• Registered: 2009-07-19
  • Posts: 1,585

Topic: Unusual Power Train Swap Question.

I've got a crapload of Honda Civic powertrains and know how to work on them. I put a Civic subframe in the back of my Opel Kadett wagon, looking to make a mid-engine Honda-powered Kadett, and was looking for where to tie the UCA and shock top mounts to, maybe something off of the big fat Opel rear frame rails, but then I thought why not just pull the Honda subframe back out and weld a tube frame to bolt to the Honda subframe that the UCAs and shocks would bolt to, then bolt that to the existing Honda subframe and have a nice standalone powertrain that I could put in anything, even my Trabant. It would be a hell of a lot easier to get it all lined up right that way as well.

I've never done this before, but I know that a lot of the rest of you have, so does that make any sense?

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  • From: Portlandia
  • Registered: 2014-08-08
  • Posts: 1,035

Re: Unusual Power Train Swap Question.

Mustang II is self-enclosed and twelve billion hot-rodders can't be wrong.

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  • From: Cleveland, OH
  • Registered: 2011-09-03
  • Posts: 2,227

Re: Unusual Power Train Swap Question.

I think the problem would be in accommodating the power module. There still would be a lot of per-chassis problem solving making room for the module. You would have to build a set of trunnions into the car in a way that would take all the forces of the module.

You wouldn't lose your drivetrain setup, Shocks and control arms and such all stay in the same spot, but you may not necessarily save any time in the build.

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  • From: Portlandia
  • Registered: 2014-08-08
  • Posts: 1,035

Re: Unusual Power Train Swap Question.

I'm building a subframe for the Jagvair 2.0 to replace the one from Jaguar. I might be able to incorporate the upper shock mounts, but it might be easier to just fab mounts in the inner fender wells. Will share CAD models as soon as possible.

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  • From: Berkeley, CA
  • Registered: 2015-07-09
  • Posts: 128

Re: Unusual Power Train Swap Question.

Palletize that.
Would be doubley fun to do double civic duty in the LeCar on the other page.

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  • Registered: 2009-07-19
  • Posts: 1,585

Re: Unusual Power Train Swap Question.

So I'll keep the Honda subframe because it is a big sturdy base, build a tube frame to hold the UCAs and upper shock mounts to, then bond it to whatever frame rails are sticking out of the unibody. The Kadett wagon has a lot of room in the back, which should make this easier, but if I get this working, then I could probably use something like this in my Trabant as well.

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  • From: South of Chicago
  • Registered: 2011-11-26
  • Posts: 750

Re: Unusual Power Train Swap Question.

I would add on to the stock Honda sub-frame for mounts for the shocks and UCA's. That way it's all self contained and can be removed by just removing the sub-frame to uni-body  attaching bolts.

  • From: Charleston
  • Registered: 2010-08-10
  • Posts: 1,030

Re: Unusual Power Train Swap Question.

And when you are done, I want to take measurements of the tube frame.  Because reasons.

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  • Registered: 2009-07-19
  • Posts: 1,585

Re: Unusual Power Train Swap Question.

jimbbski wrote:

I would add on to the stock Honda sub-frame for mounts for the shocks and UCA's. That way it's all self contained and can be removed by just removing the sub-frame to uni-body  attaching bolts.

That's what I was thinking, make some mounting rails out of c-channnel for each chassis and just bolt the OEM Honda sub-frame to them. run some fuel to it and plug in an ECU and go.

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  • Registered: 2009-07-19
  • Posts: 1,585

Re: Unusual Power Train Swap Question.

solman244 wrote:

And when you are done, I want to take measurements of the tube frame.  Because reasons.

I'll let you know. I'm in Europe/Asia for another month and a half working, but I figure I'll get started on this when I get back. I've got a big pile of leftover cage tubing from putting a roll bar in the Targa car. I figure I can eyeball it, maybe just a little positive caster, and slap it together in a couple of days. I figure we'll win C soon in Smoky and Sparky is probably going to be a once-a-year racer at fall CMP, so I should start on something. There is also a pretty sweet Towncar Limo on CL, but the Opel has been sitting next to my refrigerator for seven years now, so it's probably time to either get it sorted and racing or scrapped.


Of course once I have it fabbed up for an D-series on an EG subframe, I can put whatever I want in there using a set of EG/DC mounts, so maybe after we get the bugs worked out we'll K-swap it, then move it to the Trabant and make the ultimate track monster.

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  • Registered: 2017-02-22
  • Posts: 221

Re: Unusual Power Train Swap Question.

Mount that ECU to the whole shebang.

Then you could drive it without any chassis.

Just sit on top and go!

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  • Registered: 2009-07-19
  • Posts: 1,585

Re: Unusual Power Train Swap Question.

I'd thought of building a sulky for it.

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