Having owned two Rabbits and an 85 Jetta, I'm familiar with VW's transverse engine, front wheel drive layout.
What other drivetrain layouts did VW use in models sold in the US during the 1980's?
Having owned two Rabbits and an 85 Jetta, I'm familiar with VW's transverse engine, front wheel drive layout.
What other drivetrain layouts did VW use in models sold in the US during the 1980's?
They had an AWD (Synchro) system that went on some Vanagons, and I believe the Passat?
Peter Wieck Wyncote, PA
Also the Fox used a very Audi-like longitudinal engine in front of the front wheels, with a longitudinal transaxle behind it with the CV flanges on the sides of the transaxle. Not sure why this was done on the Fox, but on Audis it made AWD versions easy to accomplish.
nate
-transverse engine, front wheel drive
-(longitudinal engine?), all wheel drive
-longitudinal engine, front wheel drive
Did any models (or other manufacturers that used the same engines?) use front engine, rear wheel drive?
If the information I found in wikipedia is correct,
If the synchro was available in a transverse layout, that could be an interesting project for a VW pickup.
So transverse and inline were mentioned for front wheel drive along with 4 wheel drive in the Quantums (Passat line). What did the VW vans use? Rear engine and rear wheel drive with a transaxle?
IIRC Chicago had a fleet of MANN (made by Volkswagen) reticulating buses at one time used for public transportation. They were phased out probably due to a lack of good regular maintenance. lol Would they be considered mid-engine or drive wheels in the middle? Can't find any articles to back me up..............yet. ;-)
The RWD VW bus/camper used a flat-four w/a longitudinal engine and a standard transaxle. The synchro-version used a transfer case off the main drive to drive a center coupling and the front axle differential. I am not sure wether the center coupling was a differential in its own right or just a viscous coupling, but as it ws FT/AWD, there had to be some allowance for slip between the front and read axles.
The VW Dasher used a longitudinal engine, by the way, w/FWD. When the Quantum came along, the same system allowed the installation of a AWD system without having to go to the difficult geometry of a transverse/ AWD system. Subaru uses a flat-four engine longitudinally mounted to a viscous coupling and a differential at each axle. Volvo purchased that system under license, but use a transverse engine.
Quick question: What is a "reticulating" bus? That would be a bus that displays a regular repeating pattern of colors.... Oh, right, Articulating...
Sorry, but the image just popped into my mind from a reticulated python mixed with the image of an articulating bus weaving its way through the streets of Chicago.
Peter Wieck Wyncote, PA
Porsche, in the 924 - but it still had a transaxle (in the rear of the car.) Clutch and flywheel were on the engine, torque tube ran the length of the car, transaxle under trunk floor.
nate
oops thanks for the correction.....articulating bus it is! But if you are trying to pass one of these Chicago buses it seems like it snakes down the street making it hard to pass them. lol
OK I give up what is a "read axle"? ;-) One day I plan to purchase an Audi Quattro where all the wheels receive power. I hear changing the clutch on these vehicles are labor intensive. I priced a clutch job for an Audi 5000 or 100 Quattro and it was close to $3000 from the dealer. OUCH! Porsche 914s had a mid-engine with transaxle and rear wheel driven. Fieros had a mid-engine but not sure if it was transverse or inline/longitudinal.
I *THINK* the Fiero was transverse, but don't quote me on that.
nate
Mid-engine.
Yes, and transverse.
Yep. Thought so, but when wiki didn't say it... That and the V8 part threw me.
Mark '95 Jetta GLS
Fox. Answer to the interrogative was in cost. The transaxle is truly one piece.
Yes and no depending on how you want to split hairs on "During the 1980s" (see original post referencing the 1980s) and VW's model badging (Passat vs. Quantum).
The Quantum (the US version of the second generation Passat) was available with a front longitudinal engine and AWD. If you ignore the badging/name change, then yes you could say that the Passat was (essentially) offered here during the 1980s with AWD and longitudinal engine under the Quantum model name.
If you stick tightly to badging/name, the "Passat" was not available here with AWD during the 1980s since the first "Passat" we got here under that exact name was the 1990 model and that third-generation car was never sold here with AWD. Unless you count "1980s" as calendar years vs. model years, "Passat"s were not sold in the US in the 1980s at all unless you could the first few months of the 1990 model year which would have fallen in late
1989."Passat"s only got AWD in the US when the fifth generation (1998 model year here) was fitted with 4MOTION.
And, FWIW, the 1990 Golf Rallye was almost literally knocking on our door in late 1989 with a transverse engine and Syncro AWD. VW even had built US federalized versions of these cars and at the very last minute pulled the plug.
I found a couple of companies (Acme Adapters, and Axis Power) that sell kits to bolt a Suzuki Samurai transmission (5 speed synchromesh with gears slightly lower than the 5 speed transaxle in the Rabbit I had) to the VW liquid cooled
4cylinder engines.I guess there is an option for people who want to convert front engine, rear wheel drive cars to a small diesel (though it would be simpler if VW made a transmission that could be used).
I've heard of people converting Samurais to VW engines so that's probably what this kit's for.
Not meaning to get off topic here ,but the new corvette also now uses the engine in front and the transaxle in back ,it would be neat for someone build a rabbit like this using a hi-performance transaxle in the rear and a hi-perf 4 in the front ,that will definitely mess with some peoples heads at the vw meets and at the track :) and the handling would be real nice
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