hondatech

Just wondering,I have an old n600 that I'm dying to drop a motor in and do a one off custom type job. I know the N600 isn't the greatest donor car but it was givin to me and I have a welder now so...... I dream about going to the weds night fun drags in a N600 that pulls 12 second quarters. ahhh I would be the man then. Anyways so ideas would be nice from you guys. Please keep it somewhat intellegent. No one liners....Like I'm thinking should I build up a sohc civic motor and have the driveshafts shortened? frt whee drive or should I rip the back apart and make a custom rear frame and go rear wheel drive?

Kai

Did it still have the old V-twin in it? I'd give you $25 plus shipping for it

But really, I think a dual carb'ed browntop ZC would be real slick in one of those things. If you can make it fit, that is. It won't get you 12's, but considering how light those things are, you'd be close.

hondatech

I measured twice, hmmmm.... It's pretty close to a 90 si motor. Some more questons have come to mind since this was posted. If I do go frt. wheel drive and shorted the axles and keep the original frt. susp. will I blow outter cv joints with all that new power? The idea that was most cost effective to me was to cut both axles, the one from my donor motor, and the one from my N600. fuse the two together and retain the outter joint so I could use the original susp. I'm kinda worried that is too much for the outter joints to handle. Also the N600 was air cooled, so I need to put in a rad. which I have no room for. So the rear wheel drive idea sounds better. Anyways, this is kinda what's up in my mind right now. I was entertaining the rear wheel drive idea last sat. when I was working on an NSX, I was looking at how the engine was mounted and how strong the subframe looked. I wonder If I pull this off if any rice magazines would want to take pictures and put it in the magazine, .......

egzivic

A friend of mine is working on the same project. I sold him my AN600 and he wants to put a SOHC in the rear. You would still need short axles, but you could plumb the cooling system much like the NSX and have a fuel cell where the old motor used to be. We looked a a bigger Honda motor but fear the weight would make the short wheel base harder to handle than it already is. All the suspesion is going to have to be custom, as the increased wieght and motivation is going to push handeling and stoping beyond what the stock step could ever dream of.

hondatech

I think it's a good idea, something different. Anyone can do a bolt in swap, I want a one-off custom. I have done two swaps already for friends and people all the time comment on what a nice job I did. I work at a acura dealer so i use the factory pin terminal kit when I add the Vtec wires to the ecu, etc.. I looks factory the way I did it. Anyways, I was thinking along those same lines as far as the NSX/ cooling system thing. Can I steal your fuel cell idea?:chuckles:

I hear you on the weight issues, The back will have to be made with a subframe of some sort, something stronger to hold the engine. Transmission and shifting could be a problem, I wonder how the NSX shifter works, I'll have to look tommorrow at work.

jeepxj66

I have a magazine that has one of those with a big block chevy engine in it. WILD AND CRAZY!!!!

Kai

but really, in all seriousness, if you don't want that stock engine I do.h:

I have seen those bodys with big V8's in them, but they typically have the front end extended and/or the firewall pushed back to make the rear seats the front seats.

savageangel

at the moment I am looking at a 96 toyota tercel engine/transmission swap for the n600, other alternatives are/have been wankel powered rear engine possibly on a vw transaxel it would keep the clearance low in back but i am working with a sedan also, as far as no radiator room, it wouldnt be too difficult to put the radiator in the rear of the car (with electric cooling) by pulling the fuel tank and adding a fuel cell, plus all those metal lines running all the way back behind the car would only add to the extra cooling. if anyone knows of a smaller/shorter engine/transmission combo please post it or let me know, I am going to make this conversion in the next few months. and dont really want to put a motorcycle engine on a harley transmission :P

hondatech

I've entertained the wankel engine idea too, I like it. If you can work on them and they don't scare you it would be cool, hell use the rx7 tranny and you should be in business. I was gonna run my cooling system exactly like an NSX and have a front mount rad. with hoses that go back to the engine. If you have something that's bigger and you run it hard you need good rad. and good wind coverage to displace all that heat. I don't think electric fans will do it being it's inside the car still. I don't think air would circlulate good enough to work.

jeepxj66

As far as small front drive engine trannys go there are three I can think of:
The GEO Metro/Sprint/Suzuki Swift in either 3 or 4cyl;
The Nissan/Datsun 310 from the mid 80's;
And the Fiat 128/ Yugo. These cars have a fairly small 1100 or 1300cc 4cyl and there are lots of performance parts as it is also the same motor in the Fiat X1/9.
Also Subaru had a transverse 3cyl in the Justy that is a small motor. If you have enough room ahead of the axle line a Subaru flat 4 is a compact front drive engine as well.