Fast & Eccentric: Cool Engines at R&R Performance

Mike Magda
•
October 11, 2012
This snake nest of header pipes comes from a pair of BMW 5-liter V12 engines joined at the hip.

With all the engines going on Ron Quarnstrom’s dyno at R&R Performance, there’s bound to be a couple of out-of-the-ordinary powerplants. 

As you can see from the front view, only half the pipes have been fabricated for the W24 engine. As soon as the headers for the outside cylilnder banks have been made, the engine will go on the dyno.

Over the years, Quarnstrom has dyno’d more than 7,800 engines at his in Spring Lake Park, Minnessota, shop. He’s seen everything from chainsaw engines to a 30-cylinder tank engine, although the latter never did get on the dyno as it won’t fit through the door. EngineLabs has showcased some of his work before, but when he sent in a shot that was basically a spaghetti bowl of header pipes, we had to know more.

Turns out the engine in question was actually a pair of BMW V12 engines mated side-by-side and will be linked to a common output shaft that will hook up to a Turbo 400 transmission. Eventually, the owner wants to install this unique setup into a ’57 Chevy.

Quarnstrom also sent pics of other interesting engines, including an all-alloy V12 boat motor from Italy and a screaming late-model Hemi.

All engine shops are encouraged to submit photos of their latest and greatest engines. Please email your ideas to the editor.

Enjoy this mini gallery of powerful and unique engines from R&R Performance.!

More V12 eccentricity. Here is an all-aluminum, Italian-built V12 with hemi-style cylinder head. Quarnstrom says even the pushrods are aluminum. This engine pulled 630 horsepower with peak torque of 730 lb-ft and is going into a ’55 Chevy. You have to admire fab skills of the person who built those headers. And you also have to admire a person willing to tune and adjust the linkage on three Holley four-barrel carbs (below).
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Speaking of headers, here’s a set of square-tube pipes on a circle-track engine. The square tubes didn’t make any more power than traditional round-tube, but Quarnstrom says there’s a movable device in the collector that allows adjustment of the torque curve. Below, the 180-degree headers are on Ford 351 Windsor destined for a mid-engine road-race car.
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Aaah, something a little more familiar. Here’s a ’63 327 fuelie that made 377 horsepower.

Okay Mopar fans, here’s a 6.1-liter Hemi with a ProCharger on E85. Made 953 horsepowrer with more to come. Turns out the cam is a little mild.

It’s not hard to determine where this big-block Chevy is headed. At 530ci and with a single 4V, it made just over 1,050 horsepower.

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Finally, sometimes the drama comes in getting the engine to Ron's shop.

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