83 Corolla wagon pre-build thread

That reminds me so much of Datsaniti's starting point (1980 Datsan 210), right down to the roof rack.

If I had to do it all over again, but with a Toyota like yours, I'd be looking at the 2AR-FE (Toyota's K) or the 2GR-FE V6. Both options are very GRM friendly thanks to Marc at Frankenstein Motorworks, except for the problem of adapting to a RWD trans. No one seems to have a good solution there yet. 

If you really like the K-swap idea, check out the 2AR-FXE "double Atkinson" build. You start with the 2AR-FXE Atkinson-cycle  4-cylinder found in Camry hybrids, then delete the electric motor and balance shafts, swap the exhaust cam for another junkyard intake cam, clock it a few teeth, and suddenly you have a 2.5L high compression ratio 12.5:1 engine with big gnarly cams that makes 260+whp with no custom parts. 

https://www.fabbotfab.com/products/k20-k24-to-ls-transmission-adapter

Bring that thing half an hour south after you're done and we'll boost it to like genuine safety concern territory 

Byrneon27 said:

https://www.fabbotfab.com/products/k20-k24-to-ls-transmission-adapter

 

Bring that thing half an hour south after you're done and we'll boost it to like genuine safety concern territory 

big brain challenge move: buy the kit, buy the materials, duplicate it, sell still new kit on ebay, and your adapter is the material price?

Sweet. 

maschinenbau said:

... the 2GR-FE V6. Both options are very GRM friendly thanks to Marc at Frankenstein Motorworks, except for the problem of adapting to a RWD trans. No one seems to have a good solution there yet. 

Greetings, weirdos.

I've been poking at this.  The 2GRFE doesn't particularly want to fit in a BRZ, but the adapter (to a stock BRZ transmission) wasn't hard to draw up.  Untested, obviously.

In reply to ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ :

Now we're talkin! Please do one with a 2AR next

Why would an engineer put the slave cylinder on the top of the bellhousing? You can't access it from the enginebay, can you?

In reply to iansane :

It's a Subaru engine. The slave cylinder will outlast whatever causes the first engine-out procedure.

iansane said:

Why would an engineer put the slave cylinder on the top of the bellhousing? You can't access it from the enginebay, can you?

In the original application you can access it topside through the engine compartment...or at the very least, you can access it a lot more easily through the engine bay than you can from underneath the car.

Edit: Not my photo, stolen from the interwebz, and a super-stripped engine bay, but it gives you an idea.

As someone who is used to more traditional longitudinal RWD setups with long engines and the bellhousing right back into the tunnel, I found myself surprised by how far forward the transmission seems on my twin.

I always forget how far forward scoobaru engines are.

How can I forget about the old spare tire locations...

Curtis73 (Forum Supporter) said:

It followed me home today.

Oh, my. Okay. So it has. Uh, lemme just ... bask in that for a moment.

Right, okay.

Well, the front suspension is effectively AE86. I'm not positive the geometry is identical, but I believe it is, or is at least close enough to make things work. Roll center spacers can be added, etc. Rear suspension on wagons is just leaf springs, so you can add a leaf to stiffen it, lower it with blocks, and use longer rear shackles to reduce roll steer.  Some time in the Monroe or Gabriel shock absorber catalogs will probably identify a shock absorber from a heavier car that can be made to fit at whatever ride height you end up at.

The rear end is a 6.38" 2-spider S-series, roughly as robust as a plastic spork. Stick shift cars would have had the four-spider version. Really hot stuff, like older 3TC stick-shift cars, got the massive 6.7" T-series, same as the AE86. Stronger, but not strong.

Let me do some thinking on the engine and transmission situation. 

Engine and transmission. The engine should be a 4A-C, the asthmatic and fragile SOHC carbureted cousin of the fabled 4A-G. Like the transmission, probably not worth messing with. Could swap it out for a 4A-G, but the only RWD transmission the A-series engine ever came with is the weak T50. Not ideal.

Extrapolating a bit here. MkII MR2 people put V6s in front of their stock transmissions. Ergo Toyota V6s (VZ, MZ, and GR series) share the same basic bellhousing pattern with the S-series four cylinder and, importantly, with each other. Maschinenbau said they're having trouble finding a RWD trans that fits the 2GR engine, but I have to wonder why, especially considering the 1GR is used in longitudinal applications (Tacoma, etc.). Maybe there's a plumbing or induction issue competing for space or... I dunno.

DarkMonohue said:

The rear end is a 6.38" 2-spider S-series, roughly as robust as a plastic spork. Stick shift cars would have had the four-spider version. 

TIL the OE corvair diff is not the smallest ever 

AngryCorvair (Forum Supporter) said:

TIL the OE corvair diff is not the smallest ever 

Not by a long chalk, no sir.  Peek underneath a Starlet some time.

Today you also learned that a 2-pinion S-code axle, bolted up to rock-hard P225/50R15 tires, will withstand exactly zero 5000 RPM clutch drops from a stock 2T-C hemi.

Nice 1.8 Wagon!  i great swap that would make for a nice setup well beyond the $2000 Challenge would be the engine and drivetrain from an IS250

Following along!

Did the sc300 or the gs300 come with a manual?  No idea on pricing but one of those with a eBay turbo would make for a cool car. 
 

Edit. A quick google search and it looks like it was the sc300 that had the manual. 

¯\_(ツ)_/¯ said:

maschinenbau said:

... the 2GR-FE V6. Both options are very GRM friendly thanks to Marc at Frankenstein Motorworks, except for the problem of adapting to a RWD trans. No one seems to have a good solution there yet. 

Greetings, weirdos.

I've been poking at this.  The 2GRFE doesn't particularly want to fit in a BRZ, but the adapter (to a stock BRZ transmission) wasn't hard to draw up.  Untested, obviously.

We need to discuss this further, I have a free NA Miata shell sitting in my garage, that likely will be getting a V6.

For Curtis, I feel I also need to point out the cheap forzda 2.5 4cyl + NC Miata or 2.3 Ranger trans option.  Stock long blocks are good to ~400hp on boost till you start breaking ringlands

Curtis... my suggestion is find a donor Taco stick truck. ANY VINTAGE and swap away. 

The OE power and torque would be a metric improvement. 

Insert Ford, Nissan, GM, etc. vehicle of choice.

Ok, I'm dragging this thread back up.

I've been looking around in the car.  The potential for a sick mid-engine is still playing with my brain, but I don't think I want a Vee or inline engine sticking up in the back, which leads me to a potential boxer?

I'm still considering F/R drive for many obvious reasons, but might I be dumb to overlook a boxer in the middle?  I don't think I want an EJ25 for many reasons, but are there budget/reliable/buildable boxers I should consider?  Even flats would work.

350Z driveline is tempting, but pricey.  Start rattling off some that might tease me to stay F/R.  GM doesn't have many options that are decent.  I mean, plenty of 3.8 and 4.3Ls out there, but then I'm dealing with big iron blocks and 80s wheezer heads.  By the time GM got to "cool" engines that didn't weigh half as much as the car, they were all FWD.  The 2.8L came in RWD, but my options transmissions and clutches for the metric bolt pattern are pretty wimpy... not to mention that the cranks on 2.8s weren't the greatest.

I know that the answer is K-swap and an ebay turbo, but I might blow the budget on converting the K to RWD.

TL;DR:  Good RWD combos, or maybe some boxer/flat mid-mount options?

Stampie said:

You know I'm voting for Cadillac right?

You can't hide from the truth.

Audi v8

In reply to Curtis73 (Forum Supporter) :

Look up what a Metro 6R4 drivetrain looks like, then think about how much that's every modern SUV drivetrain but backwards.  Flip the diffs over and you're set.

Somebody must do this so I don't have to.

I really like swaps that stay in the family. If you can keep it Toyota, all the better. I still think there is a longitudinal F/R 2AR or 2GR path here that Nonack is quickly trailblazing.

Otherwise, mid/rear 2AR/2GR would be sick. I would know :) One nice Challenge-friendly aspect of a FWD powertrain used as a mid-engine swap is you don't have to spend on a rear axle. Even a junkyard 8.8 is still a big chunk of budget, time, and effort. 

If you go with a front/rear swap, it can be cheaper to buy the whole car because then you get a rear end and the driveshafts that all work already. LS400, GS400 gets you a nice 1UZ V8 and automatic and IRS. That would be plenty fast and cool, though they're getting hard to find cheap. I don't think any of that older GM V6 stuff would be worth the swap effort. At that point you might as well go LS. Buy an auction 4.8/5.3/6.0 work van and swap all that in.

Boxer engines: just say no to Subaru. They're also not as short as you'd expect once you add the intake manifold and accessories.