My Challenger comes to a fork in the road.

I was at my buddy's garage last night to drop off a Christmas present to be returned (UPS stops there everyday) and talking about my Challenge build. He saw me last week with a tow dolly so knew something was up. I want to do an engine swap in the Geo Metro I bought and we talked about options. Seems a customer of his gave him a 1994 Audi 100, 2.8 V6 automatic that has no reverse. She didn't want to bother with the car so signed over the Title and told him to part it out. He doesn't want it. He gave it to me.

So.

As much as I dislike Auto-Xing a front wheel drive car, and BTW I hate automatics, I may just try to turn this into a Challenger.

Whadda ya think?

Dan

Well, I think you just found your Metro engine donor.

I am with Dukey on this. A PROPER engine swap goes longitudinally and is RWD... so what if the engine is on top of the rear tires.

DEW EEET!

Starting with a running/driving Audi (even a front wheel drive, automatic Audi) and making it go fast and handle will be infinitely simpler than the engine swap you have been contemplating for the Metro.

You won't score as well (most likely) in the concours section of the event, where engineering is valued, but you will be able to get the car done, tuned, tested and most likely auto-x'd all season in advance of the event. There is a lot to be said for that. We've had to endure all out thrashes the last 2 years just to get our Challengers done. That meant no testing or tuning of any sort, which hurt immensely.

Looks to me like you now have TWO Challenge entries.

In reply to 914Driver:

I thought this was a post about a Challenger...

I was thinking a Challenge,Challenger!!

I would go with the Audi. Dosent seem like you see many of them.

Dood, don't take the easy (chicken) way out: plop that V6 in the back of the Metro! How hard could it be??

Jensenman wrote: Dood, don't take the easy (chicken) way out: plop that V6 in the back of the Metro! How hard could it be??

Now don't say that

The Audi's front track width is 60.1 inches, the Metro is 53.5. That's only 6.6 inches difference overall or 3.3 inches per side. Easily fixed with some homemade box flares. Car-Part.com shows a bunch of 2WD used manual boxes for ~$750 in your area.

Jensenman wrote: Dood, don't take the easy (chicken) way out: plop that V6 in the back of the Metro! How hard could it be??

Youbetcha !! If you can read you can cook right?

'Cept there is no recipe book for this kind of stuff.
It's freezing rain at 25 degrees, it's slip and slide to the garage, tools stick to your hands from the cold, you cut yourself open and don't know it because blood freezes on your body and you don't see it dripping, I'm exhausted from the holidays, I had the flu all last week and woke up the last two nights dripping in a sea of sweat. I see other Challengers with teams of three or four friends, and others that look like a class reunion photo. I'm one guy [old guy at that] pushing multiple cars around a garage, pulling engines with a block and tackle and if I drop it on my head, no one will witness it or even hear the screams.

You're right, just another 10 minute job....

Jeez .... with an attitude like that it's no wonder you don't have any friends to help!

Audi 100's are cool:

Especially with this Paint Scheme:

Geos are not cool.

Well, maybe that last one.

Sofa King wrote: Jeez .... with an attitude like that it's no wonder you don't have any friends to help!

Nah, venting. Really tired; Sorry.

I'd go with the geo and a engine swap. The audi weighs so much more.

mw wrote: I'd go with the geo and a engine swap. The audi weighs so much more.

Phew...you're right. ~3500lbs according to Edmunds' specs.

dyintorace wrote: Phew...you're right. ~3500lbs according to Edmunds' specs.

That's what Sawzalls are for.

914Driver wrote:

Sofa King wrote: Jeez .... with an attitude like that it's no wonder you don't have any friends to help!

Nah, venting. Really tired; Sorry.

Well, you need to move your old butt down here where it's sorta halfassed warm and there's other old coots with delusions of car fab grandeur.

I thought that when you came to a fork in the road you were supposed to take it...

mel_horn wrote: I thought that when you came to a fork in the road you were supposed to take it...

That's the way I was brought up.

pinchvalve wrote: Geos are not cool.

I resemble that remark

Might be more fun to put the metro motor into the Audi.

slantvaliant wrote:

dyintorace wrote: Phew...you're right. ~3500lbs according to Edmunds' specs.

That's what Sawzalls are for.

I love sawsalling cars as much or more than most here, but I don't think you're going to get it down to metro weight and still have a driveable car.

I say, Sawsall the Metro!

Geos are not cool.

I resent that remark