What car can handle a really big drivetrain and still handle?

Don't think I've ruled it out.

Those ever come with a dually set up in the back? Smaller hoosier take offs are cheap. A couple of 225 width and you are up to 450mm. That should be enough meat for anything.

I'm thinking Astro Van with the engine mounted in the middle. Plenty of room for the engine, body on frame with rear wheel drive, plenty of cheap mods to be done on the suspension, part of the GRM holy trinity.*

*GRM holy trinities may vary

I keep thinking about it and P71 keeps coming back up each time.......

Ranger50 wrote: Mid engined Aerostar?

I was thinking Ranger. Mount it behind the cab. Put a tonneau cover over the bed if you can get the motor low enough. If not put a cheap aluminum topper on it

Secretariata wrote:

Ranger50 wrote: Mid engined Aerostar?

I was thinking Ranger. Mount it behind the cab. Put a tonneau cover over the bed if you can get the motor low enough. If not put a cheap aluminum topper on it

Most small pickups don't have the length for an engine and trans behind the cab. You might be able to get away with an extended cab if you bring the engine into the rear seat area. Anyone know if they just take up bed room with the extended cab on the Ranger or if it is a longer chassis?

In reply to MrJoshua:

Extended wheelbase. It isn't like the 4dr crap rolling down the road.

In reply to Ranger50:

Interesting.

It would be a tight fit but a Gen3 Supra might be a possibility. 3klbs and double wishbones all around.

Put it in this

I can tell you they wont fit in a Miata. I measured when were contemplating the Diata.

I think the height is likely to be a bigger challenge in most cars than the length. Might need a periscope.

SVreX wrote: I think the height is likely to be a bigger challenge in most cars than the length. Might need a periscope.

You mean like this???

Huh, it might have fit in the Miata after all.

mw wrote: I'd say a p71 or any similar sized ford would do. Something that has room for huge tires. You may run into problems that even the biggest sized r compounds are overwhelmed by the weight. My friend who autox's an impala ss goes through 335 A6's really fast since the weighs 4500#.

Haha,its not just the weight Mike-boy pedals that thing HARD.

The difficult part will be the gearbox. You'll be making over 600 lbs*ft of torque. That'll overwhelm the 91-on Acura Legend gearbox that's my first guess at a mid-engined box; same goes for the Chrysler LH transmission. Don't even think of the Audi/Boxster box.

My brother and I will eventually build an Ultima with a big turbodiesel. This problem is pushing us towards our "big" engine being a 180CID-ish Merc/Audi V6 rather than a 365-444CID V8. If it can somehow be budgeted for, a C5/C6 Corvette gearbox is essentially a mid-engined T56. The clutch housing will have to be fabricated.

A dumb tire choice might keep you traction limited long enough for a weak-link drivetrain to survive for a while.

A GM UPP out of a Toronado might be difficult to adapt for an International engine, but a Toronado might not itself be a bad choice.

With that much weight, mid engine will be mandatory. I like the idea of using the front output of the t case to drive the back tires.

Toyota Previa van? Longitudinal MR stock, so you have templates for coolant pipes and such. Suspension/brakes designed for that much weight.

front/mid engined volvo/diesel wagon, would require moving the firewall back a few feet.

the answer is obvious.

91-93 B body wagon. it weighs more than you want but they can be easily made to handle respectably and you have those huge quarter windows for advertising.