TheSamba.com :: View topic - Identify this transaxle <Possible VW K70>

Mon Mar 12, 2012 4:28 pm

Howdy. first off let mer say that as soon as i can get my friggin computer to read my SD card i'll get some pics up.

anyhoo, a while back i got a parts lot that had this random transaxle with it. at first i assumed it was just some random watercooled car's transaxle, but the more i looked at it, the more it seems it may possible have some use in aircooleds.

so anyway, i'll try to paint as accutate of picture as i can with words, till i get my SD card working, lol.

so picture a stock IRS tranny. this one looks the same at the front (the shift shaft). the bell housing faces away from the shit shaft, except picture it on top in the center of the transmission, instead of on the end. the front of the transmission sticks out, is about 8 inches in diameter, has a small diffential cover (bout 8 inches in diameter) up front, and even tho the front part is only like 8 inches wide, the cv axles (like regular cars that have splined shafts on the end of the CV's, not bolt on like vw's), fit across from eachother, just like a VW.

i drew a shitty outline in paint to kinda describe what i was talking about:

-the blue thing is the input shaft
-the red line is the shift shaft
-the yellow cap is the differential cover
-red circle is the hole where the CV axle goes

there's another hole on the opposite side, and that whole end of the transmission is only like 8 inches wide.

its defiantely a manual trans btw. and fromt he way its confugured, the engine goes straight, not sideways like a honda or something. I was thinking it might be a subaru transmission, but from what i've looked up, its not even close. any ideas??? thanks

Mon Mar 12, 2012 5:02 pm

is it a Mendeola?

I'm even going to comment on that drawing.

Mon Mar 12, 2012 5:36 pm

i doubt it, lol. there's no markings on it either. really wierd. the drawing is actually pretty accurate. i was thinking it could possibly have some use in a rail or something based on how the engine would sit straight (not sideways), and the axles would be even (both axles would be the same length), since the engine would sit in the center.

The only cars that come to mind where the engine sits straight (not side to side), and where the engine is on the drivewheels, is vw (of course), porsche, corvairs and i belive subaru. does anyone know of any other cars that fit this descrption?

Mon Mar 12, 2012 5:48 pm

Found some old pics of it:

The views only show from the top. you can kinda see in front of the bell housing, where the holes for the CV axles go. and the shift shaft is similar to a VW. Any ideas?

Mon Mar 12, 2012 6:04 pm

Sandals with socks!! :lol:

Mon Mar 12, 2012 6:15 pm

Culito wrote: Sandals with socks!! :lol: Not just sandals, but flip-flops with toe cleavage action.

Mon Mar 12, 2012 6:56 pm

have you seen where i live :lol: .

Tue Mar 13, 2012 9:14 am

toranado?
those had V-8s sitting above a fwd transaxle

Tue Mar 13, 2012 3:05 pm

that one looks pretty similar, but the bell housing is farther back away from where the CV's go, and there's a belt that ties it to the rest of the transmission, and the engine sits to the opposite side. really close tho. thanks for the responses so far :D

Tue Mar 13, 2012 4:21 pm

notchback wrote: Culito wrote: Sandals with socks!! :lol: Not just sandals, but flip-flops with toe cleavage action.

Your big toes are like fingers.

Fingo's.

Tue Mar 13, 2012 5:42 pm

i assure you, i have regular toes, its just the way the sandal makes it look.

really not helping :lol:

Tue Mar 13, 2012 8:34 pm

Looks a lot like Saab 900 to me. Or maybe Audi 5000

Wed Mar 14, 2012 6:09 am

There's no manufacturer stamp anywhere on the housing? Not even a code number??

Wed Mar 14, 2012 11:39 am

Toronados were automatics.

Wed Mar 14, 2012 4:02 pm

nothing. thats what's so wierd. no stamps, numbers, or logo's. maybe if i take that diff cover off, there might be a logo somewhere inside.

Wed Mar 14, 2012 5:15 pm

NSU/VW K70 -Why it would be over in the states, I have no idea...

Wed Mar 14, 2012 8:01 pm

Wow. i've never even heard of this car, lol. no wonder i had such a hard time figuring out what it was, lol. glad i didn't scrap it. does anyone know if there are any other watercooled VW motors that will bolt up to it (i.e. golf, rabbit, jetta, etc.?). Thanks for figuring it out, i really appreciate it :D

Thu Mar 15, 2012 4:09 am

I guess I sounded a little more definitive than I had intended, but everything seems right. I mean, I still am doubting myself a bit because how did it end up down here in Georgia?

Thu Mar 15, 2012 4:38 am

Audi Fox used something like that I thought. Being pre Audi/VW merger, it could have been a VW transmission with the identifying logos removed.

Thu Mar 15, 2012 6:41 am

It was a tumultuous and confusing era when VW, Audi, NSU were coming together for sure, but I thought all Audi cars that came to the US had the transaxle configuration that looks essentially like an ACVW transaxle reversed? Anyway, I didn't think Fox was
pre-merger as I believe they started purchasing Audi in 1964. There was an earlier DKW based Audi model, including an 80 designation (what the Fox was called everywhere else) that I don't know really much about. I know NSU/VW K70 had a transaxle where the bellhousing was essentially in the middle with the longitudinal engine canted far to the right to allow the protruding diff section to sit under the engine and still fit under the hood. I've seen illustrations of the drivetrain but the problem is these cars were never sold here, so they are very rare and only a handful are in the states. When one came up for sale cheap years ago, I wasn't in a position to buy it and later offerings have climbed out of my price range as well.