Ultimate Car Project: RWD, V8 powered Intrepid

[Intrepidation]

I thought I'd share this with you guys, I figure the tinkerers, RWD fans, V8 fans, and plain crazy people will get a kick out of this.

It's a 1999 Dodge Intrepid that a member of LHF has been converting RWD, V8 powered.

There's 30 pages and counting of the progress so far. It's a very cool read, check it out.

http://www.lhforums.net/forums/showthread.php?t=16536

And of course,a video.

[balthazar]

While I can always appreciate hard work, a vision & shade tree engineering... I cannot help but question building a RWD conversion of a FWD car when there are so many RWD cars with that already done.

And no; I'm not getting the idea that 'it has to be an Intrepid so 1 of 1,000 other choices won't do'.

[Intrepidation]

I'm going to guess that 1.) It's something different and 2.) it's fun to do.

[Robert Hall]

I'd wondered if this had been done before...the north-south orientation of the engine in LH would make it a natural for such a conversion. An Intrepid SRT8 Hemi would be so cool.

[Intrepidation]

Would be cool, however it's a tight it as it is for the 3.5 the cars came with. I believe the Hemi is too long to fit in the bay. There's another car, and LHS that's got a 6.0L GM LS2 V8 and a Tremec T56 6-speed manual, though their hasn't been an update to that project in a year or so.

[Robert Hall]

Would be cool, however it's a tight it as it is for the 3.5 the cars came with. I believe the Hemi is too long to fit in the bay. There's another car, and LHS that's got a 6.0L GM LS2 V8 and a Tremec T56 6-speed manual, though their hasn't been an update to that project in a year or so.

I think the Hemi is based on the old Chrysler 5.7 V8, so the length would probably be about the same..wider though w/ the big heads. A GM engine in a Mopar is just so wrong...

[Camino LS6]

Won't be getting as much sleep as I planned tonight, and it's your fault, DF.

J/K, that was a fun thread to read through - thanks for posting it.

[siegen]

Reminds me of a member of team-integra who converted an Integra to mid-engined RWD with a Prelude drivetrain in the back. He's an engineer or something and didn't cut any corners; it came out very well. See the thread here.

.

I don't think these kinds of major conversions are really worth it. Way too much time and energy involved when you can just buy a car like it already. ;-]

[Intrepidation]

Well of course when it comes to practicality reasoning or what's more economical on the wallet these builds don't make much sense, but I admire people who do something different, because they want to and aren't hung up on "well I could just get a RWD car for cheaper like everyone else".

The mid engine Integra is cool. Now that's tuning done right.

[SAmadei]

While I can always appreciate hard work, a vision & shade tree engineering... I cannot help but question building a RWD conversion of a FWD car when there are so many RWD cars with that already done.

And no; I'm not getting the idea that 'it has to be an Intrepid so 1 of 1,000 other choices won't do'.

I like the idea of a RWD conversion from a sleeper standpoint. Nobody would every expect to see a G6 pull the front wheels off the ground.

After all the times I've been under the Bonne, I'm convinced that a RWD conversion would not be as hard as some would figure. Of course, I'd like to make it into a coupe, as well. Why? Simple, at this point in history, there are no large RWD coupes available for purchase.

Reminds me of a member of team-integra who converted an Integra to mid-engined RWD with a Prelude drivetrain in the back. He's an engineer or something and didn't cut any corners; it came out very well. See the thread here.

.

I don't think these kinds of major conversions are really worth it. Way too much time and energy involved when you can just buy a car like it already. ;-]

Really? Where can you buy a RWD Intrepid or something "just like it"? The Charger ain't no Intrepid... sure the Charger has a great drivetrain, but the appearance pales compared to the Intrepid.

If I wanted a RWD Bonneville? Oh, a STS is "just like it"... uh, no, its not. G8, well, their getting hard to find already... and they aren't Bonne sized.

[Robert Hall]

Certainly nothing I'd attempt because of the time, effort or expense (not to mention the end result wouldn't necessarily be reliable). I'd just buy a Charger if I want a large RWD V8 Dodge. But I do admire the craziness of such an effort.

[Sixty8panther]

Iat this point in history, there are no large RWD coupes available for purchase.

Here's a great large coupe that's not only RWD but also a hardtop!

only question is do you want a V12 or will the V8 suffice?

[Sixty8panther]

Siegen:

Now that is an Integra I'd love to own!

I bet he spent enough on that conversion to buy a new Lotus Elise!

[A Horse With No Name]

Reminds me of a member of team-integra who converted an Integra to mid-engined RWD with a Prelude drivetrain in the back. He's an engineer or something and didn't cut any corners; it came out very well. See the thread here.

.

I don't think these kinds of major conversions are really worth it. Way too much time and energy involved when you can just buy a car like it already. ;-]

Bingo...I've seen that Integra, and while it's cool, methinks that car was a waste of time...

[SAmadei]

Here's a great large coupe that's not only RWD but also a hardtop!

When I originally replied, I actually was going to include the phrase "for under $50K", but I figured it was unnecessary since we are talking about conversions of the big 3. In any case, I'd still be stuck with something that looks like a Mercedes. Meh...

I guessitimate I could convert FWD to RWD for less than $10K. 4 door to 2 door for $20K.

Hardtop? Sure, they're nice, but I can live with the B pillar.

Don't get me wrong... GM's inability to produce a large car instead of BS CUVs and SUVs, and the demise of my sentimental favorite Pontiac will eventually drive me to BMW and Mercedes. But this is not the solution for the average person.