FWD to RWD conversion

So this is one of those, "A man can dream, can't he?" type of topics:

If you had the chance/ability/money to make a front wheel drive car into a rear wheel drive car what car and drivetrain would you pick?

Me, you ask? I would say that the Ford Focus should have a NC Miata drivetrain (to keep with the duratec/mzr). That would be a car . I would dare to say that a standard BMW 3 series would be starting to sweat a little if those two components ever met on a production line.

Discuss, and let the creativity flow.

Mazdaspeed3 (or AWD).

Acura TL.

Honda Prelude.

For starters.

That said, I never jumped on the big OMG FWD is teh SUCK!!1! bandwagon.

My little pancake wagon is AWD, and I really have to work to remind myself of that. It'd be almost as much fun FWD, I'm sure.

If you want a RWD Focus get the Kugel conversion with a 302 or 4.6 DOHC.

NYG Neon Coupe. To be more exact, that body shell on a custom chassis/floor pan.

Push back the firewall. Push the seats back into the rear seat foot well, compleatly remove the rear seat. V8 up front with a TQ tube conecting to a transaxel in back.

I have thought this one thrue a while ago

I'm not saying that fwd sucks, it's just a compromise to make cars cheaper for manufacturing and probably for insurance reasons too. Since fwd tends to understeer more which is usually viewed to be safer. Tires only have so much grip and if some of it is used to turn a car there is less to use in accelerating. Theres reasons that LMP and other purpose built racecars are not front wheel drive.

I didnt know that someone made a kit for a rwd focus...I'd almost rather have the four cylinder instead of a V8, as un-American as that sounds...

neon4891 wrote: NYG Neon Coupe. To be more exact, that body shell on a custom chassis/floor pan. Push back the firewall. Push the seats back into the rear seat foot well, compleatly remove the rear seat. V8 up front with a TQ tube conecting to a transaxel in back. I have thought this one thrue a while ago

Thats what I'm talking about!

Original Mini FTW!

Shawn

Osterkraut wrote: Mazdaspeed3 (or AWD). Acura TL. Honda Prelude. For starters. That said, I never jumped on the big OMG FWD is teh SUCK!!1! bandwagon. My little pancake wagon is AWD, and I really have to work to remind myself of that. It'd be almost as much fun FWD, I'm sure.

If you had that kindof juice in 2wd on either end you would notice it, especially the front.

Trans_Maro wrote: Original Mini FTW! Shawn

^I dunno about that one. The original Mini was/is a brilliant FWD car. I love seeming them chase down big Mustangs and Camaros in vintage racing. I think a RWD Mini might be too twitchy/snappy.

Instead I nominate the new MINI, and the Honda Integra.

EVERYTHING!

make it a middy

neon4891 wrote: NYG Neon Coupe. To be more exact, that body shell on a custom chassis/floor pan. Push back the firewall. Push the seats back into the rear seat foot well, compleatly remove the rear seat. V8 up front with a TQ tube conecting to a transaxel in back.

Saw almost that exact thing at the Neon homecoming in Belvedere. But it was kind of Pro Street lame.

I want a RWD TL. Those things look so damn cool.

Second gen Probe. Same reason.

Dodge Avenger. Would be fun to beat up on Mustangs and Camaros

MrJoshua wrote:

Osterkraut wrote: Mazdaspeed3 (or AWD). Acura TL. Honda Prelude. For starters. That said, I never jumped on the big OMG FWD is teh SUCK!!1! bandwagon. My little pancake wagon is AWD, and I really have to work to remind myself of that. It'd be almost as much fun FWD, I'm sure.

If you had that kindof juice in 2wd on either end you would notice it, especially the front.

Truth. It's been awhile since I've driven a high-test RWD car, and even longer since I've driven a FWD car of any sort.

Luke:

Nowhere in the o.p. did it say the swap had to be sensible

Ever seen a Fiat Topolino bodied nitro car go down the strip? They hardly ever go straight but look like a ton of fun

Shawn

In that case... http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/reader-rides/862/

The MS3 reaaaaaaaally needs to be 4wd.

Trans_Maro wrote: Original Mini FTW! Shawn

Already been done by Joe Huffaker. I believe he still ran the A-Series. IIRC, the rules for GT5 state that #1 cylinder cannot be fore or aft of its original location in a transverse to longitudinal relocation.

first car that came to mind was the del slo...

agree with above, should have been mid engined from the start.

b18c5r

I did say "a man can dream" and this in under the off topic part of the forum... I never did understand the del sol not being a middy, and the pulsar nx for that matter. Has anyone scoped out the possibilities of swapping a MS6 running gear into a MS3?

I don't care how or where this bad boy puts the power down, I'm officially in love.

Integra Type R. It was stellar in FWD, it would have been transcendental in RWD.

I very much wish honda had a cheap RWD platform. You can get just about any kind of power characteristic and amount you want in a civic/acura FWD platform. I also wish the volvo high pressure turbo 5 banger was RWD makeable without a bunch of work. They are compact, lightish, in junkyards by the bazillions (and therefore cheap) and make 260 hp 260 ft lbs of torque with just a 30$ (retail) manual boost controller and a bigger exhaust whilst sounding beastly if in a monotone sort of way.

RossD wrote: I did say "a man can dream" and this in under the off topic part of the forum... I never did understand the del sol not being a middy, and the pulsar nx for that matter. Has anyone scoped out the possibilities of swapping a MS6 running gear into a MS3?

been done. well not the Ms6 drivetrain i dont think, but a ms3 awd conversion.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66Rn_shEBbs

More RWD Mini action!

LS1!

Busa! http://www.zcars.org.uk/mini/index.htm

Apexcarver wrote: make it a middy

It sure looks the part. I always thought a rwd escort wagon would be cool. I have front and rear miata subframes just looking for a home...

Joey