Cutting out floor and boxing the chassis - this is screaming for an engine behind the seats.
Cutting out floor and boxing the chassis - this is screaming for an engine behind the seats.
If I was doing that I would have started with anything that was FWD to start with. Not the mythical create that is the starlet. With that said. There was discussion of mounting the bike engine N-S behind the seats with a 4" driveshaft to the rear axle. I am nixing that one though.
What about a 22RTE? Pretty bulletproof but might take a bit of digging to find all the bits.
I'd say go with a 4AG(E) or 3TC. The 3TC is a bit of a relic but you would get to 200hp easier and cheaper than with a 4AG.
2ZZ? Lotus made em sound sexy so it can be done.
3.8+sc swap...without a doubt. SInce youre already chopping up the floor, mount it mid engine and bolt the trans directly to the diff...negates weight issue by moving it back from the nose - actually, it may help overall balance by centering the weight between the axles. Torquebooster top end is nice for the strip, and the displacement of the 6-er will grunt you out of corners in the AX.
2zz - Any of them ever been mated to a rwd trans?
3.8sc - How can he bolt the trans directly to the dif? The GSL-SE diff he is using is a live axle...a stick. The pumpkin is going to be moving.
Secondly....call me crazy, but I agree with him entirely: Why take a Front Engine, Rear Drive hatch...probably the best engineered example of one that we ever got on these shores.....and then turn it mid engine? Why not just do that to any other fwd hatch?
2zz would be AWESOME but it is too damn expensive for a challenge build and if I had one it would be in my spyder by now. Also, no RWD trans that I am aware of.
Local opinion is really pushing for the bike engine. I already have 95% of what is needed to make it run and it is the simplest to install. I am thinking that I will slap it in there and try it out. If it is undriveable then I will move onto the 3800.
Thanks Scott, I am not going to make a middy. If I was doing that I would probably get a EF hatch or something and go nuts on it.
doh...forgot its not IRS...bike engines are cool too
I need more pictures since there are none on this page. 
This is the CBR 900RR motor. All 137lbs of 150 HP of it.
This is the Dyno chart of said motor with the gear reduction taken out. So not 150 hp but still damn impressive.
Here is a picture of the car on the day I picked it up with my Blushing Bride in the background. No one tell her about this. She would have me hung by my toes for posting a picture of her on here in such a state (Not fully primped in other words)
I support the bike engined car thing heavily in your case, slammer. The gearing is about right. Weld the diff, and Challenge away. May have spare parts for what you blow up. Salud.
ooh, oooh, another thing, remember that CRX with vette wheels on the challenge cover some years back? just saying there may be a cheaper/lighter way to replace the floors than TubeSteel and flats.IE: floorpan from a donor. Watching anxiously.
Hmmm... I have only been around for about a year or so and I didn;t see that CRX. You wouldn't happen to have a link would you?
Love Starlets, love motorcycle engines. So,1+1=me watching.
Made some serious progress last night, Thanks Psteav and Clem. The motor is just about out of the car. All that is left is hack the exhaust and pick it up. Everything else is loose. I will take some pictures and post up when I get a chance. Now I need to start working on recouping half my purchase price.
nothing more awesome then a bike powered car :)
Well mine should, hopefully, take awesome bike powered car to a new level. All for next to nothing cost wise.
Update Pics...
Slammer, somebody better in the interwebs may be able to link you to the challenge CRX of which I speak. The gist is they cut a floor out of a mustang or something, and used it to make a 350 powered 1st gen. Pretty neat. After extensive eyeballing on my '83 Starlet, I recognized that although largely rust-free, a poor collision repair has one frame rail about 1/2" off the firewall! DOH! Looks like I'm pulling the engine soon, too. Picks/ build thread to come as soon as new computer is sorted, and I learn some photobucketing skills. Keep strong, awesome build.
Update pictures! We pulled the motor and have sat the bike engine in the bay for mock up.
www.exposurepix.com/DL/Starlet/Build_Photos/IMAGE00092.jpg www.exposurepix.com/DL/Starlet/Build_Photos/IMAGE00094.jpg www.exposurepix.com/DL/Starlet/Build_Photos/IMAGE00104.jpg www.exposurepix.com/DL/Starlet/Build_Photos/IMAGE00105.jpg www.exposurepix.com/DL/Starlet/Build_Photos/IMAGE00115.jpg
And some pictures of the rust carnage
www.exposurepix.com/DL/Starlet/Build_Photos/IMAGE00100.jpg www.exposurepix.com/DL/Starlet/Build_Photos/IMAGE00099.jpg www.exposurepix.com/DL/Starlet/Build_Photos/IMAGE00098.jpg
Sorry no hot link. Short time.
guess that puts it pretty tight for the exhaust header eh?
Fixed
Rusty holes
In reply to donalson:
That is correct. We are thinking that it will most likely just come around the front and then either out at the bottom of the fender or back through the trans tunnel to exit aft.
Holy crap it has been a while since my last update. Anyway, there have been some major changes in the direction of the car. It looks like I will be building it to a more DD friendly aspect while making it 1000x more complicated and probably faster, assuming all things fit according to plan.
So no bike power then?.
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