Is it possible to do this...

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Shuv a Hemi into a Horizon or Omni? The idea goes off on the Chevette or Pinto with a V8. Any V8 will do, but what's gonna fit? This is only for a bone-stock hatchback version...hopefully, only if the thing will still be streetable. Also need parts for an '83 Olds Regency 98 Brougham: GRILLE, DASHBOARD LIGHTS, and CORRECT RADIO, not to mention HUBCAPS. Thanks! oh and i found a gran fury for something like 100 bucks... [smilie=e: [smilie=e:
 
The big diference here is that the pinto, and the chitvette were both RWD.
 
The RWD conversion isn't tough... it's squeezing an Elephant into a mousehole that presents the problem. We're talking tube-chassis (or at least tube front stub) territory. More effort than it's worth, in my estimation, since at an Omni's stock weight, a 230-HP 318-2v would probably run mid-13s. Why not just go the time-honored LA-engine-mounted-on-an-F-body-front-suspension route, save a fortune, and go just as fast?
 
ooookay...what RWD frame will fit? Oh, and the Omni/Horizon is cheaper and easier to find on the East Coast than the Aspen/Volare...besides, i want somethin that can crush my friend's '66 Mustang six-cylinder...198/225 Slant Six, anyone?
 
imo find yourself a dart/valiant/duster....

as for a v8 frame under a fwd(horizon,omni)...um no...wrong thinking/way of doing it. as the good DR said you would need to swap out most 90% of the front suspension to something that came with a v8 like an F body then from there strengthen the ENTIRE car then fabricate a tranny tunnel and everything back to a rearend
not going to say imposible or even all that hard its the $$$$ involved unless your rather skilled and have ALOT of parts laying around already
 
The F-car front suspension (same as M- and J-body--plenty of Diplomats & Fifth Avenues around) is fully self-contained: Torsion bars, sway bar, steering, brakes, everything is mounted to the K-member. All you need to do is fabricate a couple of mounts for the K, and you're done. It's a weekend job, really, most of which would be spent getting the K mounted straight. You'll need to do some welding, obviously.

Very little has to be done to the trans tunnel--most of it at the front, to clear the bellhousing. The cars already have a driveshaft hump, so to speak. The fuel tank needs to be moved, too.

The unibody doesn't need to be strengthened, in fact the FWD cars are generally stiffer and stronger than the cars with which we're familiar... being more compact, they're inherently more resistant to twist.

The rear frame rails of the K- and L-based FWDers will be real familiar territory to fans of muscle-era Mopars, and hanging a rear suspension isn't particularly traumatic.

Still, if this is your first engine-swap deal, a FWD conversion may be a bit more than you want to tackle first time out.
 
What's the average cost for an A-body in good condition, or for an F-J-M body car in the same condition? Keep in mind: I have no money, no parts, and no car to work on...i'm only a high school freshman...no job either...just a 10-dollar allowance (200 dollars in it and counting). I could crack into my bank account (gotta be 20 grand plus), but my parents don't want me to...i'm too young they say. I can wait, but not too long. Say, I can also pick up this ripped up old '83 Olds near my house for free (runs, drives, no radio, no dash lights, no side grille, no hubcaps). It's gold and brown. What's the better move for the time being? I mean...this emoticon might help [smilie=b: [smilie=b:
 
[smilie=e: [smilie=w:

[url=http://moparnuts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=8950]Cheap M-body[/url]... already has a good axle gear and a 4-barrel V8!
 
hmmmmm...i like it. Can you ship it? I've been looking for a good one for at least a year now...i'm a hs freshman and have no ride...not a problem, but i really want a car...see my profile.
 
Well, it is possible. You need to be a diligent worker, and over 14 here in NJ. I can definitely do it...not


I'm a lazy fool...but of course, once i get the money for the omni and a 241 Hemi (Red Ram), 318 (Diplomat type), or a 413 (early version), I'll be sittin on a goldmine of hellfire.

Doesn't Chrysler sell a RWD conv kit for their FWD L/K body cars?
 
mistergranfury318 said:
Doesn't Chrysler sell a RWD conv kit for their FWD L/K body cars?


yeah, it's called Torch and Welder.... [smilie=e:
 
mistergranfury318 said:
I'm a lazy fool...but of course, once i get the money for the omni and a 241 Hemi (Red Ram), 318 (Diplomat type), or a 413 (early version), I'll be sittin on a goldmine of hellfire.
Why on earth waste time on a 241? It may be expensive to build, but at least the displacement-to-weight (and hence, power-to-weight) ratio sucks. :D

mistergranfury318 said:
Doesn't Chrysler sell a RWD conv kit for their FWD L/K body cars?
It was for K-based cars only (didn't fit OmniRizon or offshoots), and it's been gone for many years now... I went looking for one starting in '00 and never did find one. Seems there were two problems: price and strength. The whole setup (several part numbers, actually, including hub bearings, steering rack, K-member, struts, brake parts, etc.) was over $2000 racer net, and you still didn't have a rear axle or rear suspension. Guys running in NHRA SS/GT (the class the kit was intended for) were snapping the K-members when coming down from wheels-up launches as low as 4"-6"... and replacing the fragile junk with (wait for it.... wait for it.... ) lightened F/M/J-car front suspensions, which are cheap and plentiful, unless you're trying to build an El Camino out of an Acclaim for less than $400.

Another option is the tried-and-true Mustang II front-end, which I've been told is pretty easy to fit to the K-based rides... but I'll gladly pass on anything based on the "light fuse, get away" Pinto.
 
long long ago back in the days of direct connection you could get a kit for the daytons but i dont belive they did one for omni....why on earth would you want to put a 241 or ANY eary hemi in an omni short of for sht's and giggles(read as jaw drop effect atleast till they knew the cubes) when a 318 could out pound it and definatly out corner it ..short of it being a 392 with all the trimmings even still that cost in mind a 383-440 would out run it on half if not 1/4 the cost
ive nothing against the close to imposible or strange for that matter(infact i love the idea) but sometimes you have to ask yourself why and is it worth the money/time involved
...even still sometimes ya have to do it anyway :p
 
the red ram is a very exspensive engine to reproduce because well there absolutely no aftermarket parts for them ...or well very limited....hate to burst the 241 hemi bubble...

if you want an early hemi go with a chrylser 331, 354, 392, but to warn you now they are also exspensive to build ...a 440 would be cheaper and a hell of alot more ponies!

if you can dream you can build it!!
 

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