So ive looked recently at a couple of rear wheel drive builds, ive just ben wondering if ther's a proven and tested 'best' way to do it? Im guessing the floorpan has to be modified quite a bit obviously, the engine has to be mounted lengthways, the gearbox would go under in between the front seats, then propshaft rear diff and drivetrain from a syncro or something? Apologies for the lack of knowledge, im just wanting to look into it. Also would a rwd mk1 drive alot better than a fwd one? Or enough to merit all of the work? Thanx.
It's so rare, there's no FAQ. Anyone doing it invariably has their own take on how they want to do it. The easiest - but not necessarily the best - option is to fit Mk1/2 Escort mechanicals from the gearbox backwards.
Thanx, someone doing this kind of conversion would need a master fabricator to hand wouldnt they? Has anyone ever put Haldex drivetrain from an audi on a mk1?
Sorry, somehow the obvious passed me by. Grafting Rallye rear ends on is also a way, albeit it needs narrowing. Haldex can be done/has been done. It all boils down to how adept someone is with their fabrication.
ben leach fitted a rallye rear end in a mk1 without too much to do. so if was 4wd syncro, not haldex. having helped do some major surgery myself, it's one of those"if you have to ask don't bother" type things
I know an excellent fabricator, if i were to get hold of a rallye or syncro floor tunnel with drive train and ask him to mate it together, would that be doable? Obviously syncro and rallye's are 4wd, is it possible to just use gearbox propshaft and rear drivetrain for just rwd? Rwd seems like it would be more fun than 4wd!
Do you mean for the conversion? or instead of a mk1? I have to have a mk1 whether i get it rwd or not, love em.
Are you going to race it ? race regs state you can convert a FWD to 4WD but not FWD to RWD Strange regs but that's what they are , unless you just build it for fun and run wot ya brung.
Yeah itll be for racing, absolutely gutted, that is a strange rule! MInd you it shouldnt be much more work to convert to 4wd than doing a rwd shud it. I might probably never end up doing it, might just stick to fwd, but im just reaserching a few different ideas before i start. Aargh, rwd mk1 golf revvs my engine tho!!
do race regs specify how much of the power has to be transfered to the front wheels? if you could get a haldex system to split the power 90/10..
I'm very dubious as to whether a RWD mk1 would handle better than a FWD mk1, or anything else for that matter. It's one thing being able to do all the fabrication work and building a RWD MK1, but what about the engineering side of things? There aren't many manufacturers that make RWD cars with such a short chassis dimension, or at least without dumping the engine over the rear wheels. I'd stand by a well set up FWD mk1 out handling a RWD any day of the week, not to mention there will still be traction issues. I'm not trying to put a downer on the subject, I just think there is an awful lot more to it than just transferring the power to the rear.
Lee H i dont think youre putting a downer on the subject at all, ive thought the same things myself. But surely it wouldnt handle any worse than fwd, with a lsd it would be at least as good at handling wouldnt it? Not to mention alot more fun
what about using the mk2 synchro rear subframe/arms/shocks, without the diff modified to take a passat gearbox and engine mounted longitudaly for a mid rear setup? still a lot of fabriction but it`s just a thought
