Converting a hot hatch to RWD

[Taskedo]

Maybe I'm prejudiced against Volvos, this just made me giggle:

[TallPaul]

You can buy a Ford approved RWD kit for the Focus, to accept a V8!

[havoc]

thinfourth2 said:

RWD has its place but it isn't in hatchbacks.

Disagree - even the (comparatively ancient) Lotus Sunbeam and Chevette HS are good fun to pedal, albeit rather feeling their age.

Hatchbacks became fwd ~30 years ago due to cost/packaging - it was cheaper to produce a fwd car with more practicality than a rwd car, and hatchbacks are near the bottom of the automotive food chain. So manufacturers did, and then tried to tell us the cars were better*.


That said, I agree with other posters - unless you've got a big budget and a real soft-spot for a certain car, you'll get better results for your money by buying something already rwd. Or taking a good fwd car and tweaking the handling to your taste.



* Mk2 vs Mk3 Escort?

[pbirkett]

poo at Paul's said:

pbirkett said:

Clio V6... job done

Look great, sound great and a great idea......but mine drove disappointingly. A 182 was a far quicker machine in the real world.

True, but it does what he asked

Me, I just spent money on an MX5 first, then a 328i after... as far as I'm concerned, who needs a hot hatch?

[Superhoop]

If you fancy a rear wheel drive hatchback, then get yourself over to the Passion Ford forum, and have a look at the restorations and projects forum.....

A couple of Focus' (Focaii??) a Puma and a KA, all converted to RWD with Cossie power

[Taskedo]

Superhoop said:

If you fancy a rear wheel drive hatchback, then get yourself over to the Passion Ford forum, and have a look at the restorations and projects forum.....

A couple of Focus' (Focaii??) a Puma and a KA, all converted to RWD with Cossie power

I have looked at and like these a lot. That said, the Pumaspeed 4wd Puma with Cossie power is just mental. The official Ford Focus V8 from a few years back was great - there was a guy in the UK doing an estate version.

[Adam205]

Go ahead and do it! It'll be great fun!

But as previously said, you'll essentially be developing a completely new car and have all the issues associated with it.... shell stiffness, suspension suspension design and (unfortunately) IVA.

It has been done many times in the rally world, have a look around for inspiration.

[shovelheadrob]

There is only this one on fleabay at the moment http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/SHP-206-CC-NATIONAL-OUTLAW-H... but I believe it is a class that runs RWD converted hot hatches, there used to be a road legal Starlet around here driven by an ex hotrod driver, would suprise the hell out of most performance cars of the day. Not a cheap car to build but if thats what rocks your boat & you've got the bucks go for it.

[CDP]

How about removing the front driveshafts from a Golf 4 Motion?

[rigga]

Must admit ive been looking at the Golf running a Hayabusa engine on youtube the other day ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUH8S5wvK0M
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Xdks-j3yt0

Bonkers if a litttle exreme

[Taskedo]

CDP said:

How about removing the front driveshafts from a Golf 4 Motion?

That's a great idea but I once had a V5 and just hated the way it drove, very understeery and it had a generally disconnected feel to it.

[EDLT]

shovelheadrob said:

There is only this one on fleabay at the moment http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/SHP-206-CC-NATIONAL-OUTLAW-H... but I believe it is a class that runs RWD converted hot hatches, there used to be a road legal Starlet around here driven by an ex hotrod driver, would suprise the hell out of most performance cars of the day. Not a cheap car to build but if thats what rocks your boat & you've got the bucks go for it.

Thats just a spaceframe chassis with 206 bodywork attached.

See here:
http://nationalhotrod.com/html/anatomy_of_a_hot_ro...

[Adz The Rat]

Ive driven a stripped out Escort Cosworth converted to RWD and it was brilliant fun!
Very easy to flick the back round on corners and surprisinly easy to control the slide.

[DanGPR]

There is at least 1 EG shape civic hatch that is FR configuration

I think it would be a fun project, but wouldn't actually be that good to drive in the end... Very snappy once you start breaking traction I would have thought.

Easiest way would be to get a 4WD hatch and get rid of the front diff if you weren't massively concerned about how long it lasted.

[DanGPR]

There is at least 1 EG shape civic hatch that is FR configuration

I think it would be a fun project, but wouldn't actually be that good to drive in the end... Very snappy once you start breaking traction I would have thought.

Easiest way would be to get a 4WD hatch and get rid of the front diff if you weren't massively concerned about how long it lasted.

[DanGPR]

There is at least 1 EG shape civic hatch that is FR configuration

I think it would be a fun project, but wouldn't actually be that good to drive in the end... Very snappy once you start breaking traction I would have thought.

Easiest way would be to get a 4WD hatch and get rid of the front diff if you weren't massively concerned about how long it lasted.

[TallPaul]

doogz said:

DanGPR said:

Easiest way would be to get a 4WD hatch and get rid of the front diff if you weren't massively concerned about how long it lasted.

Like what though?

Sunny/Pulsar GTR. Hardly modern though.

[CDP]

doogz said:

CDP said:

How about removing the front driveshafts from a Golf 4 Motion?

Wouldn't that just empty the gearbox of all oil and leave you with a 0WD car?

I assumed most people would plug the holes up before driving away. Also I expect it would be necessary to lock the centre diff (Haldex clutch?) or it would simply spin the output of least resistance (i.e. the front) so not a case of just ripping a couple of parts out.

It's still probably the easiest way of getting a modern RWD hot hatch that isn't a 1 series. It's a trick some of the trials guys used on Panda 4X4s.

[interloper]

CDP said:

doogz said:

CDP said:

How about removing the front driveshafts from a Golf 4 Motion?

Wouldn't that just empty the gearbox of all oil and leave you with a 0WD car?

I assumed most people would plug the holes up before driving away. Also I expect it would be necessary to lock the centre diff (Haldex clutch?) or it would simply spin the output of least resistance (i.e. the front) so not a case of just ripping a couple of parts out.

It's still probably the easiest way of getting a modern RWD hot hatch that isn't a 1 series. It's a trick some of the trials guys used on Panda 4X4s.

Bad idea IMO, 4wd Golfs and the GTIR have transverse engines and would in theory be a bit too nose heavy and unbalanced to convert to RWD only.

[Taskedo]

I suppose the thing is that hot hatches tick many boxes: they can blend into the background and often don't draw unwanted attention when 'pressing on' (excluding VXRs and a few others), they're practical, often good on fuel and light on consumables like brake pads, the footprint is small and so you have more room on the road. But, as they are often descended from humble mainstream models they suffer from the profit focussing mass manufacturing decisions such as fwd, cheap trim and poor noise insulation. I know of a couple of people who have the funds to buy what they want but still run a hot hatch as part of their fleet as it is often useful in more situations than the supercar/mega estate etc, I'd just like one of these with rwd. The 130i is a good car but for me a little too heavy at 1475kg, I just like the feel of a lighter car.