Quote:
Originally Posted by Old Crow
Martin, did you spend a couple of weekends in Humboldt county before you started that project? How'd it handle in the wet?
Hey, I've seen a Corvaire with a Corvette C5 or C6 drivetrain. Saw a Pinto wagon with a 350 SBC in the back seat and I've even seen a VW Beetle(old school)with a 454 BBC in the front that you drove from the back seat. Why not a mid engine AD?
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It didn't handle any better I don't believe, but it didn't handle any worse.
You can see the oil pan down below the cab in this photo. I drove it like this just once, then hung all the sheetmetal on it. This was in 1979.
I didn't put it there because of the steering box, moving it would have been a lot easier than what I did. But as I was fitting the motor up front I even had moved the box. I had an extra frame and I cut the section off the frame that the box bolts to. I tack welded it to the side of the frame to move the box out the perfect amount. I was ready to do it when my brother said "How about if you move the motor back to clear the box" and we thought, well, if we move it back 18 inches the it's like a dog house in a van and taking all the foot room, why not just move it back a few feet and get it completely out of the way? LOL And thus the mid engine AD was born. And by the way that "AD" term wasn't used, it was just an old Chevy pickup. Remember, when I did this the truck was as old as an '85 Chevy pickup is today!
But there was a '55 F-100 in town as a kid (it had since been totaled) that had a mid-engine, yes I was a copy cat. But I always dug the idea since seeing it at 13.
But it worked out fine, drove it thousands of miles, it was my only transportation and it performed perfectly for me. At the drags it hooked up big time with that weight transfer, dropping the tire pressure down a bit I got zero wheel spin.
I did have to take the second turn out road that the top fuelers took though. LOL At almost 100 mph at the traps I couldn't get it slowed down enough to take the first one without ending up on my roof I would imagine. LOL But that is one of my points, you drive it a little different.
This is how it looked finished. Yes the carb was right between the seats.
That was with all the stock drum brakes and all. It had a 12 bolt '67 Camaro rear end.
I can't emphasize enough, is something like this for everyone, heck no. But this whole "Can't be driven on modern highways with stock suspension" is BS it is out and out BS. It is all in HOW you drive it. You don't go slower, you don't hold back traffic, you don't take longer to get there, none of that crap. You simply leave more room and drive with traffic. I drive a friggin 1959 Rambler American every single day to work and about, every single day, with a little flat head 196 CID motor and tiny 9x1 drum brakes. I do it every single day, it's all in your expectations and your willingness to not drive like a fool.
Brian