Here is a summary of the other conversions I have done:
Engine conversion summary
1. I put an Audi 4000 engine in the back seat of a VW Bug. It drove and shifted great.
2. I made a Mazda Rotary pickup into a 4x4 with an International Pickup frame and running gear and a Ford 302.
3. For six years I drove a 1983 Mitsubishi pickup into which I had installed three different Ford small blocks. When I sold it it had a 5.0 EFI HO motor, four wheel disc brakes, Mustang R&P steering, R134 AC, etc. I did it all of this for less than $2500.
4. During the summer and early Fall of 2002 I took a 1981 Mercedes 300TD station wagon and converted it into a 4x4. I removed the MB suspension front and rear, then put the body on a 1984 Nissan King Cab 4x4 frame. These trucks had a little divorced transfer case and a wheel base that is about 3/8” longer than the MB w123 chassis. I used the MB engine and tranny and made a short coupler drive shaft using a Nissan CV joint on one end and a Nissan u joint on the other. One of the big challenges in this project was raising the transfer case about 3” above where it normally mounts in the Nissan frame to get the coupler drive shaft angle to virtually zero. This also necessitated significantly modifying the MB floor and narrowing the seat tracks. However, the only visiible clue in the interior is the transfer case shifter. Outside, however, it looks very unique, with about the same overall presence as a lifted Cherokee. I have put over 20K miles on the conversion so far. It works great in the snow. It gets 21 mpg after adjusting for the speedometer error of about 8%. It rides on 265/75/15 tires (roughly 31’s). I have less than $2K in the project including the initial cost of the car at this point. It gets lots of looks and inquiries.
5. From 2001-2003 I worked on putting a 2.3 Turbo Ford 4 cylinder from a Thunderbird Turbo Coupe. This engine was only used for rwd cars by Ford but I found that it bolts right up to a late 80's Escort transaxle. The engine is therefor mounted transversely. The coolant goes through the roll cage to get to the front mount twin fan radiator. There is a fan on the rear trunk lid to cool the intercooler. The engine puts out around 200 Rwhp and gets about 27 mpg. The car has 5 lug 16" fuchs alloys, 911 front end, Bilsteins, etc.
6. In 2004 I built a four wheel drive 1974 Honda civic by welding its body onto a shortened 1989 Honda Civic Real Time 4x4 floorpan. The car has 16" Motegis, cold air intake, B16A6, factory AC, cruise control, Carrado rotors up front, civic wagon front rotors in the rear with Prelude gen II rear calipers. The car gets 27 mpg and is about to face its first winter as of this writing.
I have additional info and pics of some of these if you are interested.
