4WD conversion either MK3 or MK4

[steven252]

hi guys, im new to this site so bear with me lol,

ive currently got a Mg ZR that ive completted a turbo conversion from a 220 coupe if you know them? i have done all the mods to the engine to get it just under 240bhp and had the car a year now and im thinking off moving on as i cant increase the power of this one any futher without a stand alone ECU and rebuilding it with forged internals. too do this all to a car thats not worth anything seeing as the companys gone bust is abit stupid and considering as it owes me about 8k already and id rather spend my money on something else. Plus the fact its FWD and i bet you guys have the same prob of getting the power down, espec when its wet (which here in the uk is 99% of the time lol!) so im a bit bord of it.

ive been thinking lately that i want to go 4wd but there arent ANY new fast ones other than a evo or a scoobie and i dont particually like either of them as they aint suttle at all. S3 takes my fancy but again they are well known in the car community an i dont fancy an old car like a pulsar GTIR or celica gt4 or something as there getting like 15yrs+ old and i want a newish little shapped car.

so heres my plan. after seeing one of my mates convert a old Escort RS Turbo to cossy 4WD power. ive started thinking of doing my own project along these lines as the car will look alittle sporty but they would never know the power and grip within.

so what i plan is a MK3 or MK4 Ibiza where ill cut the floor plan out of an audi TT or S3 (might aswel go for the 225 model to start of with) and fit it to the ibiza using a jigg that i can make up in the workshop so everything would be a exact fit once cut. (this is how we did the RST) im just looking for some advise and see if this has been completted before and what problems i would run into as i have admittidly measured each up and want to know what you guys thort first? and the all important Q is will it fit?

thanks
steven

 

[DaNnY_LaD]

wouldnt the Golf mk4 r32 be a nearst match to a mk 3 cupra?

 

[MarkE]

Anything is do-able with enough time and money. Go for it.

 

[steven252]

yea it prob would be but i wouldnt want to cut an R32 up for the conversion lol. plus its a 3.2 V6 which is alittle on the big size for the cupras engine bay and the cost of it is like twice that of an S3.

does anyone know the widths and wheelbase (front to rear) of the S3, TT, and both MK3/4 ibizas so i can see if theres even a possiblility itll fit. i hope its not too far off as then i wont have to make custom shafts and mod the floor plan too much


steven

 

[steven252]

Anything is do-able with enough time and money. Go for it.

yep sure is, just wana see if anyone else has done it, for pointers and so i dont get half way thro and find out it wont fit and have a S3 and cupra shell cut to peices if you know what i mean

thanks
steven

 

[DaNnY_LaD]

Yeah like a mate i know done A twin engine corsa turbo 4x4 with a cailibra just doing all the space frame that is tricky

Or am i getting it wrong Just the one engine

 

[daz_cymru]

if you dont want to cut up an r32 as of cost and not wanting to ruin the car have you looked at the 2.8l golf 4motion?

 

[Tom B]

Supercharge an A3 3.2 V6, now that would be fun, 4WD and not that bad on the wallet!

 

[steven252]

Yeah like a mate i know done A twin engine corsa turbo 4x4 with a cailibra just doing all the space frame that is tricky

Or am i getting it wrong Just the one engine

it would be with the one engine id do as i want a small light 4WD hatch, a pulsar GTIR would be great but that would be too easy , plus they break easily ive heard.

Funily enough a friend of mine had done the same with a MK3 astra using a calibre 2ltr turbo and 4X4 system. the good thing with them tho is the floor plan for the rear axle is exactly the same so the 4x4 axle fitted perfecto, all he had to cut was the drive tunnel. was the corsa twin engined then?

the plan would be to cut the whole floor plan out of a TT or S3 , and the same for the ibiza then trans the 4x4 floorplan to just the shell of the ibiza so then all the parts from the S3/TT are a direct fit (thats how the ford boys do it) im gunna have a ganders at a mates ibiza and see if i can get hold of a TT just to do some quick measuring to see if i did that the wheels would end up ruffly in the same area without mods. if they do that'll be brill as i dont have to get driveshafts made up. not bothered about where the rear seats end up as their wont be any in the car as ill be stripped with a roll cage.

if you dont want to cut up an r32 as of cost and not wanting to ruin the car have you looked at the 2.8l golf 4motion?

not though of that model and glad you mentioned it. is the gearbox and running gear the same? or will i have to moddify the box to take the 20vt engine? is that possible? didnt all the VAG group have the same engine mounts so even the 3.2 would be a possible fit

thanks
steven

 

[steven252]

Supercharge an A3 3.2 V6, now that would be fun, 4WD and not that bad on the wallet!

hmm that would be a great idea. are the 3.2s in the A3 the same as the R32?

what the plan is, to build a small lightweight hatch with 4x4 running gear so ive got a track weapon thats not your usual evo, scoobie, calibre, S3, GTIR, GT4 etc. itll only be used on weekends and track days as i have a van.

want to keep with the 20vt engine as ive heard geting a reiable 400bhp out of them is good, well better than most. and i dont wana be stripping the thing everyday to fix it as ive done that with the MG lol and they wounder why they went bust!!!!!

does anyone know what the S3 diffs/drive tranny is like. are they good enough to take 400bhp or would they need upgrading. need to find an S3 forum too i think lol.
ive liked the ibiza mk3 and mk4s for ages now so i might just end up doing it.

cheers guys
steven

 

[DaNnY_LaD]

yeah mate its still WIP buts it got turbos to run 800bhp +

 

[steven252]

yeah mate its still WIP buts it got turbos to run 800bhp +

feck me bet thats a handful even in the dry!! havent herd the term WIP tho?!?

steven

 

[AlpineWhite]

Personally if I wanted:
-hatchback
-1.8T
-4wd
-different from the norm

then I'd buy an A3 1.8T. Tune the engine, suspension and brakes. Strip it out. Add lightness through carbon fibre panels (bonnet and front wings, homemade if necessary) and lightweight wheels.

 

[daz_cymru]

not though of that model and glad you mentioned it. is the gearbox and running gear the same? or will i have to moddify the box to take the 20vt engine? is that possible? didnt all the VAG group have the same engine mounts so even the 3.2 would be a possible fit

thanks
steven

urm tbh .... its something id like to do to my leon i a couple of years after the insurance goes down

 

[antnee]

Yeah, why dont you just get an A3 quattro? It would be miles cheaper (quick look on Autotrader, cheapest quattro is 2200, cheapest S3 is 4000) Plus the quattro's already have a 1.8T on them

 

[steven252]

if im honest mate i really should go down that route. its just the fact that a couple of my mates have done it to stuff that isnt supposed to be 4x4 (ie astra, RSTurbo, focus) and its the appeal of having something that is sooo underrated too if you know what i mean. the amount of times they've been on track days and people have come over too them as they had overtaken their fq400's and sti etc is rediculas as they just think its another RST, Cupra focus etc. the look on there face too is worth the extra time and effort.

i like having a car which is considered an underdog at first glance but really isn't. thats why i converted my ZR to turbo power as rovers arnt supposed to be fast cars

steven

 

[DaNnY_LaD]

feck me bet thats a handful even in the dry!! havent herd the term WIP tho?!?

steven

Work In progress

This is the build..
http://www.corsasport.co.uk/board/viewthread.php?tid=342860

And the black BAT corsa in the pics is his 3.0 v6 24v corsa lol

Shame Money dnt grow on trees as he has to buy 2 of everything

 

[steven252]

urm tbh .... its something id like to do to my leon i a couple of years after the insurance goes down

yea should imagine the 3.2 would be an easy fit in the leon, but again the floorplan would have to be cut and shut to fit the rear axle and to have the tranny tunnel there too. unless you can make a spaceframe up which isnt too hard anyway if your handy with a welder.

 

[steven252]

Work In progress

This is the build..
http://www.corsasport.co.uk/board/viewthread.php?tid=342860

And the black BAT corsa in the pics is his 3.0 v6 24v corsa lol

Shame Money dnt grow on trees as he has to buy 2 of everything

fairplay the work that has gone into that is astounding. what does this guy do for a job!!!! that was a good read is it running yet then?

steven

 

[daz_cymru]

yea should imagine the 3.2 would be an easy fit in the leon, but again the floorplan would have to be cut and shut to fit the rear axle and to have the tranny tunnel there too. unless you can make a spaceframe up which isnt too hard anyway if your handy with a welder.

yeh i was thinking about cutting the floor pan out the golf and welding it in the leon

anyway not for some years now