74 Super with Longitudinal Acura 3.2 V6

[carwhisperer]

I started building this a few months ago. It's a 74 Super Beetle 1303. I added Porsche 928 Brembos in the front, 944 Aluminum Trailing arms in the rear and 18" Turbo Twists. The aluminum block engine is rated at 230hp. It is from a 93 Legend. 6 speed transaxle. This drivetrain puts the diff in the middle of the engine sump. I was able to preserve all of the torsion bar tube and even the left frame horn (which is cut off in the picture below but was later welded back on). I have a long way to go but I've made a little progress. At this point the rear subframe is more or less complete and the chassis is supporting the drivetrain in the last pictures. I don't think there is another drivetrain option that could move the weight bias any further forward while preserving the rear suspension.
I tidied up a few little things today. Here are some More pictures, including a view of the top of the engine through the back window. I’m exploring the idea of putting a glass cover over it so you can see the pretty engine, like some Italian exotics. Incidentally, this engine is a cousin to the 1st gen NSX V6, which is a C32A vs this C32B. Although they share basic architecture such as a 90 degree layout (vs the later 60 degree J series) the NSX version makes 260-290hp with VTEC as opposed to my 230hp non VTEC engine. Somewhat ironically, the NSX engine is transverse.






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[carwhisperer]

There is a longer thread at TheSamba
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/vi...88073&start=40

[carwhisperer]

[V8Transporter]

Slick looking swap! Nice wheels too. She's gonna' be a real 'sleeper.' Radiator up front?

[carwhisperer]

Originally Posted by V8Transporter

Slick looking swap! Nice wheels too. She's gonna' be a real 'sleeper.' Radiator up front?

Thanks!

I think the wheels will make it a little less sleepy. And the transaxle sticking out through the apron under the bumper also.

Yes I plan to put the radiator up front.

I plan to start working on the gearshift linkage next and then the hybrid CV axles. For those I plan to splice the middle Acura shaft to the middle Porsche shaft with a welded coupler. I used that method on a 914/Ford 2.3t swap.

[V8Transporter]

Regarding your shifter 'n such. I did something similar back in the early 70's when I swapped a Corvair power train complete with IRS into my '71 standard bug. I had to bend the end of the VW shift shaft a bit and welded the Corvair end on. A modified VW clutch cable worked out well too. Of course the shift pattern was no longer of the VW variety, but inside she looked stock. Suspension-wise I ran modified trailing arms mounting the outer 'Vair axle carriers, with VW bus torsion bars due to the added weight. She was a really fun car.
Can you build a 'bulge' to hide the end of the transaxle?
A 914 sporting a 2.3 sounds pretty cool.

[carwhisperer]

I think I will do something similar. But I need to go all the way under my drivetrain. The shift input is all the way in the back. I think I’ll have to put in a 90 degree bend to get under it in the front. That may make the rod swing back and forth excessively, which may make it too low.

The teener was pretty cool. 20psi boost with a Holset HX35.

Where is a thread on your V8 transporter?

[Bugula]

Very cool. Some Passat and Audi are longintudenal V6 configurations. I've never done and measuring to see if the torsion tube and control arm mounts would clear.
Can't wait to see it rolling!

[V8Transporter]

To shift the T-98 4 speed behind the Ford Windsor V8 in my Single Cab, I run a two piece shaft made up of 1/2"dia. steel rod back from the floor shift. The bus floor shift still mounts as stock but with the reverse guide ground away so you do not have to push down. Reverse is the now Ford pattern anyway. The lower pivot of the shifter has been replaced with a horizontal piece of 1" rod drilled to attach with a through bolt to a simple clevis. This replaces the standard VW front connection at the bottom of the otherwise standard floor shift.

The front rod has threaded end, with a stop nut into the clevis which allows for some adjustment. This rod then angles to the right side of the engine. At that point I needed about a 30 degree angle to reach the heavily modified top shift on the Ford truck 4 speed. This is where a u-joint sourced from a Fiat steering column joins the two 1/2" rods along the right side of the engine about mid-way back. I had enough space to pass the engine block on this side without it being 'too low.' Just ahead of the u-joint, the front 1/2" rod passes through a large lube type Heim joint which is mounted via a 1/8" steel bracket to the frame. This keeps the rod from moving out of alignment (side to side, etc.) and also allows adjustment. To keep corrosion and debris at bay where the rod slides in the Heim joint, a rubber tube sleeve with a grease seal at each end protects things. There is a very slight bend in the rear rod to clear the bell housing.
The top of the transmission shifter mod mentioned above utilizes a 5/8" rod coming out the rear of the of a special housing. Attached at the back end of the rod is a 90 degree piece to which is fastened a second u-joint. This system allows the shift rod to pass around the engine, and allows a standard Ford shift pattern with only a slight angle in the front to rear movement of the VW floor shift.
The clutch is operated through a heavy duty housed cable which attaches to the stock VW pedal assembly. Because the Ford clutch arm at the bell housing needs to be pulled rearward to disengage the clutch, the cable runs to the bottom of a pivot. This way when the pedal is depressed and the cable moves forward, a connecting rod at the top of the pivot pulls back. I made the cable and rod end attaching points adjustable to change the throw and mechanical advantage.
Sounds like this isn't your first time sorting out a linkage. I came up with this system back in '81 when I did the swap. It works well and gets a lot of folks checking out the engine compartment scratching their heads.

[carwhisperer]

Originally Posted by Bugula

Very cool. Some Passat and Audi are longintudenal V6 configurations. I've never done and measuring to see if the torsion tube and control arm mounts would clear.
Can't wait to see it rolling!

They won't:(
I measured. Also, Audi (and all other liquid cooled VAG engines, I believe) up until very recently are iron block.

I was strongly considering flipping an Audi gearbox and going with a rear engine Audi 2.7tt, but it gets pretty gnarly to position the starter and stuff.

For a mid engine Audi setup you would have your crank pulley about 6 inches further forward. The Acura setup places the axle right about in the middle of the pan. Here is a nice clean version of the one I'm using.

[carwhisperer]

Originally Posted by V8Transporter

I came up with this system back in '81 when I did the swap. It works well and gets a lot of folks checking out the engine compartment scratching their heads.

I understood most of that! How does it shift? Sounds like you have a pretty long system.

Yes I've done similar before a couple of times. The steering shaft u joint thing and using heim joints for support is a great way to do it. My teener shifted better than stock. I used a Ford Escort transaxle. Bolts right up to a 2.3t, even though Ford never made a FWD Lima (pinto motor).

[tattooed_pariah]

glad to see you made it over here to the dark side :P

[V8Transporter]

It shifts well. Not 'Super' precise, but about as well as a stock Type II. First is compound low, or the "Parade Gear". Mostly, I start out in second. Reverse is waay over to the right and forward. Hard to find by accident. Length of the system from shifter to tranny is about seven feet.

One cool thing is with 3.00:1 gears in the 9" Ford diff and 28" diameter rear tires, even with the Aerody-brick-like shape, freeway gas mileage is a solid 22 mpg. Usually 17 to 18 around town.
With the stock 36 hp, top speed was 51 mph with the camper shell on. That, plus a slight tail wind would get me 17 mpg.
With the 110hp Corvair six and transaxle, top speed was 87 mph and mpg 17 also.

[carwhisperer]

That’s good mileage. I’d like to see pictures.
My daily is a 1989 Isuzu 2wd pickup with a 2000 LS1/4L60E from a Camaro. I get 16/17 around town and only 19/20 on the fwy with the stock ECU. CEL for a bad O2 signal probably doesn’t help

[carwhisperer]

Originally Posted by tattooed_pariah

glad to see you made it over here to the dark side :P

Haha thanks! Thanks for the help too

[V8Transporter]

Not the "Dark Side' really, but heavily tinted.

Are you going to have your Super ready for the upcoming Bugorama at the Sacto raceway? May, I think. I'm planning to run the Single Cab over.

[alykat]

This is looking very exciting. Love the beyond the box stuff that folks on this site come up with.

[carwhisperer]

I don’t think it will be driving in May.
But it does shift now. I didn’t end up using any u joints. Just basically a solid two piece rod that connects the VW shift rod to the Acura shift shaft. I think I will have a normal shift pattern but I probably won’t know until I get it running. I can shift into a lot of gears but not sure I can hit all 7. I need to disable the reverse lockout in the VW shifter. I plan to put a urethane sway bar bushing at the back of the pan for a little support.

[carwhisperer]

Originally Posted by alykat

This is looking very exciting. Love the beyond the box stuff that folks on this site come up with.

Thanks!

[V8Transporter]

Looking good!

[carwhisperer]

This is the cart I made to roll the drivetrain in. It is height adjustable at three points.

[carwhisperer]

Video of changing gears viewed from the back of the car.
https://youtu.be/3KtkHgQJcc8

[carwhisperer]

And a still shot.
I think it will be cool that you’ll be able to see the gears being changed when driving behind the car, like on a formula car

[V8Transporter]

Congrats! I love the way she just 'clicks.'

[alykat]

Looks tight and effective.