This is a definitely scooby question but I'm looking to put a Subaru engine, gearbox and some of the suspension onto the rear of a VW Beetle.

I'm researching a mid engined project that will involve putting the engine and gearbox into a one off chassi that will hopefully incorporate some of the suspension components from a Subaru onto the rear end.

The car will be rear wheel drive only.

So could a scooby expert tell me:

Can a 4 wheel drive gearbox be locked or altered to provide only drive from the front drive shafts.

Will the gearbox cope with all of the power going through the front drive shafts.

Could I use the rear suspension setup components and link to the front drive shafts or can the front suspension components/stub axles be modified to a rigid rear wheel setup.

Would this picture help of what I'm thinking.




Information would be greatly appreciated.


Cheers

Paul

 

Whilst I cant help with any of the technical questions you have I have seen a german vw camper van with the full Impreza implant, it was on ebay a few years ago.

It suggests it can be done but that did still have the AWD

WOuld it not make more sense to stick a Porsche engine in as they are built for rear mounting and rear wheel drive?

 

Hi nsld

A Porsche conversion would work fine but the price tag of sourcing an engine with gearbox and all the suspension components is a lot of dollar. But there are a few scoobies that are being sold for parts and some older Legacy GT are reasonably priced for this use.

I'll look up the German VW implant bus for pointers.

Cheers

Paul

 

Ive seen a VW Beetle with a Impreza engine, turbo and gearbox at Pennine Subaru, which I believe was used for drag racing. Sure it will go like stink, but you'll probably need to add some weight up front to stop it tipping over backwards.

 

Even if the engine is mounted in front of the rear wheels??

 

Yes it's very possible. There is a centerdiff 'thing' you can buy that shifts all power to the front shafts
There are, somewhere here, a project thread about a Porsche spyder replica with just that.
Also Rentone/Rentonone (something) built a midengined escort with similar setup.
And there are, as I understand it, a whole scene in the US that equip buggies with subaru engines.

 

a chap on here was doing a similar conversion to a mk5/6 escort and went along the same routes and sourced a conversion kit to lock the rear out put from the gearbox, it might be worth while having a search to dig the thread up for parts.

 

You could add a propeler to the rear of the switched centre diff, for use in deep water?

More seriously, I think the STi's were meant to have some form of active centre diff, these maybe programmable to be 'off' all the time. (Similar set up on the 'normal' impreza's, putting a fuse in somewhere???).

Dave

 

Early Scoobs came as FWD, you just need the gearbox...

HTH

dunx

 

Cheers for all the pointers on other conversions and the potential of locking the rear driver.

Will a Legacy GT or Impreza engine fit one of the early front driver gearboxes. Also are these gearboxes man enough for 200 + BHP.

Would I be best advised going for a complete front wheel drive car to act as a donor for the transmission and suspension??

Well thanks for the wisdom.

Paul