LocostUSA.com

Learning how to build Lotus Seven replicas...together!
It is currently March 29, 2024, 12:37 am

All times are UTC - 5 hours [ DST ]




Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 14 posts ] 
Author Message
PostPosted: February 5, 2016, 7:49 am 
Offline

Joined: January 25, 2016, 6:13 pm
Posts: 38
I am in the planning stages of building a low cost cruiser to turn heads and the like. I am considering 2 engines the ej207 or the 1.8 miata engine but I am considering midengined, would it be easier to convert a VW 002 or 094 transaxle to MR and mount the 1.8 or to lock the subaru trans in fwd?


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
PostPosted: February 5, 2016, 9:34 am 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: November 16, 2015, 2:38 pm
Posts: 727
Location: Outside Hartford, CT
You can cap the tailshaft housing of a later model 5 speed, or just find a Subaru FWD transmission. The EJ series motors all used a universal bellhousing pattern, along with the EZ and EG. If I had my druthers, I would pick up an EZ30/EG33, to a 94-95 legacy FWD transmission for a mid mount build. EG33 made 230HP, naturally aspirated, and is only 2" longer depth wise than its four cylinder counterpart.

Plus you don't have to worry about the extra peripherals of the 207, and you won't pay through the nose for them.

You cant touch a 207/harness/ecu for less than 2500 in usable condition. The eg33 can be had for a couple hundred bucks.

_________________
Tucker

Driven5 wrote:
Forced Induction + Magic Spinning Doritos = EMod


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
PostPosted: February 5, 2016, 2:13 pm 
Offline

Joined: January 25, 2016, 6:13 pm
Posts: 38
really now, I know the EJ's can get really expensive. but the EZ motors have NO aftermarket, did they ever come with forced induction?


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
PostPosted: February 5, 2016, 2:30 pm 
Offline

Joined: October 29, 2013, 5:15 pm
Posts: 176
The Subaru is the easier of the two options. It involves a small spool that replaces the center diff and locks the counter shaft to the front drive shaft as well as a block off plate that replaces the center differential housing and rear output shaft.

You might also want to consider the the 1.8t and transaxle from a B5 Passat. Reasonable cost, plenty of aftermarket support, and no adapter plates or FWD conversions needed. As an example, Westfield used them in the back of their XTR4 track day cars. It looks nice back there, IMO.
Attachment:
westfield-xtr4-07.jpg


You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
PostPosted: February 5, 2016, 3:00 pm 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: April 26, 2008, 6:06 pm
Posts: 3268
Location: Under the weather. (Seattle)
It depends what specific characteristics are important to you in a cruiser. For me personally, powerful does not in and of itself mean interesting, and interesting would be more important than powerful. Anything over 200hp would be more than sufficient. The uncommonly sweet sound of an H6 with the right exhaust setup, and the DIY'ness of the necessary custom bits to do it with minimal aftermarket support, would certainly turn my head a lot more violently than that of a turbo Subie H4 or Mazda I4....Regardless of how much of the engine has the potential to look like an aftermarket parts catalog threw up on it.

To the original question: My intuition would be that keeping the direct engine/trans compatibility and locking the center diff would be easier than mating a modernish Mazda engine to an old 4-speed VW transaxle flipped upside down, but I've never tried either.

_________________
-Justin

"Orville Wright did not have a pilots license." - Gordon MacKenzie


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
PostPosted: February 5, 2016, 3:13 pm 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: November 16, 2015, 2:38 pm
Posts: 727
Location: Outside Hartford, CT
The EG33 has more aftermarket than you think.. but not as much off the shelf stuff as you would probably like. 200whp in a 1400 lb car is borderline lunacy.

Companies like Delta will do cam grinds for you. I mean all the EG33 is, is an ej22 with two extra cylinders, a different crank and a chain drive for timing. Pistons, rods, valves... are all interchangeable with the ej25 stuff.

Weight wise, the two extra cylinders will net you a total wet weight of 350ish lbs.

The ej205/207, complete with turbo and peripherals, weighs in at 350ish lbs.

They (Subaru H6) never came with forced induction, but running a turbo/ supercharger at low boost levels is not out of the question if you're really hungry for more power.

Any turbo EJ on stock internals that is pushing over 275 whp is most likely a time bomb to begin with. I've joined the spun bearing club on three motors across three Subaru's.

FYI.. this is an EG33 with a little bit of work done, pistons, cam, tune on a notoriously low reading dyno... spinning to 8300rpm..

Image

_________________
Tucker

Driven5 wrote:
Forced Induction + Magic Spinning Doritos = EMod


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
PostPosted: February 5, 2016, 9:23 pm 
Offline
Toyotaphobe
User avatar

Joined: April 5, 2008, 2:25 am
Posts: 4829
Location: Fort Worth, Texas
gregk wrote:
The Subaru is the easier of the two options. It involves a small spool that replaces the center diff and locks the counter shaft to the front drive shaft as well as a block off plate that replaces the center differential housing and rear output shaft.

You might also want to consider the the 1.8t and transaxle from a B5 Passat. Reasonable cost, plenty of aftermarket support, and no adapter plates or FWD conversions needed. As an example, Westfield used them in the back of their XTR4 track day cars. It looks nice back there, IMO.
Attachment:
westfield-xtr4-07.jpg


Not to derail his thread, but what ecu would you use to run the VW? Megasquirt is against my religion so is there a way to use the stock ecu? I'd heard there were issues due to many things you'd want to eliminate being required to keep it out of limp mode.

_________________
mobilito ergo sum
I drive therefore I am

I can explain it to you,
but I can't understand it for you.


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
PostPosted: February 5, 2016, 10:12 pm 
Offline

Joined: July 6, 2008, 11:15 am
Posts: 1047
Location: Cave Creek, AZ
gregk wrote:
The Subaru is the easier of the two options. It involves a small spool that replaces the center diff and locks the counter shaft to the front drive shaft as well as a block off plate that replaces the center differential housing and rear output shaft.

You might also want to consider the the 1.8t and transaxle from a B5 Passat. Reasonable cost, plenty of aftermarket support, and no adapter plates or FWD conversions needed. As an example, Westfield used them in the back of their XTR4 track day cars. It looks nice back there, IMO.
Attachment:
westfield-xtr4-07.jpg



Wow, that does look good in there. I just checked Craigslist local to me and you can get the VW and Audi conterpart B5's for dirt cheap, for the whole car! 1-2 thousand and some with the turbo 5 speed! The whole car!

I see a future project coming on.

Tom

_________________
Sometimes, I'm as confused as a baby in a topless bar.

My short term memory is absolutely horrible and so is my short term memory.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sG16m2e4O6I


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
PostPosted: February 5, 2016, 10:41 pm 
Offline

Joined: February 8, 2014, 10:47 pm
Posts: 781
Location: Cornelius OR
Why are you ignoring the popular and plentiful Focus/Duratec engine and trans?

Or do you not want a transverse motor?

It seems like a transverse would make a shorter car.

_________________
Honey anyone?


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
PostPosted: February 5, 2016, 11:04 pm 
Offline
Toyotaphobe
User avatar

Joined: April 5, 2008, 2:25 am
Posts: 4829
Location: Fort Worth, Texas
Bent Wrench wrote:
Why are you ignoring the popular and plentiful Focus/Duratec engine and trans?

Or do you not want a transverse motor?

It seems like a transverse would make a shorter car.


It would but it complicates suspension set up due to the fact so much of the weight is located so close to the rear axle. Kinda like a FWD weight distribution in reverse only this time it's oversteer you have to tame instead of understeer.

_________________
mobilito ergo sum
I drive therefore I am

I can explain it to you,
but I can't understand it for you.


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
PostPosted: February 6, 2016, 5:19 pm 
Offline

Joined: January 25, 2016, 6:13 pm
Posts: 38
carguy you hit the nail on the head. Transverse adds too much weight right at the back. Those subie 3.3's are great from what i can tell, I know 200hp would be ludicrous thanks for helping me decide on a motor and trans for the build. Now I can move into a suspension design. thanks for the help as always guys!


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
PostPosted: February 7, 2016, 4:06 pm 
Offline
Toyotaphobe
User avatar

Joined: April 5, 2008, 2:25 am
Posts: 4829
Location: Fort Worth, Texas
Without going back and rereading I may be repeating something already covered, let me suggest the gas tank be longitudinal as well, ala MR2, but place a little further forward than in the MR2, more at your knees forward. Still between the axles but putting some more weight on the front/mid rather than rear mid.

Yes, the weight will vary with tank fill so isn't a 100% balance in weight, but it also lets you put pumps on the front side for easier access.

_________________
mobilito ergo sum
I drive therefore I am

I can explain it to you,
but I can't understand it for you.


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
PostPosted: February 10, 2016, 9:51 am 
Offline

Joined: June 5, 2012, 10:42 am
Posts: 77
Location: Bristol Vermont
I've got the driveline from a Porsche 924 that I am working on pulling out of the car. I don't know if that would be of any interest. It is a 4 speed transaxle in the car and I have an extra 5 speed transaxle. I think it is a good setup to cut down the torque tube and adapt to a 1.8t. The motor in the car is a gutless 70's wonder, but with a more modern powerplant, it sure would make a fun middy.


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
PostPosted: February 10, 2016, 11:32 am 
Offline
The voice of reason
User avatar

Joined: January 10, 2008, 4:47 pm
Posts: 7652
Location: Massachusetts
I think the motor would bolt right to that bellhousing. There might be some change in that bellhousing that will make trouble for a throwout bearing though...

_________________
Marcus Barrow - Car9 an open design community supported sports car for home builders!
SketchUp collection for LocostUSA: "Dream it, Build it, Drive it!"
Car9 Roadster information - models, drawings, resources etc.


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 14 posts ] 

All times are UTC - 5 hours [ DST ]


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 14 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Jump to:  
POWERED_BY