156 rear wheel conversion

[dehne]

hi all
im looking at buying another 156 sele for a few parts, spare sele box and the seats to put into my 90 but then i was thinking what to do with the rest, well i have been thinking and im in  the thought to make a race project and turn it into a rwd racecar, maybe awd if i can find the right stuff to go underneith, so the first part will pull engine out and pretty much all in the bay, turn motor 90deg, cut a tunnel into it put in a de-dion and a hell of a lot of extra welding,blood, sweat and definatly a few tears.
so what im after is ur thoughts and/or ideas on any extra tips i need

[Sheldon McIntosh]

Doesn't sound too difficult, go for it!  Can't wait for updates.

[Evan Bottcher]

Shouldn't be too hard.  Keep us updated on the progress, especially with photos.  Check out some of the engine and drivetrain conversions on the AlfaBB (http://www.alfabb.com/bb/forums/engine-conversions/) but those guys must be a bit crap because some of them take ages, and some even abandon their projects if they get too hard.

Most important question though - what colour will you paint it?

[aggie57]

What about a mid-engine project?  Like a Beta spyder or X1/9?  Shouldn't be too hard.

[Jekyll and Hyde]

What about a mid-engine project?  Like a Beta spyder or X1/9?  Shouldn't be too hard.

If I had the time and money to waste on that, I'd start with a '98 on GTV6, take the engine out of the front and plonk it complete where the back 'seats' are...  Driveshafts etc are all to the back of the motor, so all the engine/gearbox weight would be forward of the rear wheels.  Yeah, I definitely haven't amused myself with that thought before... and it just so happens, 'er indoors has an appropriate base vehicle...  Reckon I'd survive the fallout?

[Sheldon McIntosh]

If I had the time and money to waste on that, I'd start with a '98 on GTV6, take the engine out of the front and plonk it complete where the back 'seats' are...  Driveshafts etc are all to the back of the motor, so all the engine/gearbox weight would be forward of the rear wheels.  Yeah, I definitely haven't amused myself with that thought before... and it just so happens, 'er indoors has an appropriate base vehicle...  Reckon I'd survive the fallout?

That's been done, only they left the engine in the front as well.   http://www.alfaclubvic.org.au/forum/index.php?topic=6615.0

[Jekyll and Hyde]

That's been done, only they left the engine in the front as well.   http://www.alfaclubvic.org.au/forum/index.php?topic=6615.0

Hmmm - I must have missed that one...  Personally don't see the attraction of having 2 motors, I guess it's a 'because I can' type of thing... I'd rather get rid of the weight in the front, and make up the power with a 3.8 kit    Still probably end up close to the same power to weight, and better handling (perhaps)....

Bah, who am I kidding, I'd just take the engine and box and throw it into a Hawk replica of a Stratos - much easier, and probably more fun to drive at the end of it.  Just with less 'something different' value.

[Craig_m67]

Or you could simply get the bits required off a 156 crosswagon from a wrecker in the EU ... and tweak to your hearts content.

(they did a Ti version too)

[branko.gt]

I am all for it. I mean, how hard can it be.

[bix]

Looks like you'll be needing that 156 for wrecking we were chatting about. I'll provide you with all the psychological support you need 

[dehne]

Dehne, don't waste time putting in a De Dion, leave the independent rear suspension and weld in a gearbox mount and use the transaxle, you should definitely take photos for us all to see your progress as you take on this project, I'm sure the car will be a cracker.

i was thinking a little easier with De Dion but im up for it. its going to be a project how long it takes im not sure but end result will be extremly fun, i would like to go for a 3ltr but im sure if i use the 2ltr for now i can always change later

[Darryl]

I really thought you would go for the shifting the motor aft approach - surely a 90 with a quadcam V6 in the back seat (well, really - which is where it gets ugly - in front of the back seat). Given that problem, maybe drive  from the back seat and just extend the steering column, install a pedalbox wherever you need it (make it movable so you don't need to adjust the seat) but remove the awful gearchange linkage -> the perfect transaxle alfa?

Nah - too complicated and doesn't use any 156 bits. Given your collection of 90s why don't you just take the body off one, drop the body of the 156 over floorpan and adjust to suit. See a certain lloyd project.... Should be easy... That way, you are really doing just one project (fitting the 156 seats to a 90) but just extending the scope a bit....

[LaStregaNera]

I really thought you would go for the shifting the motor aft approach - surely a 90 with a quadcam V6 in the back seat (well, really - which is where it gets ugly - in front of the back seat). Given that problem, maybe drive  from the back seat and just extend the steering column, install a pedalbox wherever you need it (make it movable so you don't need to adjust the seat) but remove the awful gearchange linkage -> the perfect transaxle alfa?

Nah - too complicated and doesn't use any 156 bits. Given your collection of 90s why don't you just take the body off one, drop the body of the 156 over floorpan and adjust to suit. See a certain lloyd project.... Should be easy... That way, you are really doing just one project (fitting the 156 seats to a 90) but just extending the scope a bit....

There's also been a pair of 105 coupes done this way (one using the guards/bonnet stretched a couple of inches to match the GTV6 wheelbase, the other a shortened 75TS platform), and the nutter with a 33 shell on a 164 floorpan too...

[dehne]

not sure on that one think it might be easier going the 156 route and just modify it, but now not sure maybe need to think about what im going to do here. when doing a cage for it i should space frame the front then i should do the back so all panels bolt on easy and will only look like a 156 but underneith more v8supercar style. mmmm now im getting serious, dont wamt that might just get a new push bike lol

[redalfaracing]

Whilst i find this an interesting discussion, I have to ask a question that no one has canvassed.

What are you going to do with it once built?

It becomes a vehicle that has very few uses, i'm guessing there isn't a sprint class for it, you certainly cannot rally it. You could motorkhana it, but if you want real fun in a motorkhana, I would be making a front drive special out of a 33 1.7 16 valve , You could autocross it, but for less effort and way more fun, a Yamaha R1 would make a better donor. And you could hillclimb it, But still too big and heavy to be real excitement machine. Dropping an Alfa engine in a formula ford would be what i would do.

On the twin engine thing. Graeme Wise built a Camira with 2 engines. Went real hard and sounded like 2 cars going past. Didn't ever see it win class though. Too heavy.

Have you given it any thought Dehne?