Rear Wheel Drive Turbo Dodge [Archive]

GLHS592

07-03-2007, 08:30 AM

First of all, this car http://www.turbododge.com/forums/f11/f68/130944-few-pics-my-rwd-conversion-parts.html"]http://www.turbododge.com/forums/f11/f68/130944-few-pics-my-rwd-conversion-parts.html has inspired me.

I am thinking about tearing my car apart and converting it to rear wheel drive. There are a few 2.4 engines mated to a Chrysler torqueflite. Surely, somebody could fabricate the necessary adapters for me. I think it might be easier to locate a rear end in an L-body. I'm thinking that you could modify the factory rear axle for this. I'd build a cross member that would tie the stock axle mounts together. Of course, you'd have to lose the factory gas tank. Then, I'd tie into this cross member with subframe connectors. You could make the transmission hump and driveshaft tunnel easy by cutting one from a torqueflite equiped Mopar (Aspen, Diplomat, etc.). I think you could use the factory rear shocks. For the front end, I'd do something similar to that Shadow.

Am I crazy? Do you think my idea for the rear end would work? Should I leave my car alone and find a Tursimo/Charger to cut up?

20w/ashelby

07-03-2007, 08:41 AM

I talked to a guy a few years back and he said an a(?) body rear end fit under a daytona and was a little too narrow.

Frank

07-03-2007, 08:43 AM

He brought it to SDAC. It was pretty sweet.

BIGBRUDDA

07-03-2007, 08:45 AM

If you'd have gone to SDAC you would have met Larry, and seen his car in person.:nod: He does very nice work:amen: The car has a FEROCIOUS launch!:D

JDAWG

07-03-2007, 09:19 AM

Not too keen on the link setup, should have went more triangulated on the uppers. The paralell isnt going to allow of alot of side to side movement, but if all he is doing is dragracing guess its ok. May want to look into a toyota tacoma rear end. Lots of lowrider guys use these in their impala and caddys cause they are narrower so they cant fit deep dish wheels and have been proven to handle over 300hp beleive it or not.

Frank

07-03-2007, 09:26 AM

But he is running a solid panhard bar. It makes for a nice setup... no triangulation needed.

86Shelby

07-03-2007, 03:29 PM

Dang! Larry certainly has his poop in a group on that one.

It's definitely possible to do Kevin, go get 'em!

GLHS592

07-03-2007, 06:24 PM

I talked to a guy a few years back and he said an a(?) body rear end fit under a daytona and was a little too narrow.

Yeah, I've been told that an A-body 8 3/4" rear end is 1"-2" shorter than the L-body rear axle. That would be perfect for wider meats out back. I'd just have to find an A-body rear end as well as an adapter to mate a 2.4 liter to a torqueflite transmission.

He brought it to SDAC. It was pretty sweet.

If you'd have gone to SDAC you would have met Larry, and seen his car in person.:nod: He does very nice work:amen: The car has a FEROCIOUS launch!:D

I know! I would love to look that car over and take some measurements.

The problem is whether to take my Shelby Charger apart for this, risking my paint job, or just building another car. I'd have to find another car to put my 8 valve stuff in if I used my Shelby Charger, so I might as well start fresh with a $150 Turismo or something.

Speedeuphoria

07-03-2007, 06:57 PM

Yeah keep the charger in one peice and find another car like a rampage or something:D

GLHS592

07-03-2007, 07:55 PM

I'm just wondering if the factory rear axle and mounts could work with a rear end. Leaf springs may be a better idea.

DodgeZ

07-03-2007, 08:20 PM

can someone post the pictures here?

raccoon

07-03-2007, 10:19 PM

oh wow, thats just wow.

i want a rwd sundance too!

20w/ashelby

07-04-2007, 12:05 AM

The daytona I saw used stock mounts beefed up a bit. he also ran leaf spring.

You might as well go all out and go IRS.

Aries_Turbo

07-04-2007, 01:18 AM

a rear end can use the factory mounts but id do quite a bit of beefing to them. they werent designed for drive loads as well as suspension loads. you would then have to use a panhard rod or something like that to locate the axle from side to side or a watts linkage or something. youll need something to control axle wrap as well like a 4 link setup or something. i wouldnt bother with leafs and their inherent problems.

i myself would do thunderbird IRS. like supercoupe era stuff.

Brian

GLHS592

07-04-2007, 08:57 AM

i myself would do thunderbird IRS. like supercoupe era stuff.

I've thought about using a Ford Fox body type setup and maybe using Fox body parts.

Aries_Turbo

07-04-2007, 12:42 PM

ford fox body stuff isnt the best as the setup has alot of bind in it stock. if you are going to go to that trouble do a heim jointed 4 link. the ford is a 4 link but it needs modification to be good. the outer links would go under the axle and to the stock locations. the upper links would angle in or out to a mounting point that you would have to fabricate but then you dont need a panhard rod cause the angles and the solid heim joints eliminate side to side movement. so basically it would be like the fox body stuff but with heim joints to remove the problems that it has stock with side to side movement (soft bushings) and bind as long as your heim joints have enough angular movement.

http://www.miracerros.com/mustang/t_rear_control_arms.jpg

this doesnt look too bad if all those links are heim jointed.

Brian

Aries_Turbo

07-04-2007, 12:49 PM

heres what id love to have!

http://parts.factoryfive.com/newcatalog/chassis/pictures/irs.jpg

http://parts.factoryfive.com/newcatalog/chassis/irs.htm

uses all the t-bird IRS stuff. :)

Brian

Frank

07-04-2007, 12:54 PM

What is the wheelbase comparison? You could almost add on to that section of the frame and weld it right into the car as bought from FFR.

shelby zed

07-04-2007, 12:58 PM

that thing is wicked, im inspired

ShelbyTurbo

07-04-2007, 01:09 PM

For a rear-wheel drive TD I've always thought of putting a 2.4 with the RWD 6speed out of a jeep into a Conquest.

But thats if I had unlimited time/funds.

shelby zed

07-04-2007, 01:44 PM

my uncle and i have a 60 something sunbeam that were putting the 2.4 from an srt 4 with a 6 speed and a 9 inch rear end in, should be quite fun with the stage 3 in there ;)

Aries_Turbo

07-04-2007, 10:07 PM

What is the wheelbase comparison? You could almost add on to that section of the frame and weld it right into the car as bought from FFR.

57.2 for a shadow vs 60.2 for a t-bird. so 1.5" per side wider. roll the fenders and youll be close. could section the fenders and make a widebody. charger/omni youll definitely have to do that or get shorter halfshafts and cut down the middle of that setup.

Im going to keep that t-bird stuff on the back burner for a little bit. it looks pretty compact enough that it should be do-able. I would cut the rear suspension out of a car with sawzalls and bring it home and make a jig that catches all the mount points and make a simple frame thats 3" narrower that I can easily weld into the chassis while doing some key reinforcements like tying the front "rails" into this suspension subframe and the rear "rails". then get the half shafts shortened by 1.5" each and then be all set.

I need to get a chop saw and a tubing notcher now. :)

Brian

Dusty_Duster

07-05-2007, 08:06 AM

Personally, if I'm going through the trouble to convert a P-body to rear-wheel drive, I'm putting a 426 Hemi under the hood.

Frank

07-05-2007, 08:54 AM

My thought would be to put a small block mopar v8 with twin turbos and a corvette transmission in the rear of the car.... can you say a fast, well balanced, short wheel-base shadow.

BIGBRUDDA

07-05-2007, 09:47 AM

Dream project car::evil:
89 Daytona Shelby body, slammed in the weeds;)
Back-half it,tub it:confused:
Transplant drive train and suspension from an SRT under the hatch/ with a built 2.4:wow1:
Engine bay now houses monster IC and fuel cell. :nod:
You now have a Rear Eng/rear drive, 4wheel independant,"super street" Daytona.:number1:
Oh "flame thrower "exhaust to boot............ooh ooh wheelie bars too!:eyebrows:

SL#189

07-05-2007, 12:17 PM

heres what id love to have!

http://parts.factoryfive.com/newcatalog/chassis/pictures/irs.jpg

http://parts.factoryfive.com/newcatalog/chassis/irs.htm

uses all the t-bird IRS stuff. :)

Brian

I've seen a similar setup for a V8 conversion in a Miata - using t-bird parts in the Miata factory hangers...

GLHS592

07-05-2007, 12:46 PM

Personally, if I'm going through the trouble to convert a P-body to rear-wheel drive, I'm putting a 426 Hemi under the hood.

If I'm going to put a 426 Hemi in a car, I wouldn't be putting it in some $150 front drive Mopar that's been converted to rear wheel drive. :)

Pandemoniac

07-05-2007, 09:40 PM

Aww, c'mon! you can get a 426 dirt cheap for your beater project! ;)

GLHS592

07-05-2007, 09:43 PM

I've decided to keep my car like it is. However, I am in the market for a 2 door L-body roller and a 2.4 liter.

Also, does anybody know if there is a 2.4 liter to 727/904 torqueflite adapter available anywhere?

TurboGLH

07-05-2007, 10:13 PM

Yeah keep the charger in one peice and find another car like a rampage or something:D

I think that cutting up the charger would be a shame.

With the amount of work that would be required, it would be better to start with another shell and work from there instead of cutting up a very nice looking and running car.

Other than that, I think a RWD l-body is a banging idea.

Aries_Turbo

07-09-2007, 10:02 PM

uh oh (insert evil grin) I just got the entire rear half of a t-bird SC for FREE!!!!!! it has 60k on it but the body is pretty beat and the guy just wants the engine and trans. :) it is a few hundred yards from my house at a guys shop down the road. heres the crazy part (other than the free) is that I stopped cause he had a 60gal air compressor at the end of the driveway like for at the trash so I stopped to look at that and he said I could have it cause the pump is bad (stupid craftsman oil less air compressors) and i also snatched 85 ft of 20A Hubbell plugstrip. 5 foot sections with 10 individual outlets each. it was in the trash too. so then after grabbing that and noticing that he had 2 t-bird sc's I asked if he knew where to get a cheap t-bird IRS setup and:

he said - "well that car there is going to the junkyard after I pull the engine and trans"
me - "how long before it goes?"
him - "oh you got time lol"
me - "sweet.... so do you care how the car goes to the JY?"
him - "nope"
me - "so can I chop up the rear with a sawzall and take it home?"
him - "yup"

so I left to drop the compressor off at the house and the plugstrip (which I gave almost half to my buddy brian for his garage... i mean, I still have 45 ft! lol.

So to the net I go to find a bellhousing and a R154 trans. :) wish me luck. So the next RWD TD might just be a k car lol.

heres the bad news. I need cash so I have to sell a car. The car that will probably go up for sale is the V6 Kcar.... which makes me sad cause I just went for a drive in it tonight. so smooth. so nice to drive. (Frank? wanna buy it? ;) I'll fix the tiny bit of rust first! :))

Brian

azkcar135

07-09-2007, 11:21 PM

sounds like a nice set up! i was watching stacey david's new show gearz where they put that rear end in a miata v8 swap they say it will hold up to almost anything! can't wait to see some progress!!!!

would anything from a conquest work?

Ondonti

07-10-2007, 01:11 AM

so nobody wants to use that rwd kit that someone is still making (isnt exactly complete but...). There was a thread about it not to long ago.
My transmission choices are not so great RWD wise but if I try some weird awd stuff (not chrysler drivetrain) I still need to set up the rear end.

GLHS592

07-10-2007, 07:33 AM

so nobody wants to use that rwd kit that someone is still making (isnt exactly complete but...). There was a thread about it not to long ago.

What kit? Are you talking about the Mopar Performance kit? I thought it was discontinued many moons ago.

87csx2.4

07-10-2007, 10:34 AM

Also, does anybody know if there is a 2.4 liter to 727/904 torqueflite adapter available anywhere?
Hey kev that guy Anthony on turbododge.com with the 2.4 turbo colt had one made, I know because I talked to him about it quite a while ago.

Aries_Turbo

07-10-2007, 11:45 AM

i think brent is talking about that kit from that company in PA.... its for a V8, has a custom K frame and stuff and is kinda expensive. I mean i will have to spend some money but im going to be making ALOT of stuff myself and I got the rear setup for free.

Now the thing I have to decide now is do I narrow the entire rear setup or do I make the fenders wider in the rear. it is 3" wider.

Brian

Dusty_Duster

07-10-2007, 02:13 PM

Widebody all tha way. :)

Turbodave

07-10-2007, 03:59 PM

Widebody K-car would be so cool!

Aries_Turbo

07-10-2007, 04:15 PM

yeah it would be cool but its alot of bodywork that i suck at and have little patience for. I mean I wouldnt just throw on some flares. Id cut strips up the fenders and move the whole fender out and reweld it back together. I may be able to be a slacker and just get a wheel that has a different offset and just roll the lip. we'll see when this project gets underway.

I gotta fix the wifes car, get my daytona running well and fix the muffler on my tracker before I go all gung ho on this. but I am gathering parts right now. :)

Brian

GLHS592

07-10-2007, 05:05 PM

Hey kev that guy Anthony on turbododge.com with the 2.4 turbo colt had one made, I know because I talked to him about it quite a while ago.

Would he have more made?

Frank

07-10-2007, 09:59 PM

slasky

07-10-2007, 11:07 PM

larry makes it look easy but he is truly a master fabricator. I would venture to say that 99.99999% of people that seriously wanted to make a fwd mopar a rwd never get it done. It is a huge task and takes some serious skill. Larry is a great guy, really knows his stuff, and is extremely modest too. I really enjoyed talking with him at SDAC 15 and 17.

Pandemoniac

07-11-2007, 12:03 AM

Brian, is this rear end setup an independent or a solid rear axle? If it's a solid I think the cost of having a rear narrowed isn't as bad as you may think, my dad is a cheap-@ss when it comes to spending cash on a project car but i never heard him whine about price when he had a dana-44 posi rear narrowed to fit in his turbo buick powered opel GT... I'll have to ask him how much it cost.

Not narrowed I'm sure the car would handle good, but IMO big fender flares look like crap.

Ondonti

07-11-2007, 02:25 AM

http://www.exlinecustomauto.com/Daytona.htm

Here is the kit. There was a thread about it before. I dont know how "crappy" it is but Im guessing for an AWD setup you would only be putting half the power through the rear.

Aries_Turbo

07-11-2007, 02:24 PM

its independant

WickedShelby88

07-18-2007, 01:35 PM

I have to agree with you Slasky. Most people never get it done and it really does take a lot of work and planning or at least excellent fab skills. I was really thinking hard of doing the same to my rusted t-top 88 shelby Z but I lost my space and had to get rid of the car. I saw a V8 powered RWD baron at the belvidere mopar happening here in IL and I think a baron would be a good candidate.

Ondonti

08-16-2010, 11:45 PM

im also planning to install spark plug wires, distributor and big-block power which i can able to convert to rear-wheel drive on my dodge vehicle.
____________________________
cool dodge wheels (http://www.autopartsdeal.com/dodge/wheels.html)

Is this a real account? I looked at the other 2 posts it has and they sorta make sense but this one does not since the other 2 posts claim owning a dakota.

All the threads are old threads.
Born January 1st.

ShadowFromHell

08-17-2010, 09:33 PM

You know just a thought... But I am a lurker on alot of hot-rod boards. I really want a hot rod.... Anyways, I've done a little reasarch on jag IRS, and it seems to be the simplist to mount and narrow out there. You can get a entire car for about 500 bucks if you do some looking. Dana 44 center section, large INBOARD discs... Just a thought.

Aries_Turbo

08-17-2010, 10:05 PM

how strong is a dana 44?

i was considering a T-bird IRS setup and the diff is a ford 8.8. is it as strong as that?

brian

ShadowFromHell

08-17-2010, 10:39 PM

In the off-road world, just as strong. If one will hold up to the abuse I put my Jeep through, I would thing it would be fine in a light car. The aftermarket for a 44 is probably much larger/cheaper then a 8.8. Gears, posi's, lockers, and spools are all over. I would say its the SBC of 4wd axles..

fishcleaner

08-17-2010, 11:00 PM

the rear subframe from the new Charger looks like a nice package to bolt in, 4 mounting points supporting all the suspension, but I'm sure there will be some cutting and welding involved.

BTW, I just started helping a buddy with a RWD Daytona project (race car). I will try to do updates here but the whole build will be documented on this site
www.crazy4carz.com pics are in the gallery and thread for the project is here.
http://www.crazy4carz.com/forumframe9.php its under the street rod and hot rod title, look for the "new project" thread