600cc - 700cc vehicle

[Rifleman06]

Hello, I was planning on building a light weight fuel efficient vehicle similar to a Austin Healey, original Mini Cooper, MG, etc. I would like to use a 600cc -700cc engine, a TH200-4R (if possible), Dana 30 axles (5.13 gears if possible) front and rear with 30" tires (once again if possible). I'm wanting to build something with similar performance to a Suzuki Samurai since a Samurai had lower horsepower to begin with (around 40h.p. - 50 h.p.) I think might be wrong. I just don't know how to adapt a chain drive to a shaft drive. Is this even feasible? Thanks in advance for any thoughts, opinions, or answers.

Regards,

[JackMcCornack]

I approved this thread because my curiosity got the better of me. Why do you want to us a TH200-4R trans with a 600-700cc engine? That's the trans from a Cadillac Fleetwood, right? Ditto the Dana 30 axle seems a bit much for a 600cc or 700 cc engine...both that trans and axle would be good if you added another zero to the engine displacement. What engine are you considering here?

[RichardSIA]

LONG ago wished I could have bought the single seat Triumph 650 powered "Formula 500 Grass racer" a guy was selling.
Looked like a 50's sprint car or mini-Indy racer.
In fact I have some parts to build a similar car, but with a 1.0 Suzuki three cylinder automotive engine.
Triumph twins have torque, small modern multi-cylinders are thin in that area.
Automatic trans suck away a lot of power, I like the basic concept but agree the trans and axle need reconsideration.

[Rifleman06]

JackMcCornack,
Basically I want to use a computer free automatic transmission and although the TH200-4R might be a bit much it does have somewhat similar gear ratios to the first Suzuki Samurai's. I think that the Dana 30 axles are among the smallest that can be equipped with a Eaton TrueTrack in the front axle and a manual cable operated OX locker in the rear axle. I thought that 5.13 would be needed for a small displacement to get a vehicle moving. The 30" or so tires are for broader tire options, increased ground clearance, and drive ability in rougher conditions. I would rather over build something like the transmission, and axles than under build something and have to worry about everything breaking all the time. As far as engine selection I was thinking of going with a hardware engine Briggs and Stratton, or one of the newer Predator engines since people have figured out how to squeeze more power out of them (notably the Predator engines).

[Rifleman06]

RichardSIA, I wws just wondering at transmission and axle do you think would be easier or better to use? Although the TH200-4R and Dana 30's are considered light or small for trucks, suvs, and jeeps. I think that they are close to Suzuki Samurai size possibly slightly larger not by much I'm guessing. However the TH200-4R might be a bit big for a low power factory Samurai.

[Lonnie-S]

Hello, I was planning on building a light weight fuel efficient vehicle similar to a Austin Healey, original Mini Cooper, MG, etc. I would like to use a 600cc -700cc engine, a TH200-4R (if possible), Dana 30 axles (5.13 gears if possible) front and rear with 30" tires (once again if possible). I'm wanting to build something with similar performance to a Suzuki Samurai since a Samurai had lower horsepower to begin with (around 40h.p. - 50 h.p.) I think might be wrong. I just don't know how to adapt a chain drive to a shaft drive. Is this even feasible? Thanks in advance for any thoughts, opinions, or answers.

Regards,

Are you thinking about an old school, low powered, 7-like car, or something else?

Old Time 7.jpg

[Rifleman06]

Lonnie-S,
I was actually thinking about a combination of a lightweight offroad capability of aSuzuki Samurai, and the fuel economy and highway capability of a Smart Car with proper gearing. Although I may be asking for too much out of a single vehicle.

[ZiG]

anyway to your question about adapting chain drive to driveshaft, assuming you are talking bike engine, you need an adapter that goes in place of the sprocket, like this: https://www.peterdmotorsports.com/drad25x13sp.html

Also in case you were not aware, most bike engines have the transmission integrated directly into the same casting as the block, so replacing it with another transmission would be extremely difficult,

[Rifleman06]

Thanks ZiG, I would like to use a 60 horsepower 670cc Predator engine. While this might not be much power, neither was a factory Suzuki Samurai engine. However I don't know if a Peter D Motersports adapter would be compatible with the 670cc Predator engine.

[Johnsinski]

I wonder if a modern 4 stroke snowmobile engine would work well with an external transmission.

[davew]

There is a lot of 600cc mini-cars in Japan, purchased to get a lower tax rate. It might be a possible option to import one of those powertrains. Almost all would be FWD, but would work for a mid-engine build. Davew

[TooBusy]

I wonder if a modern 4 stroke snowmobile engine would work well with an external transmission.

Not great with a tran per se, but freaking AWESOME with CVT.

[Rifleman06]

I was just thinking about builds such as this https://youtu.be/BaeyVlkLCv0 small truck build. Then this https://youtu.be/7PoKLJym_qc 'truck' build. But mostly this https://youtu.be/IU98_D2sE1U.

[Bent Wrench]

I don't think the snowmobile / CVT setup is suitable for a car.

Unless you like a screaming motor, that setup has no cruise mode

[Laminar]

I don't think the snowmobile / CVT setup is suitable for a car.

Unless you like a screaming motor, that setup has no cruise mode

Grind Hard Plumbing Co. did a supercharged snowmobile engine in a Triumph.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RChDpuhbZJI