daft conversion projects - where to start?

Imagine a fiat panda 4x4, now whip out that old lump and stick a bike engine in the front driving the rear axle via a new propshaft. Now have a second engine driving the front diff via a crossover driveshaft and... Tadaa! A twin bike engined, four wheel drive panda!

I thank you.

BB

Mr.B you may be right,.. but those 8 seconds that the Panda's new life lasted for would be SooOo much fun!!

I do! ;D There are loads of tried-and-tested conversions, and things like Ford enjoy fantastic parts exchangeability, but to do something new I think you have to make stuff fit, or do some fabbing.
The way I see it, any engine can be made to fit pretty much any 'box, it's just that some are more difficult to do than others! ;D
Remember the Volve 340 / 360 has a rear-mounted gearbox, so sticking a different engine in there could be easier as you won't have to mess around with bell-housings etc

Yes, but in the nicest possible way... you're mad as a box of frogs ;D Was gonna ask if you were free anytime for a visit from an inquisitive local



Understand that - the conversion I am thinking of would not even keep the engine at the same end of the car as the standard installation

I think the problem is I am a civil engineer, and want to do all my planning drawings before hand - hence why would like dimensions and shapes and stuff.

Guess I am being optimistic, and stuff will have to be done more 'on the fly', or trial and error.



I knew that - I mentioned the 360 as it uses a smaller cc version of the same block as the (700/900 series) 2.3 turbo engine, hence would 'drop straight in'.

Only trouble is even the standard 190lbft would turn the transaxle to mush very quickly I think

Thanks for all the replies., Phil

I'm still troubled by thoughts of Suzuki Hayabusa bike engines in the back of Imps, but that's just me! ;D ;D There are genuine reasons for choosing a bike engine though besides the fact that it'd be dead powerful and sound mad, the thing you have to remember about the Imp is that it's a rear engined car with a very light engine, so if you try to fit an engine that's enormous in the back, the likelihood is that you'll curse word the handling right up. A Hayabusa engine, on the other hand, is lightweight, even compared to an Imp engine, is quite compact (I've got absolutely no proof and can't seem to find any dimensions but I believe it'll fit in an Imp engine bay, the difficulty would be gear linkages and the like, ie connecting it all to a gearstick and clutch pedal, as you couldn't use the Imp's gearbox due to the Hayabusa's own special six speed box being pretty much all that will fit to it) but there are a few of you out there that are actually talented with motors (I'm just a hopeless dreamer with very little talent, judging by the Imp's shagged out engine being scattered all over the floor and me being in the house giving up all hope! ) who could work it out.

loads of porsche info to be found on www.pelicanparts.com