Pgt Mr!!!!?

[croker4352]

i have been toying with this idea since i did the amazing weight reduction of taking out the back seats... i never weighed it but isn't it only like 20lbs?... anyway i have been thinking that what if i were to make it a mid-engine rear wheel drive using the de/ze engine/tranny... everything stock(except for all the custom work needed to be done to fit ezt.) i would think it would have greater 1/4 times than a FF same engine and everything... any thoughts? better? worse? fabrication ideas?

[iwantaPGTbad]

soooo much work

[dukes193]

tons of work!! would be a first and prob only would like to see it if you decide to do it

[linkinpark05]

Yeah you're talking lots of time, money, skill, patience, and possibly band-aids, but yeah it probably would perform a little better.

[Boobie]

everything stock(except for all the custom work needed to be done to fit ezt.)

:lol: :lol: :lol: :slap:

I like how "all the custom work" bit is just thrown in there casually. You're talking about a serious amount of work here. To get some idea of what it would be like, search for Dan[sac]'s RWD conversion. The guy's got skills and it's a HUGE project.

If you really want a quick mid-engine car for probably a third of the price, just buy an MR2.

[croker4352]

but a MR2 isn't a probe and band-aids are not needed, they would just get in the way. its either 'deal with it' or 'stiches'

a MR2 isn't a probe.... and i could just imagine all the fun i would have with a MR probe... would bring a whole new outlook to life!!

[dukes193]

it would probably be easier if you made it a RR have the engine showing threw the hatch that would be sweet...

[stoker100]

it would need to be MR using the standard engine configuration (simply shifted backwards), well that is unless you want 5 reverse gears.

to be honest if you have to ask then the answer is NO. im sure everyone here thinks about it, probably even dream about it (me included) but i know for sure i dont have the time/knowledge/money to throw at a project like that.

[croker4352]

well....ima do it

[o0LiquidDark0o]

well....ima do it

Hell yeah. Keep us posted then.

[dukes193]

can't wait to see it take tons of pics and keep us updated

[thejaaaman]

I'll be eagerly awaiting progress pics also!

[pcracer24]

i had an older man that builds mid engine dotsun z look a likes that a small black 305 Chevy with mustang 5.0 rear end that its not to impossible.he said all for about 10 rand but who's got that lying around

[sidewndr46]

I've considered this alot as well, and even looked at pictures of Honda Del Sol that had this done.

Weight distribution is excellent, traction is improved. Attempting to make it the truly rear engined like a Porsche would be an incredibly bad idea given the balance issues there, and as mentioned you'd have 5 reverse gears.

Practicalities like PS or A/C are always lost during these types of conversions. The overhead associated(money, rotational inertia, and dead weight) with them is always too much for most builders to bother with. Otherwise its not impossibly hard, but you are confronted with the task of bolting into a car whose entire frame is formed mainly from folded sheetmetal.

[ouch1011]

Its definately do-able.

The thing that you would have to constantly keep in mind the entire time is that the rear suspension WILL NOT work in this case. The easiest way to fix this would be to basically take the front subframe from a donar Probe and install it into the rear of the car. Then, you could do sort of what they did with the old Fiero and use the front suspension from a FWD car (Chevette?) on the rear of the car. All you would have to do change it from a steerable suspension to a fixed-toe suspension would be to take some stock style tie-rod ends and affix them to a solid point on the car, and just allow them to move up/down with the suspension travel. Or, if you were feeling really ambitious, you could rig up some sort of rear-steering setup.

A mid-engine setup would be easiest because then you wouldn't have to worry about custom transmission work. You could still keep the power steering, you would just have to have some custom lines/hoses made to run to the front of the car. Same with the A/C. If you decide to get rid of the power steering, you will need to either re-engineer the engine belt setup, or rig up some sort of idler pulley in place of the pump, because you cannot just remove the P/S pump and belt (the water pump runs off the same belt)

Also, you will need to create a TON of additional bracing in the rear of the car, for strength. The rear portion of the unibody on these cars is rediculously weak. Some people have had problems with the body panels getting creased and cracking the paint near the rear strut towers because the rear unibody had flexed so much. Basically, you would need to build a complete rear subframe, and a roll-cage just to get enough structural stability. Otherwise, with the added traction of a RWD setup lifting up on the front end and the weakness of our rear unibody, you will rip the car in half.

There is a TON of work involved here, and I think you really need to talk to some people about chassis design, because that is going to be the biggest issue you will have that isn't going to be a really obvious thing.