legit AWD MkII MR2, discuss, theorize and positive critique. Options

[mandrek]

ok i am posting here since there does not seem to be another place to post this unique prospect. i do not want to hear answers like "you can do anything with enough money", or "not worth it" or "why do it" or anything along those lines.

What i would like is your ides on the serious prospect of how this can be done.

there would be two major parts to the project to addressed. once a suitible power train was settled on.

chassis preparation.

drive train and suspension preparation.


as i have been day-dreaming over this possible project there are a few things that right off the bat there were evidently nice about using a markII chassis as a basis for a poor mans Lamborghini. mainly the chassis, and the fact that the car shares so many parts with the GT4.

starting at the front we have the open area of the fronk, and an open floor with easy access. this would allow for any chassis re-enforcement or bracing needed to mount and hold the front diff, an easier prospect. moving along there is the central tunnel that gas tank sits in, that (after the removal of the stock gas tank) would be perfect for the drive shaft pass through. After that there is the fact that, that tunnel opens up into the engine bay with a cone shape opening that may give way to a bell housing with out much massaging.
the engine bay its self is self-explanatory. and last but not least there is the the fact that the trunk is a nice open space that is located within easy reach of the engine bay. ready to take on any spill-over from the engine bay, or to take on any supplemental systems that must be placed in the trunk to clear room in the bay. Other than the modifications necessary to mount the front diff to the chassis the rest of the drive train should just bolt right up to the bolt points between the swapped knuckles and the MkII's struts.

As for the drive train there is the very fact that the MkII's turbo trans and the GT4's trans are pretty much the same thing. i know that there are a few differences on the axle lengths between the celica and the mr2. but those are issues that have already been resolved a number of times over. the most likely custom part on this would be the central drive shaft. of course the orientation of the entire power train would be inverted/ spun around. so new motor mounts. the biggest issue is the fact that the wheels would essentially need to be spinning in revers with 5 revers gears and one forward. compared to the regular orientation of the GT4's i don not know if there is a way to modify the trans to allow for this to happen, or if there would be the need for a number of custom gears or shafts. or what not.. i do not have allot of knowledge of the inner workings of a trans. but there must be a way to get this to work.

Passed that, there is a placement of the now removed fuel tank, with a fuel cell up front, set as low in the fronk as possible to help keep the now upset and higher center of gravety, as low as possible. this will also allow to better balance the F/R weight distribution.

Hell, once all of that is sorted the rest is simple plug and play. especialy of the starting chassis was a turbo model to begin with.

IF the GT4 drive train can be used, my ideal setup would be to use that, mated to a 2grfe. amd maybe later a turbo slapped on.

There are other options to consider though. the first thought i had was to use an 04 STI power train. it would provide a better and lower center of gravity, a 6 spd trans. beefier hub/knuckles, and an active center diff to boot.. the width on the wheel base should be close enough to not need to use custom axles, with out having a drastic effect on the rest of the suspension geometry. the rear hubs should bolt right in to the MR2's struts and the two lower arms as well.. there should not need to be much modification on that end if any. not sure about the front. though using this platform also has its downfalls.. due to the orientation it would be more of a rear engine. the rear firewall would most likely need to be removed to fit the motor right. and the center tunnel may need to be enlarged as well.

There is also the idea of using an Evo 8/9 power train. this should allow for a similar mounting to the original engine position.. mounts will have to be custom of course. but the simple fact that the mivec 4g63 can handle approx 450whp reliably before needing any major work, is a big plus. the drive train can handle a good bit as well, the center diff and engine both have ECU's that can be easily accessed and tuned. as for the rest i am unaware and unsure.. i have not spent enough time under an Evo to be able to make any measurements or comparisons.

And of course any of this rests on the assumption that there is a way to modify a transmition to inverse the rotaion and its gear orientation (5/6 revers and 1 forward, compaired to its original set up.)

so please, discus, theorize, point out what may or may not work wile working to get this project realized. what sort of specific issues should or may need to be addressed? but be sure that no mater what you say, it is done so with a constructive tone.

thank you.

[mandrek]

Perhaps this helps