call me stuped!!!! but....

[Bodge]

Dunno about a Passat box, but if you can find a Renault 30 transaxle then the Rover V8 fits to that.

An Austin Princess gearbox also fits under a Rover V8. My mates got one for his V8 front engined mini.

Similar to this old one: Viku Perala´s V8 engined Clubman

But less finished!

[KenONeill]

And a transverse install like that will be shorter front to rear, so less even possible intrusion into the space recling seats want, and a smaller hole to strengthen out/round. Of course, with a mid-mount we're probably going to need a CAI though a rear side window, and engine bay air vents.

[dxg]

Have a look at the "teamguru" Polo / Derby project.

They used an old 16V Passat (3rd gen?) engine to create a rear wheel drive Polo/Derby. But I think they had to fabricate their own subframe...

[KenONeill]

There was an RWD Polo/Derby in one ofr the retro cars mags a few months back. ISTR it being front engine RWD though.

[pinkskud]

aside from all the **** waving in this thread.... you could use a rover v8 engine and gearbox/rear diff/propshaft, and and graft in the rear transaxle from an ldv van or similar...

or you could go down the ford yb cosworth route

i like the idea of the passat gear box because it is so short, the drive shafts come out just behind the bell housing, with most of the box being behind the axle.

this would put the engine not much further forward than the front of the rear seats.

this way the drivers elbow wont be on the cam belt.

however i have been working on the corrado today, and i think there is another year yet to go on that one. so this is just planning.

[TeflonTom]

yeah but the passat gearbox is designed for being in a front engined car so the gear linkage will face the wrong way

[daverapid]

:)If you're going to cut up a Rapid please don't choose one in good condition, they are pretty rare now! At least if you cut up a rough one it wouldn't seem quite so bad to enthusiasts like me that another original one has been lost.

No offence intended.

[hawkeracing]

Why not go with a bike engine.....a big meaty one with loads of power like a ZX12 or a Hyabusa. Nice and light for good handling and fantastic power for size. Whatever you do for gods sake dont use a diesel.....you would be better off setting it on fire and shoving it off a cliff!

[Kieranzxt]

I did (briefly) consider putting a bike engine in the back of my Rapid. I was going to retain the transaxle, fit an outrigger bearing to the gearbox input shaft, and mount the bike engine sprocket to an old clutch friction plate centre.

Use the bike clutch (with uprated springs and plates) and either bike or Skud gearbox. And i had a good old ZX10 engine kicking about.

Loads of room in the engine bay, and obviously bike engines are light so wouldnt upset the handling too much. Also the low torque (at low revs) wouldnt rip the diff crown wheels apart. Everyones a winner!!

Seemed relativelysimple really, just everyday useability put the plans to bed.

[Skoda-Msport]

The Tatra 3.5 V8 is the best engine swap IMO to do on a Rapid and has been done many times in CZ.

Saab 2liter 16v turbo though has also been done, the 2.8 VR6 engine has been fitted. various air cooled porsche engines and also Alfa 3.0 V6. Even a 5.7 V8 chevy small block powered Rapid has been done. There was an RX7 powered Estelle on ebay a while back too, not to mention a 2.5 Subaru boxer engine so anything will fit within reason.

Although, I think these cars are getting seriously rare, and even rarer in original condition, which is why I have kept my 88 Estelle more or less standard, any mods undertaken can easily be reversed.

[dxg]

There was an RWD Polo/Derby in one ofr the retro cars mags a few months back. ISTR it being front engine RWD though.

There's a more recently-built Derby out there with a bike engine in the front and RWD. This yellow derby (rear (well, mid, I suppose) engined and RWD) one was hacked together by a bunch of mechancial engineering students in their spare time. I really rather liked it in its day.

[pinkskud]

i did first toy with the idea of just slotting a bigger engine in, but i feel that the gear box would be a big weakness thats why i'm so keen to change the box, but i would also like to keep the engine running the right direction down the car.

[dieseldarren]

Another vote for keeping a Rapid or Estelle "reasonably standard",

IIRC there was only 40 or so Rapids & about 100 Estelles on the road

the last time the DVLA were asked for figures

[dieseldarren]

Reference the thread title ... I wouldn't call you "stuped", but I would suggest the use of a dictionary to improve your spelling, otherwise you might be mistaken for being stupid.

[pinkskud]

Reference the thread title ... I wouldn't call you "stuped", but I would suggest the use of a dictionary to improve your spelling, otherwise you might be mistaken for being stupid.

my apologys, would you like me to upload a copy of my

"statment of educational special needs"

well done in noticing i do indead have some difficalty with litracy. however this does not make a person stupid!!!!!!!

in reply to all the kind people who have posted. rest asured i have no intention of taking a good running rapid off the road, in fact i wish to do the opposite.

to find one that is out of commision and put it back on the road, all be it with the engine the wrong way round.

[hawkeracing]

my apologys, would you like me to upload a copy of my

"statment of educational special needs"

well done in noticing i do indead have some difficalty with litracy. however this does not make a person stupid!!!!!!!

in reply to all the kind people who have posted. rest asured i have no intention of taking a good running rapid off the road, in fact i wish to do the opposite.

to find one that is out of commision and put it back on the road, all be it with the engine the wrong way round.

Yes I would like you to upload the certificate....because this is the internet and its easy to say stuff looking for sympathy or excuses.

There have been a couple of Rapids on Ebay of late....go out and get started and then post some pics!

[TeflonTom]

come on guys give it a rest, this thread is about cars, not about spelling

[daverapid]

in reply to all the kind people who have posted. rest asured i have no intention of taking a good running rapid off the road, in fact i wish to do the opposite.

to find one that is out of commision and put it back on the road, all be it with the engine the wrong way round.

:)Excellent.

[Skoda-Msport]

Sadly, one of the best features of the Skoda Rapid 136 was its all alloy 62bhp 1289cc engine and the fact that in racing trim made 130bhp - a figure not unattainable today with modern tuning practices.

[pinkskud]

i agree that the skoda 1.5 all ally race engines were fantastic buts of kit considering the budget thay were on.

however building one now would not be cheap (but is still do able) and i dont fancy running a race engine on the road. i have already managed to blow the head of 2 1.3spi engines.

[dieseldarren]

in reply to all the kind people who have posted. rest asured i have no intention of taking a good running rapid off the road, in fact i wish to do the opposite.

to find one that is out of commision and put it back on the road, all be it with the engine the wrong way round.

Good news & good luck with the project

[RSIMPS]

Have a look back at the super saloon cars back in the 70's.

Google Image Result for http://img.skoda-virt.cz/vase_auta_upload/4322_2008-01-10_22-06-13_89.jpg

[KenONeill]

TBF most of the "Skoda" bodied Super Saloons (also Vw types 1 though 4, NSU Prinz) were actually silouette GRP bodies dropped over an obsolete Formula car, frequently a 2 or 3 year old F2, or an F-5000.

[Kieranzxt]

TBF most of the "Skoda" bodied Super Saloons (also Vw types 1 though 4, NSU Prinz) were actually silouette GRP bodies dropped over an obsolete Formula car, frequently a 2 or 3 year old F2, or an F-5000.

Most commonly Chevron B19's because of the shared wheelbase with Skoda saloons of the time...

See here Chevron B19 « Chevron « OldRacingCars.com

[RSIMPS]

Not the early ones! They started off as coupe's or mb's with v8's and race car suspension bolted on. As the racing progressed they ended up as shells on gt racers. There is a group trying to get these back on track as a form of historic motorsport.