I know it's already been mentioned but the Poche G50 is about the stoutest manual box I have seen listed (that has synchros, I don't expect he wants a crashbox like the Hewland). The Toronado axle assy is compact and bulletproof, we have a guy here with the 455 and TH425 out of a Toronado in his Corvair, yes, it hauls ass. It even handles amzingly well (you can't really tell from the outside).
Maybe this has been mentioned as I didn't read all of the posts. Why not run a conventional engine trans with a very short driveshaft or maybe just a CV joint and a 1990's T-Bird IRS? That would put the engine in front of the rear end by the length of the trans and driveshaft/ CV joint. Or would that be too far?
The ZF 5-speed out of a Pantera is the best bet, but incredibly expensive. Next best alternative is the trans axle out of a Porsche. still not cheap but affordable to accompllish what you want to do.
One thing not mentioned about useing the engine-trans-rearend bolted together with a common cradle for the assy. is the pivot location. You can put the pivot location anywhere along the cradle useing the engine as a counter ballance to take the unsprung weight off the wheels and the ride quality would't suffer at all. The VW bus mentioned above drove to Bonniville from PA., ran there and drove home. It could'nt have rode that bad, the weight on the rear wheels is'nt much different than a pick-up.
I found pictures of a corvair a couple weeks ago on Ebay, it used a toro transaxle. The trick with this one, is that they removed the differential from the transaxle, and replaced it with a normal tailshaft. They then turned the motor around, and ran a very short driveshaft from the trans, to a normal ford rear axle suspended by 4-links. In the corvair, it put the motor pretty far forward, about the same as a crown conversion. But it seems like a strong, compact method to get a mid-engine drivetrain. Unfortunately, there was no pictures of the drivetrain layout.
Panteras have ZF'($$$$$$$$$$$$$$$) but replicas and kit car guys track down either the porshe 928 or Renualt dovrin V6( sp?) transaxle.Both handle V8 torque in a light car easily.
I helped a German guy mate a Porsche 924 or 944 with a small block Ford engine in a Ranger pickup when I was in Germany back in the 90s... There was always a great deal of alcohol involved so I don't remember much about the how... The engine had a flywheel and bell-housing from a manual transmission with a Porsche flywheel bolted to the ford one, then a shortened Porsche drive shaft went between the engine and the trans-axle... The engine was spaced a couple inches in front of the trans-axle and used regular motor mounts on the front and a plate going to a transmission mount below the bell-housing... The trans-axle used the solid mounts from the Porsche, with the IRS setup modified to fit the truck frame... The trans-axle took care of the clutch function but I don't remember how... The radiator was mounted in the front of the truck... I left before we built the exhaust or tried to figure out how to build the shifter assembly...
Why not use the 325-4L trans from a Cadillac (82-85) with a BOP adapter and flip the ring gear? (puts the engine facing rear which puts more weight forward of the axle) This is what we are doing for a 99 Pontiac Sunfire GT. I have 3 325 4L tranny's, and 1 non OD 325 tranny. They are cheap as hell and can be built using TH350 and 200 4R parts inside to handle the grunt. I can also give you any dimensions you would like off these parts too.
Just gotta flip the carrier over in the VW to run engine in front. If you're gonna use a toronodo, you'll have to use a BOP engine or buy an adaptor to downgrade to an SBC. Use a Jag rear coupled with a double joint. You got fully independent suspension, inboard brakes, and the engine/tranny/3rd member can all be mounted rigid. Cheaper than anything else mentioned on the first page or so. Maybe somebody has mentioned it later in the post, but I got tired of reading.
I have one (VW w/ a flipped diff) that I had a friend do for me. I don't have pctures, but you put the diff in with the ring gear on the other side of the pinnion. It works for the VW (earlier ones anyway) because the pinnion is centered in the case and both sides of the differential case portion of the transaxle unbolt. After you put the diff in backwards you set the gears up as normal (like the tech threads for the banjo rears) and go to town. My transaxle has one of the Dee Engineering (Bugpack) 4 spider 'Super Diff's in it, with the close ratio 3rd and 4th. But it's a Swing Axle, so I don't quite know what I'm gonna do with it now (the car I had it in is scrap iron now).
Factory five racing uses adapters to use a porche trans axle to mate to an LT1 for one of there kit cars and this thing handles 500 hp. www.factoryfive.com
Not sure if it was mentioned before but why not a Fiero setup? They made adapters for big & small block Chevies, it sits sideways so not too bulky. Don't know if there was a standard trans option (tend to think not). Years ago someone built a 32 roadster with a setup like this.
I built and currently own this Porsche 914. I used the stock 901 5 speed transaxle. I had it rebuilt with a billet intermediate plate and had 5th gear changed to an "H" gear to lower the RPM's at highway speeds. The engine is out of a 1980 eruo spec "S" Porsche 928. It is factory rated at 300 hp turning AC,PS,pullution pump and a big ass fan all of which I removed. Guys run 350 HP through the 914 all the time.
Just a quick note or to from someone who has done a whole lot of kit car building. The Fiero is going to be dirt cheap to buy and build off, they will take a Northstar/LS1/SBC pretty easy. The 914 is decent but price wise not the route that I would be looking shifter is a pain. The Audi boxes have been used in the GT4's and a number or tube frame lambo builds over the years. Don't even bother with the G50. To much cash same as the ZF, you are looking at 5K just for a core to rebuild. But if you want big HP numbers and have the cash they area good option. You can use a flipped MDX or Honda Pilot combo in the back, the dune buggy guys have done it for a while, still not going to be cheap. This has been done before, if you have the cash contact www.thuderranch.com they have a 32 kit called the lightning that uses the northstar motor mid engine with I believe a zf.
If you are thinking chain drive like i have been....i am dropping a motorcycle engine in the rear of my 26 touring......just started modding the frame.....it is only a freebee GS450 engine but anything else would be a shoe in later....i'll be going with 1100cc or larger engine.....as far a light weight and compact it was the best thing i could think off.....the harley davidson servicar rearend looks just like a mini banjo rearend from a rear view......still sorting out my rearend choices but will be cutting up one soon........looking at gutting a banjo housing and going from there ......servicar rearends around here are really hard to find......
That toronado trans will bolt up to a small block, my best friend had a really terrible billet clad 84 dodge rampage street rod with a rear engine SBC. That is the trans that was in the car. The car was built by George Willever out of Pompton Plains New Jersey. Could not tell you how to get ahold of him,I think he lives in Florida now.
Check out El Mirage and Bonneville belly tank race cars. They are rear engine set ups. Hot Rod magazine August '49 shows one of the earliest. More on another one in HR mag from '59 (do not know month). Running a Porche, Fiero, etc sound too lame to use in a Hot Rod.
Fiero seems to be the best bet, with the Corvair then the Audi. but then again I'm cheap... Jag, has a Dana 44 center, and can be had cheap.... shouldn't that be b-o-p, what's your c for?
Get a V-drive kit (made for race boats) - basically will allow you suspension travel, regular rear, etc. You run a short driveshaft from regular trans to the v-drive unit, then another driveshaft to the rear. The motor will look a little odd, considering the fron of the motor will be facing the rear of the truck. I saw a 400 sm block in the bed of an early 80s S-10 with that setup, looked cool as hell and would wheelstand like nobody's business. Not much for driving quality, but the cool factor was 10x any s-10 I've seen.
Pete Aardema has a mid engined 1937. And an interesting website. http://www.aardemasohc.net/index_files/Page1158.htm
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