ive seen the topic of AWD brought up along with swapping with a RA or outlander AWD. but i dont think ive seen the concept of a RWD lancer. i dont know much when it comes to the technical aspect of the driveterrain like that but im just curious. would it be easier to turn a FWD car to RWD? or would it probably cost the same or more turning it to AWD?

discuss.

 

From my experiences, rear wheel drive vehicles tend to actually have power ie...Mustang, Charger, Challenger, Corvette. I think the front wheel drive works better with the smaller displacement engines; you are pulling the car with the front tires, rather then pushing all that weight with the rear ones. That is just my 2 cents. I am by no means a technical mechanic or anything, but this just seems logical. I am sure someone with the knowledge would be able to better explain why one rather then the other. I do know for a fact though, that when I lived up North........a front wheel drive vehicle will get you through a snow storm any day before a rear wheel drive with 350 HP will!

 

I'm currently converting my lancer to rwd. I'm using the outlander awd rear end. Custom driveshaft to a supra tranny with custom bellhousing mounted to a 4g63.

Should be a fun drifter. Plan right now is to keep the power minimal around 250 or so feel things out. Then upgrade the turbo and rear differential with a kazz unit + driveshaft shop axles and shoot for 500+

The part about costing the same between rwd and awd is wrong.

Not worrying about the rear end right now think about this...

You can get a whole 1g dsm for $500 around here and swap that in only needing to alter the engine mounts mainly. you obviously have to consider wiring and whatnot but its not that bad.

now if your going rwd, you now have to cut into the firewall plus chassis to accommodate the tranny. Your going to have to do something custom to the front cross member since the center will need to be cut out. Also now you have a problem since your steering rack is also in the way so good luck modifying a custom rack to fit.

Then your building custom engine mounts, cooling system, probably modifying the intake manifold ect ect ect....

And thats only what I can quickly think of off the top of my head...

Its not the same by any means... or easy lol

 

^ Sounds like a lot of work for a drifter. Why not just get a late model 350-Z and forget all the hassle and $$$$ ? Maybe you like working in the garage and inventing something original?

 

Ummm....you don't need power to be RWD, just look at the Miata. What the hell is this obsession with essentially turning a car into another car? If you want a RWD platform, buy a RWD platform. Turning a FWD car into a RWD or AWD car will be extremely expensive, especially if it's a new or uncommon platform. It's never cheap to be a trailblazer (just ask the first people to do motor swaps).
Turbotime, I'm curious, if you're using the 4G63, why are you only shooting for 250 HP? Also, why use a Supra transmission rather than an Evo transmission?

 

Gotta give you props: You brought up valid points, and you know your stuff!

 

well whats the stock 4g63 rated at? 210 hp? I'm going with a 16g for starters and upgrading as I go.
I've never drifted anything other then a few 240's so I dont want to kill myself. Also gives me time to tune with the ems
I'm using the supra tranny because I'm mounting the ending logitudinally.
Not sure if you can use the evo tranny and just remove the front axles but I didn't want to test it just driving the rear. Plus if I'm grenading evo trannys thats like at least a grand a tranny+ t case if I blow that.. vs. the supra ones which are 500ish or less.

 

Which 4G63, NA or turboed (as in the Evo)? Turboed it's around 290 HP.

 

turbo'd as in 1g dsm 6 bolt 4g63

 

It should have more than 210 HP or at least be capable of that easily if it's the same as the Evo 4G63.

 

well keep in mind the evo 4g63 has bigger turbo.. what is it the 20g? the old 4g63's had 14b's lol.. also I think the injectors are bigger on the evo...
Anyhow at the end of the day the engine will be rebuilt to hold higher hp anyway.
Like I said, start off small, give it a few months and start installing at the indestructible parts lol

 

It's not a 20G, I believe it's a large 16G.

 

well then I may be making almost 300 then lol

regardless to the OP, its not worth it to do either really.

 

That's a crazy amount of work to RWD a FWD platform... But I guess if you have the money and want something that different than I have to give you some props. I wouldn't ever try something this crazy but I can understand why you want it. I always thought it would be fun to have a f20c civic coupe... Just don't want to spend that sorta money to eventually destroy it in a drift. Good luck dude, and if you pull it off than you deserve mad props.

 

Any pics