FWD to RWD conversion?

[Frank Lee]

Omg

[ddanz27]

I keep getting a lot of "what are you goals" or "what are you trying to accomplish" questions with this conversion. Here is a summary.

First of all, price is not an issue as I hope this to be a sponsored electric show car.

The three main goals

1- Extreme light weight- The care will be gutted (already in the process or parting out) and every imaginable neccesity will be replaced with a lighter part. Things like seats, wheels, tires, hood, trunk, bumpers, all removed and replaced with lighter components (hint, I chose this car because of all of the aftermarket availability of racing components like carbon fiber hoods, deck lid, fenders etc...

2- as aerodynamic as possible- everything on the entire outside of the car with be "shaved off" mirrors, door handles, antenna, fuel door, trim... the front bumper with be replaced with a lightweight smoothed out replacement. Considering full wheel skirts in the rear..

3- a daily driver capable vehicle with a range of 60 miles, probably achieved with a small generator installed.

To date there is not a real "aftermarket following" of "street racers" and "car guys" that are on the band wagon. I am trying to prove to these knuckle heads that the future is now and continuing down the road of modifying your car to burn more fuel to make it go faster is almost history. I am setting out to prove that electric can be for lack of a better word... COOL. These guys dont want to see Geo Metros and mid 70s and 80s junkers that have been converted to electric. They want to see something that is proud to show off and something they can continue to "tinker" with and modify to their liking. I hope this answers the question, what am I setting out to do...

[metromizer]

Start with a retired Pontiac GXP racecar, like this;

Race Ads | For Sale: 2008 Bickel Pontiac GXP (X-Greg Stanfield)

or comission one from these guys;

Race Ads | For Sale: Complete Car or Bare Chassis

[Daveedo]

A better car to start with would be an AWD car like a eclipse, talon, laser, etc. Then you only have to remove the t-case and install your electric motor right there. Might want to regear the rearend so you won't be so "freeway geared". The vehicle will be heavy with a gas engine AND an EV conversion though.

[ddanz27]

Actually the generator is was thinking about using is very light. Its less than 50 lbs... I love the idea of a DSM. Maybe that will be project number 2. I used to have a DSM and your right, it would be a perfect donor car for an EV...

[bikin' Ed]

ddanz, I don't understand why you want to make the neon RWD, except that you want it to be different. FWD is by nature more efficient than RWD due to rolling friction losses. However, if you must, I'd suggest a donor car. Cut out the front suspension and subframe and graft it into the back.

My other thought on your project is to keep the FWD, and modify the trunk for installation of your generator. When it's all closed up it will look totally stock--the ultimate sleeper.

[ddanz27]

Originally Posted by bikin' Ed

ddanz, I don't understand why you want to make the neon RWD, except that you want it to be different. FWD is by nature more efficient than RWD due to rolling friction losses. However, if you must, I'd suggest a donor car. Cut out the front suspension and subframe and graft it into the back.

My other thought on your project is to keep the FWD, and modify the trunk for installation of your generator. When it's all closed up it will look totally stock--the ultimate sleeper.

I like your idea a lot with the generator and thats how I am actually leaning now, towards sticking with FWD with a direct drive differential. I had planned on installing the generator in the trunk. This will be anything but a sleeper though. I have done some simple "painting" and have a 1st draft of what the car should look like when done. I will attach the photo... Tell me what you think

[bikin' Ed]

I'm no electric car pro, but wouldn't it be better to keep the trans as is and be able to use say.......2nd and 4th gears. I would think that would give you quick accel and good top end. Wouldn't it>?

[some_other_dave]

If you'd like to wow some of the "street racers", you could do worse than the following:
Otmar's 914 Electric


And for an actual dragster, see:
Current Eliminator

-soD

[Frank Lee]

OK, I'll work on this one a lil bit myself.

Originally Posted by bikin' Ed

ddanz, I don't understand why you want to make the neon RWD, except that you want it to be different.

cuz when you pull the fwd eng and tranny out what are you left with? a couple shafts whose inner ends are floating in mid air. bolting motor onto live rear axle = simple in comparison

FWD is by nature more efficient than RWD due to rolling friction losses.

I can't identify any reason why this would be so. In fact, in the case of my Tempos, it may be worse just for the reason that it has 4 wheel independent suspension, which I'd imagine wouldn't maintain as good alignment control as a vehicle with a live axle.

However, if you must, I'd suggest a donor car. Cut out the front suspension and subframe and graft it into the back.

then he still has the lack of anything to hook the cv shafts to; and now he also has to fix the steering straight ahead. and, find a home for struts if it doesn't already have them, or if they aren't compatible. this sounds like the most complicated way of all!

My other thought on your project is to keep the FWD, and modify the trunk for installation of your generator. When it's all closed up it will look totally stock--the ultimate sleeper.

keep the fwd how specifically? using the tranny, using only the diff part of the tranny, making a homemade or adapted diff... what?