Late night bad ideas - poor man's Porsche

"davedave1111" (davedave1111) 01/09/2016 at 14:27 • Filed to: None

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You know those notions that come to you just as you’re falling asleep, and then the next day seem totally batshit? I had one last night, but it won’t go away.

The kit car scene used to be pretty big, building on the widespread availability of rwd platforms like the Ford Sierra. Since almost all cars of that sort have gone FWD, it’s become much harder to find any suitable donor car. Converting a car from FWD to RWD is a bit too complicated, normally.

So, how about buying any old FWD econobox, stripping it of bodywork, turning it round, welding the steering straight, and bolting a steering subframe from some other car onto what used to be the back end? Hey presto, instant rear-engined, RWD platform.

I am completely insane, I think.

4muddyfeet - bare knuckle with an EZ30 > davedave1111 01/09/2016 at 14:43

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And you’d be driving forwards in reverse gear

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > davedave1111 01/09/2016 at 14:44

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Why not just buy a donor car, place it’s engine and subframe in the back of your first car, weld the steering in that, then remove everything but the steering from up front? Or instead of welding the rear steering, connect it to the front to have rear steering.

Übel > Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies 01/09/2016 at 14:49

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http://www.smythkitcars.com/#!gallery/cee5

That’s pretty much what Smyth did with the G3F. Take a MkIV dub, cut it apart, stick the entire subframe in the back, boom mid engined VW.

MM54 > davedave1111 01/09/2016 at 14:52

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This is my favorite kind of idea

davedave1111 > 4muddyfeet - bare knuckle with an EZ30 01/09/2016 at 14:52

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Straight-cut gear whine...

4muddyfeet - bare knuckle with an EZ30 > davedave1111 01/09/2016 at 14:54

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Just pretend it’s a wicked big turbo

My X-type is too a real Jaguar > davedave1111 01/09/2016 at 14:55

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You mean something like this?

http://www.lemonaidracing.com/the-car.html

davedave1111 > Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies 01/09/2016 at 14:55

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Isn’t that basically the same thing, but from the POV of the other donor car?

“Or instead of welding the rear steering, connect it to the front to have rear steering.”

This isn’t the Red Green show, y’know...

davedave1111 > 4muddyfeet - bare knuckle with an EZ30 01/09/2016 at 14:56

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I wasn’t saying it would be a bad thing :)

davedave1111 > My X-type is too a real Jaguar 01/09/2016 at 14:57

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Dunno, they don’t give much detail.

My X-type is too a real Jaguar > davedave1111 01/09/2016 at 14:59

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It’s a Geo Metro with a Ford Contour v6 and transaxel in the back

davedave1111 > My X-type is too a real Jaguar 01/09/2016 at 15:21

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So, no, not really the same then. I was thinking more like a Geo Metro, facing backwards, with the steering from the Ford in the (now) front.

JCAlan > davedave1111 01/09/2016 at 15:56

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Sounds easy enough. I’m sure any shade tree do-it-yourselfer could handle this. Might as well install an LS1 while you’re at it.

davedave1111 > JCAlan 01/09/2016 at 15:59

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Exactly. I’m sure it’s just a matter of hitting a few bits with a hammer.

pip bip - choose Corrour > davedave1111 01/09/2016 at 17:21

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give it a go!

Echo51 > davedave1111 02/13/2016 at 07:04

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I’ve seen it done. VW polo, had engine +front subframe of a Toyota Corolla welded in the rear, 1600 Twincam engine and all. So short wheelbase, but when he finally got it under control it was really fast on the dirt track.