Lotus Calibra

Now that is an amazing piece of engineering! Really high ground clearance too, I wonder if it has been converted to rwd?

I hope you're joking.

A couple of people have done it on mig, from memory a twin turbo 3.0 V6 cavalier and a 3.0 V6 calibra but just N/A.

Its a bit of a mission but it can be done.

LOL surely you do this on purpose?

Je ne peux pas sprechen de Deutsch.

Peter

Or maybe 4x4 - wonder if the Calibra transfer box would take it (I'm sure someone had a similar conversation last week but I can't remember the outcome).

Peter

I suspect, reading the replys, he's not...

This might sound like a stupid question, probably because it is, but would a

It probably would, wouldn't it?

I'm just thinking about the practicalities of driving the front wheels from a gearbox mounted behind a longitudinally mounted engine, but plenty of VAG cars manage fine like that.

Also, do all Calibras have the same bodyshell - i.e. designed to cope with the 4x4 running gear? So in theory it's not *too* much hard work (i.e. complete redesigning of the shell and hours with an angle grinder....) to convert any Calibra to RWD?

Peter

Yes.

From Googles poor translation of the page it looks like he probably just stuck the Calibra body onto the Lotus Omega floorpan.

Haven't woken up yet. No, it has a transverse engine.

So is there something on the back of the engine where a propshaft (or whatever the equivalent is on 4x4s) connects to the transfer box? It's just that I imagine something like that needing to be quite central.

Peter

hehe i know it is mounted in a fwd configuration but its not unknown for people to use cossie 4x4 boxes, since you look at the car objectively I doubt you could fit a straight six in anyway but transversely. And this is hardly a cost effective project so if he is willing to do that amount of engineering then why not make it 4x4 too?

i've also seen a 4x4 cali red top on tb's using a let transfer box to run just the rear wheels but I don't know how long it would take for it to pop.

No

Nope

No only two calibras have 4x4 shells, one had the c20xe engine and the other the c20let. Although there was a rally team that did do the conversions up Newcastle way with some success on the club rally circuit. He sent me the conversion instructions if you are interested for casual reading? Most of the work seems to be the rear suspension geometry.

So where does the propshaft (or whatever it's called) that provides the link to the transfer box, run from? The gearbox, or some specially modified bit on the engine? If the gearbox, how much off-centre is it, and does that matter? I'd have thought the transfer box (or the rear final drive unit - whatever bit's at the back with driveshafts poking out that go to the rear wheels) would have to be centrally mounted, and that any input shaft coming in at an angle wouldn't be the cleverest idea.

Is the C20XE the 2.0 16v Ecotec, or the red-top one? Did the C20XE ever get fitted to 4x4 Calibras - I always thought the only 4x4 was the Turbo (C20LET). If not, they basically put the 4x4 bodyshell in the XE engines for what reason exactly? Potential to upgrade? Using up old shells?

Yeah, pop 'em my way if they're in electronic form - peter at what a load of bollocks dorothy co dorothy uk.

Peter

No sure exactly what the Vauxhall has but other transverse 4x4 cars have the propshaft flange coming out the back near the differential housing on the gearbox. You have the driveshaft flanges for the front wheels coming out either side of the differential than a propstaft flange coming out the back.

Douglas

Are you trying to say you can use a Cosworth 4x4 gearbox on a Vauxhall V6 or I6 engine that is transversly mounted?

No, they are, ISTR, made of Brie.

No, REMUS, that's why the engine is mounted longitudinally. The front diff is actually an interference fit with the crankshaft of the CLEARLY VISIBLE Lotus Omega six-cylinder powerplant.

Muppet ;)

Richard