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Rear engined MX3

Posted: September 30th, 2006, 2:57 pm
by Big G
I was wondering if there has ever been a rear (mid) engined MX3??

I heard of rear wheel drive models where people have spun the block and mated Ford boxes and rear diff but never of anone putting one in the boot.

Anyone know if its been done yet?

Posted: September 30th, 2006, 4:00 pm
by JWMX3
the only rear mounted ZE ive seen was in that older v-dub beetle

but as far as mx3s, i dont think its been attempted

Posted: September 30th, 2006, 5:18 pm
by Big G
Always good to hear :D

Well its about to be attempted :lol: :lol: just thought I'd check to see of there was any info about already or if it'll all be custom

Should be an interesting project to get our teeth into :twisted:

Posted: September 30th, 2006, 5:23 pm
by mitmaks
save your money and buy MR-2

Posted: September 30th, 2006, 5:35 pm
by hgallegos915
Theres that k series bus somewhere in brazil or i dont know where.. hes got the k8 tho :shrug:

Posted: September 30th, 2006, 9:14 pm
by Cy
If you built the subframe in the car.. the rear end is spacious enough to house the motor.

It's completely possible and with enough skilled metal work, Doable...
The process would actually be quite simple after you get the logistics of routing controls and cooling the motor..

If you used the motor you had in your car now...give it 10000... Then motor swap a Rotary

Posted: September 30th, 2006, 10:30 pm
by sampsonmx3sv
It would be an iteresting concept if you can pull it off.Good luck.

Posted: October 1st, 2006, 5:21 am
by Big G
MITMAKS - "save your money and buy MR-2" :lol: I already have one!! and a GTO TT, S14, two S13's and a Civic :D

CY - Now this is what we thought, The MX is free from a customer though is a little knackered to be honest but a good basis as a technical excersise and to make road worthy again.
Nice to know there someone else with the same line of though out there :!:



We don't actually have the MX3 hear yet gotta pick it up in the next couple of weeks so does anyone (assume so!) know if the MX3 has a front subframe or is the engine/suspension attached to the chassis??

Posted: October 1st, 2006, 1:51 pm
by Yoda
Sound like a Ford Fiesta that I build back in the early 80's where a Olds 425 from a '67 Toronado was installed in the hatch. Not very practical.... wheelie bars and ear protection were a must.

I've seen a similar installs in VW Golf with VR6 (note: original VR6 is still in front.)
Cy wrote:If you built the subframe in the car.. the rear end is spacious enough to house the motor.

It's completely possible and with enough skilled metal work, Doable...
The process would actually be quite simple after you get the logistics of routing controls and cooling the motor..

If you used the motor you had in your car now...give it 10000... Then motor swap a Rotary

Posted: October 2nd, 2006, 12:03 am
by Nd4SpdSe
Yoda wrote:Sound like a Ford Fiesta that I build back in the early 80's where a Olds 425 from a '67 Toronado was installed in the hatch. Not very practical.... wheelie bars and ear protection were a must.
[/quote]
Ever hear of the limited edition Ford Festiva Shogun?
Yoda wrote: If you used the motor you had in your car now...give it 10000... Then motor swap a Rotary
[/quote]

rotary isn't the be all end all. Some people like all motor setups, and the nice low-tq of a v6. Hey, a guy put a KL into a Miata. I'm sure a rotary woulf of been much mcuh easier, but it all comes down to what you want in the end.

Posted: October 2nd, 2006, 11:02 am
by Big G
Agreed, personal taste is what makes the world go round at the end of the day.

Rotary's are great engines though sometimes hard to work on to be honest and can be very very expensive to modify once certain limits have been reached.

V design engines give great torque and overall power without having to go milesinto the rev range alike honda's, this is probably the reason maufacturers are making a move back to V6 engines for perfomance.

Posted: October 2nd, 2006, 1:51 pm
by projectmx
sounds like a sweet project... and don't listen to the people bugging you about it... when i first started asking about doing an AWD swap before anyone else attempted it i got laughed at and told it couldn't be done... now i'm almost done with mine and one other person already has one (he had more time and money than me so it is taking me longer but i'll have it done soon)

Posted: October 2nd, 2006, 2:10 pm
by Cy
projectmx wrote:sounds like a sweet project... and don't listen to the people bugging you about it... when i first started asking about doing an AWD swap before anyone else attempted it i got laughed at and told it couldn't be done... now i'm almost done with mine and one other person already has one (he had more time and money than me so it is taking me longer but i'll have it done soon)
Nobody's razzing him.. Buy all means DO IT UP.... All the people in my town ask why I baught a mazda and not a civic.... They all own civics....

Posted: October 2nd, 2006, 2:26 pm
by Big G
No one has flamed me for it................. yet :?

Though I have been told it can't be done, but to be fair the person saying it can't be done is always overshadowed by the person that just did it 8)

only thing I'm taking abit of heat on is the fact we're working with the K8 not the ZE, baseline is that we have the 1.8 here and would have to buy a 2.5 in so 1.8 it is !!!!!

Money will always be an issue some have it some don't.

How did the all wheel conversion go?? is it based on the 323 turbo 4x4 setup by chance?

Everyone seems to either have owned or currently own a civic, they are good cars in defense of the fact I have one!! But always sad to have to follow the crowd :wink:

Posted: October 2nd, 2006, 4:01 pm
by mr1in6billion
Big G wrote:Only thing I'm taking abit of heat on is the fact we're working with the K8 not the ZE, baseline is that we have the 1.8 here and would have to buy a 2.5 in so 1.8 it is !!!!!

Money will always be an issue some have it some don't.
Wait!? Your planning to spend all this money messing up the weight distribution and just for the sake of doing something that noones done?!? At least make it worth while. The cost of fabrication and custom parts will horribly overshadow the cost of the engine itself. Shell out the dough and stick some fat a-- engine back there.