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Mid-Engine SVX
Hi folks, I hope you can help (and I'm sorry in advance for being long winded).... I come here after a long series of internet searches trying to hash out a crazy idea....
Now, this is just a fantasy mind you, but I got it into my head to design my own mid-engine sports car. Something designed on the principles of Ferrari's and Ford's GT-40, and the rest. But something 'the rest of us' could have. The main design characteristic is a mid-engine configuration with a longitudinal engine (weight distribution - low and on the centerline). So, the first step is to find a suitable transaxle.... Much searching ensues and I find many really, really expensive ones...Until I happen on an eBay auction for a transaxle for an old Subaru GL. It looked perfect but some further research revealed dismal performance figures for the GL. I am looking at around 200HP stock (think small and light) and a transaxle designed for the GL probably wouldn't handle this. But I continue along the Subaru path and things start to look promising, no, exciting.... As I learn about Subarus, I learn that they all use boxer engines like the Porsches. Sweeeet. Low center of gravity. And the EG33 that's in the SVX is the king. The site that got me stoked is here... http://www.geocities.com/plmjohnson/subaru_eg33.htm The auto transmission won't do, but the 5-speed conversions that you're all well aware of would do the trick. So I guess I have two questions: 1) Is a 5-speed AWD transaxle readily convertible to a 2WD mid-engine configuration using just the front 'axle' output. And 2) Does anybody have any idea of the measurement of the front halfshaft from a known point (say, the front of the timing belt pulleys). A rough figure from a tape measure woud do at this point. Or really, any measurement/diagram would help. |
#2
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Why stop there. Get a H-12
I know there is a guy who did the racing cars using that config. Have a H6 at the front and another H6 at the back. Now we are talking. You can even have a AWD, AWS SVX. It can be done. L
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Lwin M. Maung (Member # 147) Current SVX: • NONE Previous SVXes: •1994 LE Barcelona Red 107k • 1992 LS-L Pearl White 143k • 1994 LSi Bordeaux Pearl 220k • 1992 LS-L Ebony Pearl 184k • 1992 LS-L Liquid Silver 145k • 1992 LS-L Liquid Silver 102k • 1992 LS-L Ebony Pearl 123k Other current cars:•2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee Black If at first you don't succeed, CHEAT!
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Memories
That website reminded me of Ron Costa's project to use an SVX engine in an amphibious car he and another guy were designing.
I have one of the headlights from his donor car on SuperRu right now. Don
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Cats: Clio, Inky, Sheba, Sparky, Rocky, Cali, Scooter 3 cars: 02 SVT Focus, 2012 Versa...2015 Fiat 500 currently SVX-less 1 wife ("She, who must be obeyed..") "One advantage of being disorderly is that one is constantly making exciting discoveries" |
#5
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h12
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British vehicles are my last ditch attempt to keep the nasty Italian thoughts in my mind at bay. So far its working. |
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ya, i heard that subaru was looking to get involved in f1 racing.. don't know if it was a 10 or 12 cylinder job though. anyway, i guess it proved too expensive and the motor really wasn't so great anyway. still, it'd be @($&ing totally #(*% to take that #@(*%* and stick it the #$(%* in a !#)*** of a @(#. unless of course it was a !#(%* 2$)(* !@)$( hole.
-adam |
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I'm not sure of the measerments rite now but you could also use a WRX turbo motor ,smaller, lighter, and way eaisier to modify. I still want to but one in the back of a Justy. O ya Subaru dose make a front wheel drive 5speed, just not since 97.
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92 SVX #772 140k 6speed, ECU Tune stage II, Koni/Ground control, 3,270lbs. 91 Legacy Turbo 5spd. FMIC, crappy stock turbo, ACT clutch. 78 BRAT (New toy) (Soon to be EJ22T powered) 90 240 SX. RB25 powered!! DRIFT!!!111!!! (GF's car) To many cars to spend time on teh web! |
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You should be able to find a good used EJ20T or TT on ebay or else ware. There are also companies that import them from Japan. they have had the WRX since 94. Just wondering I assume it the egine layout your interested in and not so much the SVX. what kind of car do you plan on making mid-engine?
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92 SVX #772 140k 6speed, ECU Tune stage II, Koni/Ground control, 3,270lbs. 91 Legacy Turbo 5spd. FMIC, crappy stock turbo, ACT clutch. 78 BRAT (New toy) (Soon to be EJ22T powered) 90 240 SX. RB25 powered!! DRIFT!!!111!!! (GF's car) To many cars to spend time on teh web! |
#10
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I was particularly interested in the SVX engine because it is older, available, and among the first I saw that hit above 200HP. The EJ20T is more along the lines of my original concept (smaller, more bang per lb), but I think the SVX, at least on the face of it, seems to have a little more potential for more. I mean, it's normally aspirated to begin with and I've seen turbo mods that might bring it near a (claimed) 300HP. It's a trade-off. My thought is to design a car around the best powertrain (for the money) I can find. So it's not an existing car. It'd probably primarily tube-framed, or aluminum construction. Perhaps like a GT-40, with that level of technology (a carbon fiber chassis would rule but my oven is not big enough to double as an autoclave ) I guess the big question remaining is whether I could take a WRX-type transaxle and just ignore the 'driveshaft' output in the rear and use the front-wheel part to power the rear wheels. It seems like it should work, but I don't know if there are any problems there. |
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For your information. There is a FWD automatic tranmission from a 1994 SVX on sale on EBay Auction now. The SVX engines out do not make as much horsepower as the new WRX engines, but they are capable of much more. As noted elsewhere in here--simply replacing the injectors will increase HP significantly.
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#12
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The engine was atrociously unreliable, and I don't think it finished a race. Edit:Found a link - and even with a nice photo of the engine. Apparently, the car never even qualified. http://www.iwoc.co.uk/subf1.html
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2005 RX-8 Grand Touring 2005 Outback 2002 Mercedes-Benz E320 wagon END OF LINE Last edited by Mr. Pockets; 02-10-2003 at 08:44 AM. |
#13
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Re: Mid-Engine SVX
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As for converting it from AWD to 2WD, you can just get a 2WD tranny, or just remove transfer clutch, I guess. Still, as much as I love this engine, I don't know why you'd use one in a homebuilt mid-engine car. It's not very common, and since it's so flat you're going to have problems designing a rigid chassis around it. Why not use a more common V6 that you can get parts for more easily? A transverse V6 with transaxle would even provide you a very compact powerplant that might be easier to design a frame around.
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2005 RX-8 Grand Touring 2005 Outback 2002 Mercedes-Benz E320 wagon END OF LINE |
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V6
I agree with Nick.
The VW Corrado and various Golf[Rabbit?] and Passat sedans use the VR6 engine. Very narrow angle V formation makes it really compact, and they have 190 to 200+ hp variants without turbos. This also has a standard manual transmission. Granted, the layout is not longitudinal, but designing from scratch, you can account for this. Joe
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#15
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Re: Mid-Engine SVX
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1) Yes, any Impreza, Legacy FWD 5-Speed would do what you're wanting, longitudinal engine driving the Front wheels (which would drive the rear in your case) I think the shifter linkage would be somewhat difficult, but I'm sure it could be done. 2)It is Roughly 27" from the front of the motor o the center of the axles, this is a very rough measurement, but it's outside in the snow, so I'm not gonna crawl under it right now. I'd say there is at least the samw amount (27") of the tranny behind the axle, but that is just a pure guess, from memory. Keep up posted if you decide to use the SVX's 3.3, I'm sure there are many of us that would find it interesting.
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Huck Subaru Ambassador 92 SVX LS-Tour Magnaflow Exhaust, 5-Spd-AWD 88 XT6 AWD 5-Speed "Bride of FrankenWedge" 15 Impreza Premium Sedan 15 Crosstrek XV 5-Speed My 5-Speed "How-To" Write-up 1976 Pontiac Firebird Formula Current Count of Subaru's Owned.... "70" |
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