Crazy idea but what if ......
 

So, my over active imagination gets to exercise on the 60 minute boring ride home every day and this crazy idea started bouncing around in all that empty space.

I am restoring a 1977 Triumph TR7 and have been contemplating engine swaps. I'm not looking for an extreme FE car but I want something different. The GM LS swap has been done to death. So, on with the crazy idea.

Would it even be possible to take a mid engine RWD set up and move the engine to the front and leave the transmission in the rear? Ending up with something like the newer Corvette set up with the transmission connected to the engine via a torque tube.

In my warped pipe dream I was seeing the V4 from an Alfa Romeo 4C in the front of my little Triumph and the mated transmission in the rear.

Physically, I'm sure it wouldn't fit, but would it even be possible? Is there anything other than money that stops someone from doing this? If anyone could figure it out, I figured it would be the brain trust here at Ecomodder. Just something to maybe take our minds away from the troubles of the world. Even if only for a few minutes.

Brain food:
Pontiac Tempest
Porsche 924

Others have diesel powered Triumphs that look like the total recall cars,
There was a real FE kit conversion available for the Truimph worth a look, several build threads here for it.

https://ecomodder.com/forum/showthre...xed-23497.html

One of the more rare but completely mundane factory produced vehicle with this setup was the PT Prowler. It had the same drive train as the chrysler LH platform; intrepid, 300m, concorde, lhs.

It was a 3.5l sohc with 4spd automatic, 250hp/tq. It had a front mounted engine and rear mounted transaxle.
Completely doable, you can likely find parts from corvettes since those are the most prevalent vehicles using this setup, it's been that way since at least the c6 I believe, maybe earlier.

Rover V8. Heck even British Leyland did it.

This started in 97 with the c5. Not sure if all since have used this layout though.

Just to clarify, the chrysler 42le transmission is a transaxle for longitudinal mount. Unfortunately it's not the most efficient transaxle out there and it's a chrysler... but you can pick one up for a few hundred dollars.

These things are cheap as hell, just found some local for $150

Here's a boxer four ahead of a Porsche 924 transaxle.

https://ecomodder.com/forum/member-f...2-p1010064.jpg

I should've put the signboard in frame.

edit: I'd be looking for the 1980 or later five-speed.

https://i.pinimg.com/474x/6b/07/61/6...intage-ads.jpg
https://i.pinimg.com/474x/6b/07/61/6...intage-ads.jpg

Many production cars actually resorted to this setup. Most were sports cars such as the Porsche 924 or the Nissan GT-R and the Ferrari FF for instance, but even some vehicles with a much more austere drivetrain resorted to it, such as the Gurgel Carajás, which had Volkswagen Dasher engines and a rear transaxle.

So maybe I'm not as crazy as I thought. I like the fact that there are older cars out there that have this set up. I would guess that with some custom work, a stock mid mount engine could then be moved up front and work with it's mated rear mount transmission. Hmmmm......

A V4 would be a very interesting swap for my Triumph TR7. But $$$$. I'll probably end up going the standard LS swap route for simplicity, but a lightweight, low profile, 4 or 6 cylinder engine with 250ish hp isn't easy to find. Even a 5.3l truck engine, geared correctly, with its low end torque should push a 2500 lb car down the highway to the tune of 30 mpg or so.

The GM 3.6 liter V6 is a common swap in Miatas. Might be worth checking out.

I actually looked at some of those. Even the 2.0l LTG. They were so prone to oil consumption and timing chain failures that it wasn't feasible. I'm building it to enjoy not work on or worry about catastrophic failure. The 1UZ-FE from a Lexus sc400 was another option but having to make periodic valve adjustments just didn't sound like any fun either. The SR20DET is another option that still rattles around in the back of my mind.

Any other suggestions?

Dasher diesel. I've sold mine on but the Dasher has the longitudinal slant four
Same base engine as your Golf/Jetta models. So a VW TDI ahead of a 924 trannysmission.

The issues with the V6 are caused by a design flaw in the PCV system, and extended oil change intervals. The fix for the PCV system is pretty easy. And change the oil every 5-6k miles. You'll be fine.

That is because boxer and v4 cars are a rarity

The Triumph is a 100mpg rig with a little diesel

The cobalt is a 165-185hp (NA) or 200+ turbo rig with an inline but not low profile

A Subaru would be your closest chance of low profile

I would also support the gm v6. Generally with any modern engine, put an oil catch can on it at day 1 and change the oil every 5k miles and you won't have a problem. The issue comes from folks running oil north of 10k miles and never checking the level. Once the oil consumption starts, the lack of oil inspections kill the engine.

Too many people expect their vehicle to be an appliance.

There must be a middle ground? VW VR6 on a 924 axle.

'Power-dome' hood.

The Subaru boxer engines might be cool, but I'd rather go full-redneck and fit a small-block Chevy V8 (or a V6 instead) and convert a Subaru to RWD only. It's not so pleasant to replace timing belts on Subarus.

Freevalve it.

That would be tempting, yet in the naturally-aspirated port-injection engine it would not be supposed to be as beneficial as in the old turbocharged ones when they still relied on port-injection too.

prius engine

Assmuming the HSD would also be fitted. Would be quite interesting to try it in a Puma, a Brazilian Volkswagen-based sports car, even though some fabrication would be required to adapt the Prius powertrain.

When it comes to the Triumph TR7 the OP is willing to repower, it might be still worth to take a look at some Lexus hybrids with the front-engine RWD layout too.

Like a Chrysler Prowler?

That's another good one, yet it was pointed out as "underpowered". What else would its transaxle handle instead of the stock V6?