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Sun May 02, 2010 10:37 pm

I am working on an aft axis view of a 94 chrysler 3.5 v6 and trans in my GL next, but this is the definitive clincher that verifies my
hunch about viability.

as you can see, this 214 hp monster fits very nicely aft of the plywood under the bench seat. that plywood is in the oe position
for a 90 GL.
the aft looking longitudinal view will show the lower oilpan part of the engine fitting nicely between the inboard A-arm pin points.

there is 7" to spare between the engine and plywood area, although the height is 3" above the rear deck. the air intake points
aft with twin throttle bodies, reminiscent of my old 140 corvair. crossover linkage included.
With more research, this could be the next logical evolution for the vanagon.

Mon May 03, 2010 4:34 am

It looks to me that you'll loose the back seat, or at least end giving your rear passengers some 928 comfort. Am I missing something?

Mon May 03, 2010 6:36 pm

I posted that at midnight and forgot to describe the subject. I'm putting a 1994 chrysler 3.5 v6 with transaxle [A606 auto 4 spd] in front of the rear wheels of a 90 gl or thereabouts, depending on when I can acquire a late vanagon with an auto trans. I'll need the shift selector up front.
I want to say yes to the 928 reference, although the housing will probably be wider. the scale drawing will tell exactly how much.
in just discussing this on the "svx midengined "thread, someone asked if
it would protrude into the cargo floor area. I guessed that it mught rob as much as 4" and sever the bottom cushion. that was actually for the subaru 3.0. I later dq'd that candidate to preserve the vanagon suspension. all this info is not proprietary--I donate it to all, because the project I take on after this one is electrically powered. But I'm imfatuated with this right now and something tells me it's viable in a big way. those back seats in that 928 are bitchen. I have sort of a candidate for the doghouse, if you will. it's influence comes from the chevy astro van engine cover--so I will create an adaptation using that as well.
the cargo area is preserved beautifully with space to spare. I was so irritated with the poor gearing in my 091 after my suby install that i wanted more bang for my efforts, so I started getting demanding, and thats where the trouble began.
the aft axis longitudinal view is almost done so you will be able to see looking back at the front of the engine, and then an oblique as well. all coming.

Mon May 03, 2010 10:52 pm

here is the other view that makes the case for this project--somehow I always knew this thing would fit.
I can start buying equipment with confidence now.

the seating is not great, 13" on dwg left and 17" on the right. the bed feature is going to have to change.
even when it is original I want to put an air mattress on top to alleviate the cushion density

Sat May 08, 2010 9:32 am

here is the oblique transparency

the bold outlined top part of the engine is what actually protrudes above the cloth line of the back seat.
I might be able to drop the engine an inch, giving it 9" of ground clearance instead of 10" and raise the seat an inch while fattening
the hatch cushion an inch or two. I never liked the firmness of the bed, so I lay an air mattress on it anyway.
This process robs space from the overhead cavity [to the cieling] but how much space do you need to sit up in the morning anyway?
I could possibly move the engine/trans back as much as 2" as well.

Sat May 08, 2010 9:43 am

thummmper wrote: here is the oblique transparency
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/678159.jpg

the bold outlined top part of the engine is what actually protrudes above the cloth line of the back seat.
I might be able to drop the engine an inch, giving it 9" of ground clearance instead of 10" and raise the seat an inch while fattening the hatch cushion an inch or two. I never liked the firmness of the bed, so I lay an air mattress on it anyway.
This process robs space from the overhead cavity [to the cieling] but how much space do you need to sit up in the morning anyway?
I could possibly move the engine/trans back as much as 2" as well.

Keep the clearance. The access to the engine and the shift of storage space from the bench seat to the the current engine compartment requires rethinking the seating and the bed anyway.

Marc

Fri May 21, 2010 12:34 am

I have a new site for the chrysler vanagon midengine project
http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/vanagonlhs/messages
you can join ifyer interested. I dont have the vehicles yet to mock up
but there are drawings and photos.

I must just make everyone sick with this. like the gull wing door dude....
this subject takes the offramp here sorry everybody. if it all works like I
hope, I may show it here, depending on the hurl value.

Fri May 21, 2010 1:08 pm

thummmper wrote: I must just make everyone sick with this. like the gull wing door dude....

What the heck is that supposed to mean? :evil:

Fri May 21, 2010 3:22 pm

I'm not sure he meant that the way it came out. May feel a tug on your leg :lol:

Is it possible that you fellas have toooo much time on your hands, or perhaps that you are artistically challenged in building what can't be copied? :?: :?: :wink:

Fri May 21, 2010 6:28 pm

the world cup, door hinge thru the gutter dude

Fri May 21, 2010 11:04 pm

just do it.

photo and action Andrew Libby

Thu Jun 03, 2010 8:56 pm

I made red marks on the stringers just next to the first peanut holes
as to where the saw will bite.
the floor skin will be removed, not the stringers.

next, the evidence of proper relation- the V6 is merely moved aft.
no flipping or inverting or tilting as an afterthought.

porsche art style view of the LHS at home in it's new digs
drawn by a third grader.

It might look like my scale drawings are wrong--I may have overly enlarged the
engine because I just measured both subjects again and the V6 shouldn't penetrate the deck....
I could be mocking this up by next week

Fri Jun 04, 2010 9:29 pm

previous art study

Sat Jun 05, 2010 11:18 pm

I'm curious on how you plan on enclosing the engine once you have cut all the metal away.

Mon Jun 07, 2010 6:41 pm

don't have a drawing for that yet--

the chevy astro van doghouse has a gnarly cool shape and seal. I'll use some of it with either sheet metal or 'glas.

Sat Jun 12, 2010 2:31 pm

I bought an 89 GL today from chicago. parked in belmont shore,ca.

she is complete except for skirts. automatic, wont start. I have to get it smogged and registered nonop in california before
I can resect the bxr/trans out. a sort of debridement. degrease, then debride. a good cleaning is in order.
I will have to scrape some undercoating and remove the cargo carpet and pad, plus any soundproofing that could catch fire .
wahoo!

Tue Jun 15, 2010 11:30 pm

89 gl runs needed a new brain. thats a good first step after hearing the fuel pump. no spark and almost no voltage to the coil.
they must have tried to jumpstart it and fried a capacitor or..? the automatic isnt bad.
I took her to a&w for lunch and found I had a big airbubble in the radiator. so I jacked up the front and rear ends and bled
them at 2400 rpm. aired up the tires, which are almost new. I'm going for smog tomorrow. she has illinois plates. looks pretty rust
free underneath after the pressure washing. a freaky thing happened. the only guy interested in my toyota pickup shell came and
bought it today, so I can give the smog guy cash. just in time.

that cat and muffler went in the trash so it could pass smog

its funny, buying a vanagon from a girl. theres dog and cat food on top of beach sand on the decklid, and a wiped up fingernail
polish spill with finger smushes on the rear hatch in red. my cousin said "it smells like a girl in here. I threw that air freshener out
today. gotta put the grille back on tomorrow-easy.
this van is real greasy up in and around the trans area. the fluid looks nice and red. the power steering complains and gurgles
and the brakes are spongey. it mught be a little on the metal on the shoes.
she runs nice. the fuel lines were replaced too. the back door struts are good and the window rubber. it was repainted and the
slider has a bit of bondo, but I don't care. its perfect for a host vehicle.

Wed Jun 16, 2010 4:56 am

Go for it - love this project!

Wed Jun 16, 2010 10:44 pm

2 tries and 109.00 and she is smogged!!!! She had 15 mph nox of 1130 ppm and max is 1000ppm. so i had to reload,
switching the cat/muff and tried bitchen's 1 wire ox sensor..and guess what? I was on my way to the freeway to cook out the cat, got 1 mile
from the shop and she stumbled...so I threw a ...itch and started back. had to coast into a home depot lot and walk home 1 mile.
I forgot I couldve unplugged the oxy sensor and drove home. It wasnt the right sensor, so when the ecu found out,
it took its ball and went home, right on lambert road. just like the syndrome.
when I got back bitchen and I drove the subyvagen to his shop in orange and got a new 3 wire sensor I bought for him from the
suby project. He's so cheap he's saving it for the smog tests and running that crappy 1 wire!
so we got it in and it ran perfectly, passing with 563 ppm. bitchen will run that combo on his 88 after I pull it out.
I have become interested in a 94 new yorker in barstow ca. of all places for 700. it needs smog, but i'm parting her out anyway.
I could probably get a 1 day permit and drive her home next week. so the plot unfolds

Thu Jun 17, 2010 1:51 pm

$129.00 and she now is an official californian. the inspection went well. mr clip board looked the most at the fuse box dash area
for some federal sticker. maybe thats the only way to weed out those pesky gray market cars. vins matched and I traded
plates for the touchdown.
It had, for the first time, a green pool inder it on the right side. I checked the level and brought a bucket of coolant just in case.
drove wonderfully both ways to DMV. I can see why the girls liked these with the auto. you can hold a cup while driving.

so, now, I must finish sewing a jacuzzi cover together and then I will start removing her e/t. after she's running again
I will get her the yosemite plates. onward!!!!!