awrite guys, i have just removed a 1.8 engine from an escort this weekend with intentions of putting it into my fug 2 frame... but now i look at the engine and start actully thinkin of what needs to be done, its gona take a while to do! i will hav to extend the rear arms back about eight inches cause the engine is fairly big, and cause it is a transverse engine the gear linkages will be on the wrong side and countless other things. do u think it is possible to do or would i be better goin down an easier route?

Well,
If we're honest we all know the answer to that! Put a beetle box in there with a nice simple air cooled engine! It'll all fit and work,wiring is simple and you'll do it in an afternoon.
That said a 1.8 16v Escort engine is a rather good and quite understated engine. It even looks nice and would fill the back of a Fug up very well. Don't let me kid you it'd be straightforward,but it'd certainly work. If it can line up reasonably with regards to drive shafts and the engine and box can sit in an acceptable place,it's worth a go. The rad is not too much of an issue and the gear linkage is a semi standard proceedure on trikes,auto cross and Blitz type bugs.(not that I've personally done it) but I do know someone who has.
Not to mention the fact you already have it. I've concidered a 5 cylinder Audi unit in mine so I'm not going to tell you your mad trying to fit an Escort,unless I am as well :blink:

yes its do-able, but you will need to bin the beetle rear suspension completley, otherwise the engine will need to sit too high in order to clear the beam and the IRS arm travel, it will handle like a boat.

take a look at how its done in a GTM libra, thats how you should approach the conversion to a transverse mid-engine installation. they use clever trailing arms that give plenty of clearance to the engine......if your handy with a mig welder you should be able to do it, but you will also need to design the bits too......GTM may sell the trailing arms to you if you ask nicely!......that will save you a lot of time.

my honest opinion of the zetec is nothing special, its bloody heavy, like about 40Kg too heavy........you would be better off with one of the late (Duratec) ford alloy engines, 1.6, 1.8 and 2.0 take your pic, scrap yards are full of em at sensible cost

for either engine you will also need to either bodge the standard ECU, or run an aftermarket ECU system in order to get the wasted spark system working, expect minimum of £300.......but I'm hearing megajolt works ok and is sensable cost.......

failing that you could belt drive a distributor off the crank, and use a pair of side draught carbs......seen it done and it works!.......will be very cheap this way........but dont be afraid to bodge the standard ECU, it will get the engine running just fine

beetle boxes......hmmmm.......most are bloody old and p*ss oil everywhere as all the seals are shot, just like mine!........ I'm not a fan of aircooled engines, I think your right to look at other options. But like 100 bob says, an audi or passat inline FWD box and engine will fit very well......also think about an alfasud/33 box and flat-4 engine.......but you will need IRS as a base for either

hope that all helps!

Its a great engine (120 bhp) and will fit with an IRS set up as its no different to a Lancia or fiat twin cam and that will fit ok. The biggest thing that will let you down will be the beetle gearbox. these rvvy fairly low torque engines do not suit the wide spaced gear ratios of the beetle. I think if I was you, and having the space and evey thing as you do in a fugitive I would consider the possiblity of mounting it transversely in the frame and retaining the ford gearbox. Either make up your own wishbones or modify the front suspension off the escort and use that...... :D

Afterall many kitcars out there now do this...

hi mate, i say go for it personally and go ahead and persevere with the conversion. i got bored of my vw engine and have since put a 2.9 24valve v6 cosworth in the back of mine. adaptor plate courtesy of kennedy engineering in the states, and it looks the dogs in the back. There will be someone out there to give advice about the wiring,its just finding them that takes the time. ;)

http://i4.ebayimg.com/03/i/000/af/86/9d25_12.JPG
http://i6.ebayimg.com/07/i/000/af/86/92e8_12.JPG

not sure how long a gearbox will last tho, my mates are placing bets as the build progresses :unsure:

thanks alot for all the replys, they have been very helpful!

I think i will just go ahead and try to fit the fordy engine transversly in the back, the main reason being that i already have the engine and gearbox! The frame has already been irs'd so thats a start. and i think i will do as tigger says and modify the escort front suspension to fit the back.

well thats how the plan goes so far, brace urselfs for some silly questions tho as i persevere with this :D

streetfighterfug4- that looks like a machine and a half uve got

as for the gearbox- depend how heavy ur right foot is!! haha

bloody hell linden, you kept that quiet!......but I do now remember you mentioning you had seen a V6 all polished up at stoneleigh.......a mate of mine has been sprinting his sierra 4x4 fitted with one of those (24v V6), but he's got water injection and an Eaton M90 supercharger with intercooler, forged pistons - the full works, power is about 250 to 300 bhp, but its the torque that does all the work........unfortunatley he blew it up at goodwood and its now well and truly scrap

heres the video of it going bang.......you deffo need speakers for this one.

http://s96.photobucket.com/albums/l166/XR2...4SCgoesbang.flv

where are you going to put the radiator?.......if you want to try and hide them away, I have seen someone use two mini radiators, each one above each drive shaft, looked really neat and tidy, failing that I dare say you have seen my post on my new rad system.

now I reckon that between you, Tiggar and Matt D one of you must be able to pull wheelies........first to post their movie file gets a pint at stoneleigh 08 :rolleyes:.........

my new 1.7 alfa lump is nearly finished, 120bhp for 105Kg engine weight......ooooh, cant wait!........it will be just like Fugeians.......stupidly fast! :ph43r:

hi mate, think i'd better pull my finger out on the build then and get the front end in the air, :blink:

after driving fugeans fug with the alfa engine at stoneleigh i thought the vw lump had to go, and something a little more powerfull take its place, was going to fit a 1.8 golf gti engine (which i have available) but didn't think i could get it looking neat in the back, so opted for 200brake and torque to move a small planet instead, think it is going to be a right handfull so the floor in the front is coming out just in case i need to see the road from a different angle. moving the seats etc further back, moving the tank lower etc etc, basically another re build, that'll be 2 this year. I'll keep you all posted with the progress, down to fabricating and welding again now, and the colour is going to be changed too.
:ph43r:

so where are you gonnna put the rads?......have you thought about binning the inlet manifold and running 3 pairs of triple downdraughts?.......like 40 IDF's or triples if you can find em?.......another rebuild - dont tell paul, hes currently into his 5th year!

Blimey the way you boys are going i'm going to have to fit nitrous just to keep up.... ;)

knighty, don't know about wheelies but finding a longer enough length of road to open it up fully is my main problem B)

Streetfighterfug4, that 2.9 is a sweeeet engine, my mate has one in his E type rep and its creamy smooth until you floor it then it turns into a screaming banshee :ph43r:

hi Knighty, not sure where the rads are going at the moment, been out there this evening stripping everything out ready to start planning some more, toying with the tank behind the seats and a rad slightly further back with the twin kenlowes on the back of it, <_< the other option is 2 rads, slightly offset in front of the engine,running a fan each with ducts ramming the air thru them.
:huh:

gonna keep it to injection with all the top on the engine, its the cosworth badges that do it!!and also i just cannot get to grips with tuning carbs hence the reason my other buggy is sat in my garage gathering dust :(

if anyone is in the midlands and fancies tuning them up i would be very greatfull and pay for their time. :)

Very nice V6 lump!

Though more weight at the back isn't probably what your after have you considered making the radiator into a roof spoiler? A lot of the Subaru engined Baja Beetles over in the states mount the radiator on the back like a spoiler.

Then again not sure I'd really want steaming hot water just above my head on a Fug. :blink: :lol:

cheers for that agent orange, Don't really fancy the rad over my head just in case it ever went pop :( then again it would make a great lynx shower gel advert
saying that not sure about over the engine yet as would like the engine to be shown off as much as possible, thanks for the idea tho, ;)