Chris's Transaxle Locost

[cwhite]

Over the next week I’ll try and put together a build log now that the weather is getting cold.

The car now is about 90% complete, running with functional breaks. The car started out as a book chassis with a significant amount of changes to do a front engine rear transaxle build. The engine is a vw 1915cc motor with a vw bus bell housing, custom adapter plate to a 924 torque tube and transaxle.

Front suspension is the classic double A-arm, the rear is an IRS trailing are with reverse flipped 924 trailing arms to reduce static camber down to around -.6 degrees.

Over the weekend I'll start documenting the build from the beginning.

[DTNeil66]

Chris,
Nice work, kudos to you for being creative and thinking outside the box.
Very interested in seeing more photos of the build in progress.

Don

[oldejack]

Can I see a side view PLEASE??

[cwhite]

Unfortunately I started the build without a real game plan. So I started with the basic book chassis plans, some square tubing and got to work. I built myself table and started cutting the tubing. Tacked the basic frame together and realized that without a plan this is going to go nowhere fast.

basic frame.jpg

basic frame 2.jpg

I was undecided on what direction to go when I start the build. My initial plan was a Miata based build due to the fact I owned two of them since 95. My first one was a super charged 95 and my second was a csp 96 with a 99 engine installed. This path seemed most likely due to my knowledge of these cars and the stockpile of parts I already had.

The other path I was looking at was totally different but also included some stock piled parts and an unusual donor car with title that may come in handy when I try to register it. This was vw bug? It already had a built motor that had a few miles on it and ran flawlessly and I had several upgrade parts sitting in the garage including disc brakes with Chevy lug patterns for all for corners. Then I read on LocostUSA forums where some one else had the same idea but no one thought it could work. That sealed the deal for me, but I still did not have a plan.

At this point the Seven frame was put on hold and moved down from the work shop to the basement to make room for the bug to return home. In one last drive I returned my wife’s beloved bug back home from my parents spare garage bay to start the tear down. Craiglist’ed what I could, kept what I needed and scrapped the rest. Now the Seven could return to the workshop.

The first step with my new game plan should have been getting the drive train figured out and fitted into the frame, but that is hind sight. I started out by mounting the torsion tube into the rear. This requires machining for upright bars to match the contour of the tube and then welding the whole tube in as one assembly to get is square. Later on I cut out a large part of the torsion tube to reduce weight since I was planning on using coilover instead of torsion bars. I only needed the mounting points.

torque tube.jpg

torque tube 4.jpg

[cwhite]

A few more frame build pictures.

final welding.jpg

torque tube 3.jpg

In my next installment I cover making the drivetrain adapters along with mounting the motor, transaxle and torque tube into the car. I'll need to find which computer those picutes are save on.

[a.moore]

Awesome car. I love the combination of a boxer engine and a transaxle.

I can't wait to hear more.

[oldejack]

Well lookatthat!!
I was wondering what sort of visual spacing you got from the back of the drivers seat to the beginning of the rear fender, sure looks to me like you got it perfect (for my visual desires anyways).
You didn't use a snailshell trans so.... is the clutch/starter in the front bellhousing or the rear one?
Really impressive dude!

[Flipper_1938]

What does that thing weigh? It can't be much.

I'm anxiously awaiting the build thread!

[cwhite]

Oldejack,
Before you praise me, you need to look at the rear. The rear of the car is the one area that I feel I missed the mark on. I first item is the transaxle stick through the rear body work. The other items is having the trailing arm suspension extended the rear wheel base just under 3 inches. If you look at the side you will noticed I did not add the curve piece in front of the rear fenders. This is due to the extended wheelbase and is why my passenger compartment looks longer, even though it’s not. The next area is I shortened the length of the rear about an inch or so and boxed the back of the steam roller fenders in. Then I built a small fake like diffuser to blend it all in. At the time it seamed like a good idea but now if I could go back I would have done something different.

Flipper, I have not gotten it on the scales yet. It should be light though. The engine weighed 146lbs minus the fan shroud and alternator, the torque tube came in around 86lbs and the transaxle is some where around 80 pound if memory serve me right. My drivetrain probably weighs less than some guys motors alone. I should be scaling in the near future so I’ll make sure I post the weight.

[KB58]

You know, polish that up or paint it and it becomes a feature.

[DTNeil66]

I think it is a neat car. The trans-axle issue would be very easy to cover up with different rear body panel, not a big fan of the standard 7 back panel anyway. Maybe go with a Mallock type rear body style.
You have built a car others would not attempt or just outright say it would not work. They all can be improved on somewhere.
I bet it handles very well once it is sorted out.

Don

[horizenjob]

[Flipper_1938]

You know, polish that up or paint it and it becomes a feature.

x2

[Miatav8,MstrASE,A&P,F]

I like it!

You may want to separate the fan air intake from the discharge flow around the cylinders with a flush side inlet to draw ambient air from. The fuel line from the tank to the fuel pump should also be insulated from the cylinder exhaust air.

I'd add a steel .125" x 2" hoop strap around the transaxle for curb protection when reversing, as it is below most bumpers.

[GonzoRacer]

You know, polish that up or paint it and it becomes a feature.

x2

X3
It needs flames comin' out of the hole in the sheet metal around the transaxle!!!