Quote: Swiss, and here lies the problem that I am battling with this whole thing. I think it's our responsibility to tell people NOT to do things as much as it is HOW TO do them.
The suggestion made with the Olds/Toro drive train is miles wrong. He could run out and start buying stuff with suggestion such as that and be SCREWED.
The motor in that Cord is WAY behind the center "axle" of the front end, further back than a Ford of the vintage. Hell, its further back than a Model A even which put the front crank pully just behind the axle if I remember right.
Look at this photo, the radiator is even behind the axle I think. It is at the very least even with the center of the axle, with the motor a foot or so back!
Ok Martin, you don't want him to do this and worry when I come up with a solution that you don't understand without photos. So I will provide photos to satisfy you and show what I was talking about but you didn't understand.
I don't normally make suggestions to Screw someone and their build! I have been playing with the Toronado variations for many years and have plenty of information about them in all kinds of cars from Porsche to Vectors to Datsun Pickups and lots of other project cars using them. Here are some photos of a Corvair conversion where the owner wanted the full back seat and moved the engine rearward.
This is the 400 tailshaft mounted to the Toro drivetrain. It allows a normal drive shaft to be bolted to the trans output shaft of the TM400 tailshaft.
Here is a bottom side view of the drivetrain, note the drive shaft on the right side of the picture coming out of the Toro tranny.
And finally the differential photo which places the differential fully in front of the Toronado engine with suspension attached.. This car used a solid differential but I think for the Cord conversion the suggested independent suspension of an older Vette design would work best.
This would easily work to replace the Cord drive system. Still lots of work but it CAN be done. Lots of engine options but the easiest is to just bolt the 455 Olds or the 500 Cadillac engine to the Turbo-Hydro THM-425 and make it run.
Martin, YOU can tell him NOT to do the swap. I am going to advise him on HOW he can get it done and end up with a more modern engine/drivetrain and enjoy his car the way that he wants it to be. His money, his time and his car. If you don't want him to HotRod it, then buy it from him with a $$$ offer that he can't turn down, restore it yourself and stick it in your living room!
Don't forget that you have to flip the differential over to maintain the forward drive speeds because you have reversed the direction of the ring and pinon by mounting it backwards.
I would say that doing it this way it would be possible to make minimal changes to the original Cord frame and suspension arms etc... It could probably be done so that the car could be restored to its Factory drivetrain later to restore its value. Aluminum motor/Trans mount plates could be fabricated that would minimally impact the frame tubes and there is no need for the complicated "modern" electronics beyond maybe an HEI and MSD ignition system. Same with the Vette differential. Use adapter plates rather than going wild welding in new frame members. Plenty of room there for the big Olds/Caddy engine and if you need a smaller engine, the small block Chevy can be adapted to the THM-425 tranny.
Again, hope that this helps you work out solutions to your questions.
Swiss
Looking at the photo of the old Flathead engine in the Cord engine bay it would probably work better to use the small block Chevy engine or maybe even adapt in one of the physically smaller Ford engines to fit and clear the stock steering shaft etc.. Those old Flatheads didn't seem to be very wide since they didn't need the space for the OHV valve train etc... You can build those small blocks up over 400c.i. these days without problems and plenty of lightweight parts are out there for them. Cheaper to build up than the Olds or Caddy engines.
