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Regardless of what you find in the VW/Audi world, making it run outside the donor car is the limiting factor.

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mobilito ergo sum
I drive therefore I am

I can explain it to you,
but I can't understand it for you.

Hmm, should not be a problem if I do not use the VW/Audi engine.
If I avoid anything with VVT, ignition should not be too hard and I hope to replace the stock FI with carbs or ITB's.
First engine choice is Miata (Mostly 'cause I have one to experiment with) followed by Pinto, VW 2.0, etc.
A BMC or Spitfire engine is also possible and dead simple to make run.

At the moment deciphering a suitable trans seems to be the main issue.
Manual trans makes the computers irrelevant.

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If I must be a one-man PC free zone, so be it!

Seems that with the mild torque I want to deal with even the older Porsche boxes are fine and not necessarily expensive.
The old four-bolt bell pattern is very easy to make or buy adapters for.
Audi 016 (01e & 01X) should be good too, except that the V8 guys have already driven the price to more than some Porsche models.
Looking for Boxster bolt pattern, they are currently much cheaper (Can be had for around $500.00) than the 016 Audi box and plenty strong.
Also uses a simple cable shift.
Not much out there for adapters to the Boxster trans, maybe I can break some new ground.
The 1.6 - 2.5 engines I am looking at should not be able to hurt them.
I expect that the 1.8 Miata bolt pattern should be fairly well known and available, anyone have it handy?

Modified Subaru is still a contender.
Heck, I still want to buy back my old "Not really a Genie" sports-racer that used an inverted Fiat 600 box and En-Fo engine with hollow crankshaft!

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If I must be a one-man PC free zone, so be it!

Arent the Subie trans fragile?

Or is that due to over-boosting?

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I don't know who I am, when I am somebody else.

Lots of conflicting info on the web but it seems the Subaru boxes would probably be fine for my application, no turbo.

I found some very old PDF's of Miata and Duatec to redraw in CAD so that I can check the accuracy of their dimensions.
Still need to locate something on the Boxster trans.

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If I must be a one-man PC free zone, so be it!

Score of the year?
Today I got a Porsche 914 box for only $220.00.
That's probably cheaper than a core from a rebuilder.
Should be fine with a Miata or similar engine in front of it.
Have access to another at $400.00 but it's long drive in winter.

Now I get to begin making some measurements.
Anxious to compare width of the 914 box to a Miata diff.

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If I must be a one-man PC free zone, so be it!

I measured my Hewland and it's 10" wide at the output for the halfshafts. They are about 7.5" back from the bell housing face. I think both these transmissions have the same case, but the Hewland has different covers on the sides that have mounts built in to them, so it might be just a bit different.

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Marcus Barrow - Car9 an open design community supported sports car for home builders!
SketchUp collection for LocostUSA: "Dream it, Build it, Drive it!"
Car9 Roadster information - models, drawings, resources etc.

This pic was directed to me at a Miata site.



Porsche box and Mazda V6.
More than I am looking to do but probably of interest for those who demand more power.

Ignore one cylinder bank and it gets close to my goal.
Does make me wonder about tilting the Miata engine to fit under a lower hood?

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If I must be a one-man PC free zone, so be it!

I'd be a bit afraid of what that might do to the oil pickup, and how much pooling you might get in the head?

Pretty sure I could mod the oil pan and pickup.
I'm going to pull the cam cover from the spare engine and look at the drain-back passages.
Another issue is that the top of the engine is so square that tilting might actually make it taller.

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If I must be a one-man PC free zone, so be it!

That's what I was going to say, it would take a lot of tilting.

_________________
Marcus Barrow - Car9 an open design community supported sports car for home builders!
SketchUp collection for LocostUSA: "Dream it, Build it, Drive it!"
Car9 Roadster information - models, drawings, resources etc.

Easy as pie, I specialize in these engines.If anyone has any questions, go ahead.

OK, what factory ecus can you use, and please don't say OBD1 ecus only

_________________
mobilito ergo sum
I drive therefore I am

I can explain it to you,
but I can't understand it for you.

I'm more interested in eliminating the factory ECU, or any ECU at all if possible.
Prefer Weber to EFI.
I've seen some favorable comments on VW 1.8, how are they for aftermarket support?
Cams, headers, manifolds, hi-comp pistons?
Nothing too strange to deal with during a rebuild?
Good power and reasonably reliable?
Typical running weight?

_________________
If I must be a one-man PC free zone, so be it!

Whatever ECU comes on that engine.