Mid engined cars(reprised)

mack73 Wrote:
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> Damn this thread and Dave's link to the golf.
>
> The extra front subframe that is going in the rear
> arrives on monday which means I'm litterally 30
> minutes with a sawzall away from being able to put
> the engine in the rear ................
>
> Just have to get longer shift cables, run coolant
> lines from the front (down the exhaust tunnel),
> place the fuel cell in the front and get an
> electric pump for the power steering......
>
> Someone tell me why I shouldn't?

Maybe finish the car you have before setting back the finish date another 5 years.

You want a RWD car, buy a fuckin RWD car.
>
> 94 Golf
> www.Mack73.com

---

John Vanlandingham
Sleezattle, WA, USA

Vive le Prole-le-ralliat

www.rallyrace.net/jvab
CALL +1 206 431-9696
Remember! Pacific Standard Time
is 3 hours behind Eastern Standard Time.

john vanlandingham Wrote:

>
> Maybe finish the car you have before setting back
> the finish date another 5 years.
>
> You want a RWD car, buy a fuckin RWD car.
> >
> > 94 Golf
> > www.Mack73.com
>
>
>
>
> John Vanlandingham
> Sleezattle, WA, USA
>
> Vive le Prole-le-ralliat
>
> www.jvab.f4.ca


And valid points John. I've got all the parts to technically put the car "together" But the issue is I don't have the 5k to really finish the car right (proper suspension, plate diff, tranny rebuild, etc) so another year is required. Something about buying a house, getting married (spending twice the cost to build a rally car in 12 hours ), getting laid off then rehired back for 6 months with a raise after they figured out what I really do at the company - you know life just gets in the way - but most of that is ironed out now.

I do have an excess of time and a saw-zall and a welder. The parts that are holding me back make no difference where the engine is located.

However, I am going to keep it FWD for the moment - later down the line I can swap it if I feel bored, I'd have all the parts for it anyways....

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-Jason



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/01/2009 12:58PM by mack73.

Screw fancy plate diff.
The fastest 2wd car at Sno Drift this weekend was a mk3 vw running a stock diff I welded up for him. Havnt heard back on how it felt, but he was up on sarasin by 6+ minutes at the end of day 1 and 4 min up on the closest other 2wd guy.
Bushore was reportedly having trouble with his Gripper diff acting all funky and screwing with the handling big time.
+2-300 to do some synchros and bearings in the trans and you're all set in that department.

I was going to start a new thread saying that it looks like I'm picking up an NSU 1000. But remembered this thread existed.

I doubt I'll ever get this car out to a rally.. I'll be happy just to get it on the road.

But the wheelbase is damn near 90"

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Andrew M
Onterrible
30ish

No good will come of all this 'relocate engine' foolishness.

More then enough laughs are to be had with a well-enhanced car with the engine in the standard location.

Build a fast strong one such that you will live through it when you center punch that tree that jumps into the road.

Them trees do that!

I've seen this through my own windshield too many times.

FWIW.... I've found the spool in the rear of my Volvo to be utterly predictable and reliable. It will not do anything scary to handling. I cannot say the same of all my previous efforts with limited slips, Worm-gear diffs ect.

Be sure to give that VAG thing the drive axles that MrDerek put in his. 911 turbo outer joints if memory serves. They will not fail every outing and are worth the dough. Derek do you recall who built them?

---

JohnLane

Overkill is consistently more fun

JohnLane Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> No good will come of all this 'relocate engine'
> foolishness.
>
> More then enough laughs are to be had with a
> well-enhanced car with the engine in the standard
> location.
>
> Build a fast strong one such that you will live
> through it when you center punch that tree that
> jumps into the road.
>
> Them trees do that!
>
> I've seen this through my own windshield too many
> times.
>
> FWIW.... I've found the spool in the rear of my
> Volvo to be utterly predictable and reliable. It
> will not do anything scary to handling. I cannot
> say the same of all my previous efforts with
> limited slips, Worm-gear diffs ect.
>
> Be sure to give that VAG thing the drive axles
> that MrDerek put in his. 911 turbo outer joints
> if memory serves. They will not fail every outing
> and are worth the dough. Derek do you recall who
> built them?
>
> JohnLane
>
> Overkill is consistently more fun

John,

I'm with you. And I'm certainly not out to reinvent the wheel.

My biggest problem is that I have 170" between the edge of my work area and the garage door. And I have to be realistic and accept that whatever I get is going to spend a lot of it's life in the garage, either being worked on or avoiding snow/neighbors eyes.

The NSU at 142" overall is about as good as I'm going to get while not having a tiny wheelbase.

I've got lots of rust repair to do before I start worrying about the drive shafts

Cheers,

---

Andrew M
Onterrible
30ish

JohnLane Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> FWIW.... I've found the spool in the rear of my
> Volvo to be utterly predictable and reliable. It
> will not do anything scary to handling. I cannot
> say the same of all my previous efforts with
> limited slips, Worm-gear diffs ect.
>
> Be sure to give that VAG thing the drive axles
> that MrDerek put in his. 911 turbo outer joints
> if memory serves. They will not fail every outing
> and are worth the dough. Derek do you recall who
> built them?
>
> JohnLane
>
> Overkill is consistently more fun


Hum spool - how much fun would that make driving a FWD car on tarmac? And I can only imagine how many more cv's I'd shatter with a spool vs LSD

Derek talked about his super fancy driveshafts in this thread: http://www.rallyanarchy.com/phorum/read.php?5,17523,page=1

---

-Jason



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 02/09/2009 01:31PM by mack73.

mack73 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

>
>
> Hum spool - how much fun would that make driving a
> FWD car on tarmac? And I can only imagine how many
> more cv's I'd shatter with a spool vs LSD

I had a welded diff (spool) in my Dodge Omni turbo after the only LSD available at the time exploded. Welded diff was way more predictable and would never leave you stranded if you did break a driveshaft. Tarmac was fine. Only turning sharp in a tight parking lot, for example, would make the tires go skud, skud, skud a little bit. I never once broke an outer CV with the welded diff, they didn't seem to be a problem. I did break multiple inner spigot shafts but I was using the A525 tranny with the smaller shafts and they all had a lot of miles on them by then. Never had any problems with the inner CVs either.

THanks Dave.

I'll give a spool a try and save a couple $$'s. I just scored a new spool from a guy who needs to pay rent for half price.

He wasn't a cage builder so I haggled pretty good

---

-Jason

mack73 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

>
>
> Hum spool - how much fun would that make driving a
> FWD car on tarmac? And I can only imagine how many
> more cv's I'd shatter with a spool vs LSD
>
> Derek talked about his super fancy driveshafts in
> this thread:
>
>
>
> 94 Golf
> www.Mack73.com

One of the reason you eat CV on a open diff FWD...Is you are driving (or racing) on one axle ...Not two ... And on a open diff the power goes to the wheel with the "least" grip... So the axles are "hunting" for grip ... From one side to the other and back then "bang" ...Cv axle gives up ... LSD and spool spread the load out to two axle .. Now the cars driving on two axle ..Not one ..

David

Hazardous Toys inc

Achtung! Mid-engine von deutchland? Build your own or let the boys in stuttgart do it for you? hmmmm.

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/pen/cto/1035127562.html

alkun Wrote:
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> Achtung! Mid-engine von deutchland? Build your
> own or let the boys in stuttgart do it for you?
> hmmmm.
>
>
>
>
>


OMG, you must be joking. These are the flimsiest cars ever. Do you realize that if you remove the roof panel and open the doors and jump up and down on the floor you can bend the car in half? At least before you put a rollcage in...

perfect...


I remember reading about a Porsche racer with over 1000 hp and a tubular space frame that weighed less than 100lb.

I learned to drive stick in a 914-6.... granted everytime I needed first gear I had to wiggle my right leg to the opposite side of the steering wheel, but it was fun otherwise

Check out this vid at about 1:30

alkun Wrote:
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> Achtung! Mid-engine von deutchland? Build your
> own or let the boys in stuttgart do it for you?
> hmmmm.

The boys in Wolfsburg, not Stuttgart, built that.

They need serious beefing to deal with *autocross*. Think about that.

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Pete Remner
Cleveland, Ohio

1984 RX-7 (rallycross thing)
1978
Silence is golden, but duct tape is silver.