1971 corvette beetle

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'07 Yukon 2500
'13 Subaru Outback 3.6R
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Currently Benzless
Formerly: 300TD, S600, E55, 560SEL

---= The forest breathes, listen.
-Native American elder

That is a situation begging for a mid engine placement. I suspect I could pick up the front end with one hand!

A local fellow built a mod car for autocross last winter, using a vw beetle and a subaru turbo engine mounted behind the rear axle. He has trouble keeping the front wheels on the ground coming out of corners and off the line and has trouble getting it to turn. I would have told him to mount the motor amidships but he did not ask my opinion. Its too bad because his workmanship is very very nice. The weight distribution is just too far off to work as a race car.

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

Interesting coincidence. I saw one right here locally the other day. I had no camera but would've loved to have a shot of it. Super paint, high end wheels and interior. The motor on the one I saw appeared to stick quite a bit further back and the front end looked like it was just dying to lift off the ground. First thought was "if that's not the dumbest thing I ever saw I don't know what is..."

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84 Euro 240D 4spd. 220.5k sold
04 Honda Element AWD
1985 F150 XLT 4x4, 351W with 270k miles, hay hauler
1997 Suzuki Sidekick 4x4
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Google "trailing throttle oversteer"

I recall seeing ads back in the Seventies for kits which allowed mid-engine installation of V8's into VW Beetles. The back seats were yanked out, and the engine was encapsulated in a fiberglass box with a removable lid. I keep thinking that an Eldorado or Toronado transaxle was part of the setup, but I'm not certain.

yes, and corvair mid engine kits were fairly common too. I remember seeing a toronado drive train in the back of a porsche 911 or 912. Thats just crazy!

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

Man, looks dangerous as hell but I'd love to beat on that thing for a day or two!

Paul Newman had a sweet mid-engine V8 (351 I believe) bug convertible. I suspect when you build with money-no-object, it probably handled quite well.

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1980 300TD-China Blue/Blue MBTex-2nd Owner, 107K (Alt Blau) OBK #15
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HOLY cow!



That's crazy. It looks like he has some sort of weight on the front end... is that a fuel tank or what?



Those headlights are weird, too...



...as do the bunny floor mats.

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1982 300SD -- 211k, Texas car, tranny issues ____ 1979 240D 4-speed 234k -- turbo and tuned IP, third world taxi hot rod

2 Samuel 12:13: "David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” And Nathan said to David, “The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die."

Yes it is, and having the gas tank double as the front bumper speaks volumes about efficiency in design...

Very cool ,just imagine the hp to weight ratio.Bug events were big at the baytown track here in the Houston area, fast vintage beetles would burn up the track setting really low qrt runs, if youve never seen one setup as a pure track car your in for a big surprise.