V8 transaxles thread

[wayne petty]

i was thinking of an idea of using a corvette C5/C6 transaxle... removing the transmission from it..  installing an electric traction motor directly to the front  where the automatic fit...

filling the underhood area with batteries equal to the weight of the motor that used to live there for an electric corvette...

it was just a thought.. as I have flashes of brilliance... in my own mind sometimes...   most people use two esses.  instead of one..

but i ran across this thread on a google search.. and thought it is really worth sharing..

http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=3293&sid=5e4a518ee26433ced2abbfe069d627c1


the second picture on the first page of the cable shifter is what i was thinking of sumner doing when he was going to run the muncie i had in the rear of his streamliner..   just being able to shift the forward gears..

enjoy.. there are like 4 pages...

and any comments if you think an electric motor could be attached where a 4l60E was to the corvette C5/C6 rear housing could be done...  i have not had one apart to see ... i do see a lot of people searching craigs list for electric fork lift motors...

wayne....    forward thinker...     who needs reverse...

[jaybee]

Holy cow some of those are pricey!

[Digger]

Saw a "How To" back in the 80's (might have been Pop. Mechchanics) on putting a a GE electric starter motor for a jet engine in a VW using the original transaxle.
Also saw a VW transaxle in a 3 wheeled chopper with a Harley bolted to it sideways, all hiding in the trunk.
Getting the right gears for the vette axle might  pose some difficulty but mounting the motor is just good ol Hotrodder fabricating and knowhow.

[GPster]

People only talk about Corvairs when they want to say something bad about them. The first thought about them is that you have to put a reversed rotation engine in the back with a strange type of bellhousing. Beacuse of the concentric shafts people don't always to remember that power can be put directly to the transmission (front side of the transaxel) by eliminating the long concentric shaft that the clutch is driving and using a short input shaft from the front of the transmission. You could put the motor in the back seat area of a '65 to '68 Corvair that has independant rear suspension. These models are talked about being tail heavy because of the rear engine design but that would put the weight in the middle and plenty of room front or back for batteries and the independant suspension would allow you penty of ways to tune ride and handling. Unfortunately they were hit early with the "they'll never be worth anything" syndrome so they have mostly vanished from existence quickly. GPster

[enjenjo]

Saw a "How To" back in the 80's (might have been Pop. Mechchanics) on putting a a GE electric starter motor for a jet engine in a VW using the original transaxle.
Also saw a VW transaxle in a 3 wheeled chopper with a Harley bolted to it sideways, all hiding in the trunk.
Getting the right gears for the vette axle might  pose some difficulty but mounting the motor is just good ol Hotrodder fabricating and knowhow.

I believe that was Mother Earth News.