Anyone put a bike engine in a Minivan?

[Pixel-Snapper]

As it says on the tin.....

My Minivan restoration project has been sitting in the garage for a couple years now. A number of things happened but the main was going to uni and didnt have time to travel back to my mums where the cars keep. Now working with some cash coming in I should really get it back on the road.

So im sat here twiddling my thumbs thinking would a bike engine fit in the back? and has it been done before....saloons have been done to death but ive never seen of a Van with a bike engine in.

Answers on a post card please.

thanks in advance.

Matt

[Snake the Sniper]

Given the extra space, I'd go for something bigger and more silly. The Audi 1.8T and it's transaxle should drop pretty much straight in.

[minipete]

Don`t do it,minivans are starting to get scarse now,if you want to do a Zcars type of conversion do a saloon.

[Pixel-Snapper]

Why yes minipete of course it would be totally barbaric to cut the back of the van out unless first finding a suitiable replacement so that it could be put back to original when the time came.

Audi TT although sounds completely BONKERS! I think the amount of fabrication would be way passed my level of engineering, plus the amount of weight i'd think it would add might make the thing abit arse heavy.

Maybe one of those front bike engine kits could be a idea?

[DanGT]

Do what you want. Its only a car (van). Its funny how a car that was changed a long time a go is a classic but a new convetion is not (Radford etc). If you want a standerd good and if you dont good. Its yours to make yours.

[fikus01]

do it longer wheelbase, more stable, i do remember reading the vans were quite lightweight too and you'd stil be able to make use of the spaer whheel well and some fo the boot sounds like WIN WIN to me

[Snake the Sniper]

The Audi engine and it's transaxle isn't all that big, and it can leave the engine inline, you then have a mid engined set up as well, so much grip to be had if you set it all up correctly. Although a bike engine will certainly be lighter, the 1.8T can be chipped up to a lot of power, up to 300-350 HP IIRC on stock internals. You would need to alter the rear suspension a lot to allow RWD, and do something at the front as you would have no drive shafts holding the wheels in anymore, but it's not all that hard to do. Well, it would be time consuming, but technically difficult.

[Blayney]

R1 mini pickup, closest I've seen lol

[Pixel-Snapper]

Blayney said:

R1 mini pickup, closest I've seen lol

interesting blayney anymore info?

[jammy_basturd]

Build diary here - http://www.theminiforum.co.uk/forums/index.php?sho...

[Pixel-Snapper]

jammy_basturd said:

Build diary here - http://www.theminiforum.co.uk/forums/index.php?sho...

cant see the images jammy unless your a member..

[jammy_basturd]

Been meaning to change that setting for a while now! Should be able to see them now?

[annodomini2]

Pixel-Snapper said:

jammy_basturd said:

Build diary here - http://www.theminiforum.co.uk/forums/index.php?sho...

cant see the images jammy unless your a member..

Join up you get a discount at minispares if you're a member

[Pixel-Snapper]

annodomini2 said:

Pixel-Snapper said:

jammy_basturd said:

Build diary here - http://www.theminiforum.co.uk/forums/index.php?sho...

cant see the images jammy unless your a member..

Join up you get a discount at minispares if you're a member

thanks i might just do that instead then still cant see the pictures sorry jammy.

[Ben Magoo]

Why chop about in the back of the van when you could do this http://pro-motive.co.uk/R1KitInfo.html and keep the load space useful yet still have a screaming bike engine

[Snake the Sniper]

Is it wise turning the engine through 180 degrees like that? I know kit cars tend to turn them through 90 degrees, but I'd be a bit dubious about engine life with it all the way round. Quite happy to be proven wrong however.

[annodomini2]

Snake the Sniper said:

Is it wise turning the engine through 180 degrees like that? I know kit cars tend to turn them through 90 degrees, but I'd be a bit dubious about engine life with it all the way round. Quite happy to be proven wrong however.

If it was upside down ok, the only problem is increased transmission losses and reliability of the linkage to the transmission. its a water cooled engine so its not that air over cooling fins that needs to be going in a certain direction.

I wouldn't have thought the engine being 'backwards' would make any difference.

[Snake the Sniper]

It's oiling issues I had in mind. The cooling and so on won't be any different, but the sump is designed to work in completely the other direction. But equally, I know that R1 engines in kit cars are near bomb proof with just a baffle plate.

[Pixel-Snapper]

Think ive just found what i want in me van lads

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

not with quite as mental motor powering it though just a standard vtec would do fine.