[toddshotrods]

I've seen this done tastefully and disgustingly over the past few decades. While I have often been tempted to do it, I never went through with an actual conversion. I've owned a few Fieros along the way, but not a converted front-engine vehicle.

Do you guys think it ruins the car, or makes it unique? Any pics you have would be great too. I can't remember if I have any, or where they would be if I do; but I'm a lookin'...

[MAUSS]

It depends on what you're going to use the car for. I've seen a fair number of mid-engine Corvairs, and the handling and performance is great, but you lose the back seat and you have to live with the heat and noise (regardless of how well the motor is enclosed). I'm not sure it's forth it for a daily driver.

[seriousracer]

http://www.tamsoldracecarsite.net/ZQ...pbellSpec.html


this one was a racecar but it is fun...
and some of the newer fiasta sho conversions are a blast and quite...

[toddshotrods]

Thanks guys. That race car look like fun!

No worry about the heat, as this is just a toy; and engine noise is a good thing.

[seriousracer]

heheh the campbell was fun to restore..had to build a custom m21 to halibrand v8 quick change adpater..
ahh 283 cid in 1600 pounds .... yah it was fun....

[toddshotrods]

Wow, it doesn't look like there is enough length to fit an sbc/m21/halibrand. Must just be the angle. How long is the wheelbase?

[seriousracer]

lol yah well your arm rides against the water pump on the right.
i will get some pics and post them .. i may need someone to reduce them..

[MARTINSR]

I know this is not what you are after but thought I would post it just for the "Holy &*$#" aspect. This is my 1948 Chevy pickup that was mid engine for about twenty years.

It had a Buick 401 mounted right between the seats. In the second photo you can see the oil pan under the middle. In the photo of the engine, that is the steering wheel above it! It had a 16 inch long drive shaft. All the suspension was stock and it handled, well...picture this. You are sitting in a ski boat on a trailer while someone is pulling the trailer and boat down the road with a truck. The cable that holds the boat onto the trailer breaks and the boat slides off the back of the trailer leaving you in the boat sliding down the street......that is how my truck handled.

Brian

[toddshotrods]

Originally Posted by seriousracer

...i may need someone to reduce them..

I can do that.

[toddshotrods]

Originally Posted by MARTINSR

I know this is not what you are after...

That fits here. Just discussing all things concerning turning a "regular" vehicle into a mid-engine one.

How did people react to it?
What made you do it?

[MARTINSR]

What made me do it? Well, this was done in 1978ish and I was trying to put the 401 in the truck, I was just 19 or so. The steering box is way over towards the center of the truck being it had a narrow six cyl from the factory. Well, the box was in the way and I was trying to figure out how to move it out, did everything I could and then finally thought "why move the box when I could move the engine?" So, I moved it back 40 inches and down eight.

How did people react? That was a gas, I would leave the hood open at a show and people would go walking by it (remember back then there were not many of these trucks rodded) with hardly a glance. There were tons of cool Dueces and stuff, why look at this old truck? Well, I watched time after time when they would walk past and glance over looking into the gapping engine compartment and kinda lean in that direction trying to see the motor. It was a crack up, they would lean further, and further, changing direction walking closer to the truck and lean further and further all the while never taking their eyes off the engine compartment LOOKING into where they think they are going to see an engine. They finally would get there and see that there was nothing there but an axle! You could see the crank pully and the alt hanging under the floor, but most people didn't even notice it because it just didn't "compute". Before they even figured out what the heck they were looking at they would be calling their buddies over who had walked right by the truck without even a thought about it.

It hooked up REAL well at the drags. I would drop the tire pressure down to about 15lbs and the darn thing got ZERO wheel spin. With that torquie Buick it was a kick *** up to an 1/8 mile, I would be ahead of cars running a second or more faster than mine. Then it was like a turned the ignition off and they would pass me like a bat out of hell!

I wish they had 60ft time back then I am sure it would have been pretty impressive.

I had fun with it, that is for sure.

Brian

[OneMoreTime]

Back in the day there were a couple of cars with a similar take on them. One was the Hemi-under-glass which was a plymouth Barracuda with the Hemi in the back seat and then there was the Little Red Wagon which was a little dodge pickup one of the ones converted from a Van that had the engine in the bed..Saw both of those cars run and they were pretty incredible for the times..

Sam

[toddshotrods]

I remember seeing pictures of the Hemi-under-glass and the Little Red Wagon. I forgot about those.

There's this guy now that has a chopped, primered, VW Bus with a Chevy engine and trans in back.

[Blazin72]

Check out Infomaniacs Project Journal. He's got a pretty cool mid engine Astro van he was working on.

[toddshotrods]

I like the Astro, I'll be watching his progress. Hmmm, his last update was Januar of last year

I guess this is more popular than I thought it was. I'll probably end up doing it eventually, because my curiousity grows every time the subject comes up, or I see another one.