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AhBNormal
AhBNormal New Reader
1/26/24 12:36 p.m.

Coming Soon!

AhBNormal
AhBNormal New Reader
1/26/24 12:39 p.m.

OK! Straight to the ugliness. Engine swap/ build. First with the original drive train. Swapping end to end. BEFORE

AhBNormal
AhBNormal New Reader
1/26/24 12:46 p.m.

AhBNormal
AhBNormal New Reader
1/26/24 12:52 p.m.

AFTER  

AhBNormal
AhBNormal New Reader
1/26/24 12:52 p.m.

More soon.

kevinatfms
kevinatfms HalfDork
1/26/24 12:58 p.m.

Same chassis or going with one of those DF Goblin kit cars?

AhBNormal
AhBNormal New Reader
1/26/24 1:03 p.m.

I'm not building a kit car. I'm just moving the Drive line and sub frame from the front to the rear of the car. It will have an "empty" sub frame up front(no drive train up front). You can see in the pic, the sub frame is mounted in the rear and rear floor is cut away. Will be slow progress as I will not be in the shop again until April 1.

  Will be posting more pix of how I got from before to after.

brandonsmash
brandonsmash GRM+ Memberand Reader
1/26/24 1:45 p.m.

I really want to see you move the same FWD engine/trans to the rear but retain all of the stock intake, etc., and then enter it in AutoX and see how SCCA classes it.

wvumtnbkr
wvumtnbkr GRM+ Memberand PowerDork
1/26/24 2:11 p.m.
AhBNormal said:

AFTER  

Is the subframe turned around in this picture?

AhBNormal
AhBNormal New Reader
1/26/24 4:20 p.m.

In reply to brandonsmash :

Certainly a curiosity, I am not expecting to get this unit classified by any group other than my state allowing me to use it as an automobile. The SCCA is way down the road from this effort. It's got to be a car before it can be a Race car. IMO. I do not expect, initially, change the power train and emissions controls in any way. From running as a road going automobile the future is wide open.

AhBNormal
AhBNormal New Reader
1/26/24 4:27 p.m.

In reply to wvumtnbkr :

Actually, no it is not.

    The Cobalt package attracted me for many reasons not the least was it's electrically assisted P/S is in the dash, so no hydraulic lines and/or pump. The engine package and trans is narrower than the rear seat cushion thus the uni-body frame in the rear is wider than the engine/trans package.(I'm a cheater, I took out the back seat cushion and laid it across the engine compartment.)

GhiaMonster
GhiaMonster HalfDork
1/26/24 9:21 p.m.

I didn't understand what was coming for this thread, so excited now.

AhBNormal
AhBNormal New Reader
1/26/24 10:21 p.m.

In reply to GhiaMonster :

Pleased to have you along! A running, completed car has many roads to choose from. Brandonsmash wondered how SCCA would class it? I don't know, but when it drives I'm going to find out! I think if they put it in with other old sidewiders(FWD) those will lose badly. I don't worry about all that because I just want to drive it down the road!

   Keep watching so you can build yours! A transverse engine transmission system out of a 70's/80's Rabbit/Jetta in an aircooled VW body could be cool as well! I'll help any way I can!!

Patrick
Patrick GRM+ Memberand MegaDork
1/26/24 10:27 p.m.

Ok but hear me out. Put another engine up front 

AhBNormal
AhBNormal New Reader
1/26/24 10:28 p.m.

In reply to wvumtnbkr :

Are you in Morgantown? Or are you Alumni? Feel free to ask questions! I'm not worried about someone else coming up with better ways to do stuff, it can only help me!

  MTB was my sport when I was young and had OEM collar bones!(ouch)

AhBNormal
AhBNormal New Reader
1/26/24 10:48 p.m.

In reply to wvumtnbkr :

I now see what you are saying! I guess I know this car so well I know this picture is looking IN the passenger door! The sunshine is behind the car out the garage door. See the remains of the spare tire area? This shot is like looking through the invisible back seat. The pass seat is not in the car either adding to confusion.

AhBNormal
AhBNormal New Reader
1/26/24 11:16 p.m.

In reply to Patrick :

Patrick, don't get me wrong, I'll watch you do that!

    I have one word for you, google, Twinpala. You of course can leave the engine in the front of yours! I'll even help any way I can, theories, advice, opinion, measurements, encouragement!

  2 engine cars have trouble trying to decide which, f or r pair, to send the most power to. Some one with the skills and equipment can probably build a "Compooter" system to throttle/shift/brake the f/r engines independently and correctly to pull best in every turn. With 2 engines one may be trying to steer you left while the other is trying to drive you into a wall straight ahead. Should only set YOU back a couple of Million dollars or so. I'm trying to keep this project below $5,000. I just don't have the extra $1,995,000 in my budget.(same goes for 4 wheel steering, IMO)

  And before you say Audi Quattro, need I remind you the Quattro system is one power source, one transmission and a minimum of three(3) differentals or 2 and a viscious coupling transfer case. And at least a rudimentary "traction control system".

   But two engines would be a ripper for sure! Fun like fireworks! Fun until they go off in your hand. But I'll help!

AhBNormal
AhBNormal New Reader
1/26/24 11:48 p.m.

Before the floor and back seat went missing.8374F1E2-287E-497C-8C02-9054C6846A3A.jpeg

Piguin
Piguin Reader
1/27/24 5:48 a.m.

Nothing like a fresh start :)

 

And we do love our piktsurs. Even if it is the back seat cushion on top of the engine compartment!

dculberson
dculberson MegaDork
1/27/24 8:23 a.m.

As an mr2 owner I know that a humble platform with the engine moved to the middle can be amazing! I'm looking forward to seeing this built. 

AhBNormal
AhBNormal New Reader
1/27/24 9:38 a.m.

In reply to Piguin :

I'll try to keep y'all photo fed!

    I just mentioned the seat cushion across the engine compartment to remind others that sizes are sometimes easy to compare! I was looking at a crashed Cobalt in a yard when I realized the rear seat cushion(on many cars) is narrower than the uni-body frame rails in the back. If the seat cushion is wider than the engine, then the engine will fit between the rear rails. Since the seat cushion comes out it, was easy to roughly imagine the engine in the rear of the car. Visiting another copy of your car/donor in a junk yard can solve many questions.

AhBNormal
AhBNormal New Reader
1/27/24 9:53 a.m.

In reply to dculberson :

I have owned a 1985 Fiat X1/9 and an 04 MR2. Too much goodness to to live without. I can do fine in a 2 seater, nobody needs to come with me anymore! Both of those examples were built from their corporate parts bins, meaning very little was new engineering.

   Take Shelby Cobra for example, AC built the car, he just dropped a monster's heart and soul in it! We Hot Rodders have been doing engine swaps forever. I'm just following in their footsteps.

  One day it'll have a bigger motor and fat tires.  The suspension will get fiddled with for improvement. That is the essence of Hot Rodding/Racing, taking something available and making it more fun! I did my first engine install, a stock replacement, in 1982. Since that day I have put many motors in many cars. Sometimes salvaging basic transportation, sometimes making Monsters! It's all about the FUN!

  Come Along, it promises to be a heck of a ride!devil

MuSTANK
MuSTANK Reader
1/27/24 11:28 a.m.

Fewer words, fewer pics of junk being cut up, more pics of things getting built !

AhBNormal
AhBNormal New Reader
1/27/24 8:44 p.m.

In reply to MuSTANK :

Well feel free to oggle the pix and skip the words. (Most figure I never say anything important anyhow!) And it's not like ya can't go back and look stuff up.

   I'm a little hard to follow because of my life on the road, 2 months of work like crazy then 10 months of me pining for my garage and projects. On top of everything this was slow from the start. Much time was spent finding, transporting and harvesting the organ donors. Spring is my working months and I will try to take more pix of the work. April 1 is when I get home.

03Panther
03Panther PowerDork
1/28/24 1:38 a.m.
MuSTANK said:

Fewer words, fewer pics of junk being cut up, more pics of things getting built !

He has been doing SO much better here! So don't start him down the wrong rabbit hole blush

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