Custom Mid Engine LSX project?

[LJ851]

Corvette chassis are unlike most conventional cars... just bolt the engine to the transaxle. Boom problem solved...

Somehow i don't think this is as easy as it sounds. If it was you would see them in all the kit car applications.

[IronFreak]

Somehow i don't think this is as easy as it sounds. If it was you would see them in all the kit car applications.

You could very well be right. I don't have the money to attempt any of that so I just keep my nose out. If that's the case OP I apologize for giving false information.

[E30SPDFRK]

The corvette "transaxle" is really just a t56 bolted to the diff.


This whole thing falls under the "if you have to ask, you can't do it" rule. However, if you still want to make something of this project, the easiest thing to do is just use the frame from the corvette. They are full frame cars, you can take the body off and be left with a rolling chassis that is pre designed to work. Add some lights and bumpers and drive like that or build your own body for it.

[Vtec?lol]

seeing how the t56 is bolted to the diff, you could make a LWB mid engine car. Forgive me if I'm wrong but there are car makers that have built supercars doing the same thing.

[10Toes]

Somehow i don't think this is as easy as it sounds. If it was you would see them in all the kit car applications.

It will bolt up but I think people don't use it because the diff is way out at the end of the transmission so it puts the engine too far forward.

This is an auto trans but I think the manual trans bolt up the same way.



It looks like you would need a transaxle with the diff in the front or middle of the transmission and even then it would probably still be too far forward in an E30.

[ForcedFirebird]

The corvette "transaxle" is really just a t56 bolted to the diff.


This whole thing falls under the "if you have to ask, you can't do it" rule. However, if you still want to make something of this project, the easiest thing to do is just use the frame from the corvette. They are full frame cars, you can take the body off and be left with a rolling chassis that is pre designed to work. Add some lights and bumpers and drive like that or build your own body for it.

Like the Civette guy did.

Also, it's not a t56, it's a tr6060 :p

[iansane]

Somehow i don't think this is as easy as it sounds. If it was you would see them in all the kit car applications.

You don't see them in kit car applications because the vette transaxle isn't 'really' a transaxle. It's still the standard t56/tr6060 longitudinal mounted just instead of a tail shaft housing, it has a small differential mounted directly to it. Even the clutch is still up at the engine side. Makes the whole package very, very long for any application other than corvette.

Badass idea even still. Good luck to you.

[10Toes]

C5 transaxle bolted straight to the LS1 at 47" back, it doesn't even look like the 47" is including any accessories.

[Ryan...]

Well damn, I had no idea that was true....




That really simplifies things, no? There'd be no need for expensive Porsche parts, and if we removed enough of the body and were left the rolling remains, we'd have a pretty darn good starting place to start chopping/building a frame around..



**

Starting with something like this, you could almost conceivably keep the frame intact, mount the engine however you want it, then build the tube chassis around the existing metal, no? That would take out a lot of guesswork, and give you a very good base to begin with. Unless I'm overlooking something? I've never actually torn into a Corvette, and you all know by now I'm not too familiar with them outside their wonderful motors...

[Ryan...]

Ok I just now read what you guys are saying about the length of it, that really puts a damper on things...

At a certain point, with accessories in front you could reasonably expect it to be another 8" tacked on up front of the motor. Then you need space for a sort of firewall to keep it off your backside, plus seats, etc..

However, if you still want to make something of this project, the easiest thing to do is just use the frame from the corvette. They are full frame cars, you can take the body off and be left with a rolling chassis that is pre designed to work. Add some lights and bumpers and drive like that or build your own body for it.

That would be fun as well, but really the only way I'd decide to embark on this clusterfuck of a journey would be if I could really make it something interesting and worth the hassle fun, ie a mid engine abortion of a car :D

I'm under no delusions that whatever the end result is would be a track monster. Something so divine others go, "damn, wish I'd have thought of that!"
No, it'd fall more under that "No fucks given" RX7 thing probably; just something for me to play around in and hopefully not die while strapped into my homemade death trap of a car.

[iansane]

Pull a 6sp from a pontiac G6, transverse mount the v8 ala Lambo muira. :D

[Ryan...]

Would that actually work...? If it was mounted sideways, it would cut out a ton of space, didn't really think of that.

[Cabriolet]

a friend of mine did a LS1 in a fiero. sideways. looks like this guy's build: http://ls1tech.com/forums/conversion...iero-swap.html

[iansane]

[ForcedFirebird]

My buddy has an old school 327 in his Fiero - putting 8 1bbl Webers on it. The f40 6 speed is a good option for a small block. The needs to be beefed up to take much more than 400ft/lb, but the Fiero is fairly light.