Great guy. 🍻

[@samalfonso79]

Lmao barra for the win mate!

[@timearll266]

Still waiting for round 2. 👍

[@markfinnigan4994]

Last bloke to pay $1000 bucks for a barra was a Sydney taxi driver in 2015

[@BrosefDudley]

Lol you can still buy them for $120 here in Perth

[@KingatowCrew]

we still sell them for 400ish most go to scrap where they belong to be made into motors with relable horsepower

[@carlosreyes3620]

Love to see what happens

[@Drake5153]

I doubt this this engine can make power on the level of a Barra, but it's still a pretty cool engine

[@kayleb1109]

In all fairness it could but for the same price point and reliability?

[@Drake5153]

@@kayleb1109 it's possible, tho I'm guessing theres a reason it hasn't been done yet, one issue I know of is its less-than-optimal rod to stroke ratio, while the Barra isn't far off, people have created a destroker kit to spin it faster to make more power with a bigger turbo. There were also complaints of worse fuel economy than the 5.3.. lol and it only has vvt for the exhaust, but the head and block look pretty stout, probably a good platform to make custom parts for, but who's gonna put out the money and r&d?

[@Drake5153]

@Meta World Peace I'm not sure tuning would be the end of the world with how cheap they are to get, nor is a basic stand alone if your shooting for what the barra can do with a bit of work, it's more about how much hp the stock unit can take and what can be improved without going billet/custom everything. But the biggest thing MT forgot to recognize was the driving force behind the rb/jz/barra delevlopement, the lineage and followers the V4200 is clearly lacking. I have a feeling theres a reason GM dropped this engine from its future plans of using this engine in place of the 6.0 ls, mainly the cost of a stock ls vs the upgraded rods, pistons, piston oil jets, injectors, high flow oil pump, exhaust, bigger turbo/s and intake vct... so basically a whole build for 400hp and torque.. on 8.5 psi mind you but still, that's a LOT of work to make decent, tunable power. And large hp? Out of the question without a destroker kit, you'd run out of rpm for your turbo before you'd hit head flow limitations. There's already proven platforms out there and with tech advancing you'd be better off with a b58, you'd get more efficiency niceties for your dollar, not to mention a platform to enjoy it in.

[@kayleb1109]

@@Drake5153 this is very true, the Rockstar energy FD Corolla has a factory Toyota 4cyl that they reliably crank over 1000hp out of so if the time and money was put in this could demolish the barra at a cheaper cost being the US is a place of much easier and cheaper resources but the upfront costs of R&D would be painfully large and at least a year before that could be put on shelves

[@Drake5153]

@@kayleb1109 not quite sure it would demolish the Barra, more or less maintain the same level when it comes to high output, on the lower end the barra will come out ahead on the dual vct, and I think it has oil jets... my main interest in this engine at the time i looked into it was the all aluminum setup. It also comes with a main girdle, which I don't think the barra does.. but it comes down to what your looking for, and how much harassment you wanna take from the GM and ls boys lol. I feel confident the barra in a mustang would garner a lot more clout and respect than a v4200, but if someone made one work beyond what people have previously I would approve, not that my approval would mean anything XD

[@AndrewEG]

Looks like the Vortec isn"t even dual VCT like the Barra. Neither does it have a cast iron block to minimize blow-by at higher cylinder pressures.

[@Guardducks]

I love lucky's hearing problem while doing burn outs , what i missed that smash that pedal and do another burn out. Lol

[@timothyball6608]

Your problem with the big one that won’t spin is probably in the camshaft bearing caps. I put together a 2.4L together for my Sebring, and I thought I had the right set, but my motor wouldn’t turn over after I torqued them down. I swapped to the other set I had, and all is right with the motor. Probably have a cap or two out of place, and it’s not letting the motor spin.

[@jessebergunder]

Motortrend on demand blows cant even watch shows a month late with ads anymore. Just not worth the cost to me.

[@MikeyB-Rod]

I just watched the video no problem. Didnt have to log in. Didnt get a single ad...

[@jessebergunder]

Mike Barrett on the app its just pushing a free trial. I dont have the option to click any content or watch anything.

[@MikeyB-Rod]

@@jessebergunder That stinks. I was on my PC

[@markball7028]

Jesse Bergunder you can’t afford $5 bucks a month? Skip eating out once a month. It’s amazing to me how people complain about the cost.

[@jessebergunder]

Mark Ball not about affording it. All of this was free for years. There is plenty of car related content on youtube still for free. I didnt say im too poor to get it. I said its not worth the cost.

[@colstonmulligan2598]

HOLD ON (aggressively shreds tires) “ok what were you saying”

[@lukemunro3891]

WHAT ABOUT THE FORD 300ci straight 6 it’s more common and it’s a 4.9l

[@giovannid1457]

Come on 😔

[@Luminaring]

60's motor? 2 valve, stone age ports?

[@mmmbison]

Not a cross flow head. Volumetric efficiency suffers greatly, add boost and it is even more noticeable

[@MrGhostOg]

Shawn Raymond the guys down in Brazil are making over 2k hp on Chevy slant 6’s without billet blocks or anything so honestly age makes no difference to how much power an engine can make

[@Luminaring]

​@@MrGhostOg Wow, maybe 2K hp is with Blown Nitro methane ? Would like to see a youtube on that... But just saying 60's Old "stock" small block chevy heads have poor flow compared to LS cathedral heads ...Nothing wrong with running what you have...

[@rodneymcgiveron]

You might get decent peak power out of this thing but what you didn't mention guys with greatest respect is the toughness , reliability and indestructable bottom end of the BARRA... The way they are built and reinforced is why they are so good ...

[@zrxdoug]

Go check out Nivlac57's channel. Dude is making somewhere around 850 horsepower to the wheels with one of these..junkyard engine with 170k miles on it, all original internals except the cams..they're stout right out of the box.

[@BSC1587]

This was awesome. I was recently looking into doing something like this because of having a Trailblazer. Would be nice if Comp or someone would come up with a couple off the shelf cam grinds for this. I could see one of these in the 700-800 range with stock internals, more aggressive cam, ported head, better intake and boost. May be wrong though. Pipe dream.. 🙃 #Vortec4200Revolution

[@ElkinsEric]

You guys should have done the Ford 300 6 cylinder/4.9L. Imo the most reliable and tough engine Ford has made!

[@carlwesternut2434]

Yep. I need one for my Austin 3 tonne truck

[@INTHEMIX74]

"Does America Make a Better Barra" then gets a differnt motor lol

[@DrewLSsix]

Yeah.... that's the point, what dont you get about the premise?

[@chevy6794]

USA never got the Cressida? Pretty sure you did? We definitely had them here in Canada. My buddy had one as a field beater. Had a twin cam straight 6. I believe it was the N/A version of the Supra motor? We pulled a smoke show till it blew the tires off with the AC on. Could only hear the tires howling not the motor. It was bulletproof and comfy climate controlled the works.really cool car. Good thing it was really rotten. Otherwise that would have been a shame.

[@BennysCustomWorks]

Cheviesel Cheviesel Cresta. Not the same car . Similar but not the same.

[@chevy6794]

Benny's Custom Works. Oh ok. My bad. Seems like just a different name and longer run outside Canada/US?

[@BennysCustomWorks]

Cheviesel Cheviesel they are the same base car but the only common parts externally are the hood and front guards. They really are a different car .

[@chevy6794]

Benny's Custom Works. Oh ok. Never knew that.

[@6ford9]

Americans got screwed wish we got that motor

[@NetinINC]

Nivlac57's 4200 motor, Made +850hp

[@2burning2turning]

The Australian manufactured ford DOHC engine will make 400hp at the tyres with similar mods to what you’ve done to make 401 hp at the flywheel.

[@zerohourdrift]

2burning2turning false, they make 410 at the crank.... they’re not retarded they know the difference lmao

[@zerohourdrift]

ChrisHallett83 depends on the year engine. And I was referring to what they say in the video... they said in the video that comparatively, a barra makes around 410 hp with more boost and fuel(meaning at the crank), and that was the goal with the atlas 4200. Assuming that the engine they were referencing was on of the ones that makes 360 flywheel stock, upping the boost some and adding fuel would be somewhere in the realm of a 50 hp gain, hence the 410 power number. Don’t think I don’t understand something because you didn’t understand the context of my comment lmao

[@2burning2turning]

Matt L did you read my comment. Key words are “with similar mods”. Ford made 240kw, 245kw, 2 variations of the 270kw, 310kw and 325kw motors. I had a 240kw motor which made 430rwhp with similar mods to what they did.

[@danielnolasco119]

Ford boys like always claiming they have a better engine but rely on forged parts, come on we all know ls/vortecs are the best when it comes to stock power

[@2burning2turning]

Daniel Nolasco I’m not brand loyal, just know a good thing when I see it. Like a $150 lpg motor with forged pistons from the factory that can take 20psi and make 450rwkw.

[@alfonsosalgado6352]

umm no. if the gm motor was comparable to how the ford barra is, they need to run it against the barra and why aint ppl using those engines more on swaps

[@Motown952]

No it doesn’t

[@DrewLSsix]

Considering most Barra I6s become unreliable on stock internals between 400-500 HP I really dont think they are all that.

[@Motown952]

Unreliable between 400-500? Probably not cranked up enough. Gets more reliable at 600-700.

[@DrewLSsix]

@@Motown952 no, they dont. They need to be built to survive 500+ hp or they will fail. With so many engines out there able to do better why bother?

[@garageredzone]

@@DrewLSsix The early Barras yes, the late FG engines or the factory LPG engines had bigger rods and will go 700ish just with valve springs

[@ZedTee77]

I’m in the land of aus and dont the stock bottom ends handle up to 600 rear wheel kilowatts? It was mentioned in a street machine episode at one of the performance shops that they found the limit is 600 rear wheel kilowatts. That’s roughly 800 wheel horsepower. Getting close to 900 ish crank horsepower. I don’t have the time to look it up to reference it but I do remember it being mentioned

[@cybermavrik]

Since i wont pay for Motor Trend... these are the guys i miss most.... I might do the 30 day free trial just so I can catch up with what THESE GUYS have been doing

[@davidking3311]

This episode along with a couple others are all free on MT right now, watched 3 last night with no sub .

[@cybermavrik]

@@davidking3311 didnt work for me!

[@andrewwalker3055]

The MCM crew make better episodes than you guys and they are all free!! Sending love to the Aussies from The home of car production. Michigan

[@DrewLSsix]

MCM production simply dont compare to what this channel does. And the guys from MCM openly state this. MCM isnt free, they have many sponsors and because they take money and resources from other companies much of what they do is focused on making them happy rather that on you as the viewer. The fact is anybody trying to make this kind of content will run into the money issue before long, and not everyone can take the same route, a single episode of Roadkill can cost between $500 and $700K How many other shows does motor trend produce? How much can you possibly think they make off youtube? Look at it this way, when you pay for something you are the customer and you have the power, when you seem to get something for free that meant you are NOT the customer. In the case of youtube you are the product. Why do you think youtube only ever makes changes that benefit their actual customers and not their viewers? If you actually paid your way through life you would have an actual say in what you get.

[@ddd228]

The 5 L. Ford 300 is very old school. I had that in a '61 Falcon.

[@chrisnolan6838]

the real Aussie barra can make 900hp unopened all day.

[@i_am_tinny_man_2267]

don’t listen to this guy ^ 🤦‍♂️

[@idriwzrd]

Good luck. I think you're going to learn how to change Vortec 4200 head gaskets in a hurry, is what you're going to learn.

[@ryandavis930]

Build a better barra? They couldn't figure out the oil pressure switch...

[@djwonderbrad]

And they think we don't get Cressida's in the US 🤣🤣

[@MikeyB-Rod]

He said Cresta. They share a chassis but aren't the same car

[@djwonderbrad]

@@MikeyB-Rod same car, different motor

[@djwonderbrad]

@@MikeyB-Rod that's like calling a C7 Z06 vette a different car than a C7 vette. It's still the same car, with a few differences and another badge...

[@djwonderbrad]

@@MikeyB-Rod or saying that the Toyota Altezza is a different car than a Lexus is300....same car, different motors...you get my point?

[@robsvideos13]

had a 4 cyl version with a stick in a canyon - what a blast !!! but it rusted away and wore out.... I saw it once with the head off during warranty - they're just little 4 valve hemi's....

[@theman68and1]

All gm engines are dirt cheap cuz they’re junk

[@HioSSilver1999]

Actually it works out to be if they don't need replacing they tend to lose value. Supply vs demand. Think about it instead of makkng stupid comments.

[@jeffprice4860]

Cresta looking mint

[@sock979]

Awesome I loved the Ford 300 heard about these but didn't have the money or skill to be the first so went to v6's. So glad if they can make this happen well

[@briandavis5045]

Should have looked at self racing in Durant Oklahoma. They have records with this I believe and the old inline 6 engines.

[@tylerbuckley2747]

Yeah! Trailblazer getting some love agian. There better motors then they get credit for. And apparently turbo very well. Maybe y'all will inject some interest back in this forgotten engine. Good on ya!

[@petittoto7433]

A motor with overhead camshaft ? How will you manage that ?