SuperBird

I've looked around on the internets but haven't found any AWD thirdgens that aren't on truck frames. I've been fooling around in the garage for a while and I think I've come up with a way to do it . I'll be uploading pics later today but basically I noticed that the front crossmember/axle assembly from a subaru is almost exactly the same width/height/bolt pattern as the thirdgen one. It has a steering rack under the crossmember so the steering box is out of the way and a subaru engine is much smaller than any SBC so it can sit further up and forward in the car. Right now I'm thinking I'll just keep the stock rear (maybe get one from a 4th gen if I have money) and put 3.90 gears in it to match the front. Let me know what you guys think.

DynoDave43

iTrader: (11)

Never seen it done, but I wonder if an L-van (Astro/Safari AWD) front sub might fit?

maks10

^ive read the same on Astro/safari awd on here. I’m interested to see where this heads.

SuperBird

Sorry for the bad picture, as you can see they're quite similar in size (the width at the mounting holes is only 1/4" different). The shock towers are also slightly narrower in the thirdgen than the subaru this axle came from but it shouldn't be a big deal (it was only about 2" IIRC). Now I just need to get some coilovers so I can set the ride height and camber and get things mounted up.

soulbounder

Interesting project. The transfer case/transaxle has to go somewhere and looking at that k-member, it looks like that would need to live under the engine. Where would you get the room? Also, coilovers are fine for the drag strip (assuming you are using the stock strut towers), but shouldn't they be heavily re-enforced if you intend to do significant street or track driving? I would think that would be even more important with an AWD setup. Good luck and take lots of pictures.

SuperBird

Subarus have the front diff inside the transmission, the front edge of the bellhousing sits right on the back edge of the crossmember and the cv axles go straight into the side of the trans. If you look up pictures of subaru transmissions you'll see. I'd never heard that about coilovers before... Are they considered weaker than stock struts?

b_the_j

Ive been giving serious thought to this foe many years...would love to bounce thoughts around with some folks. Have you found the awd g-body yet?

SuperBird

Here are a few more terrible pictures of the axle sitting in the car, it was this close to fitting but I need to shift the holes on the crossmember by about 1/4" and trim/bend a little bit. Also those rear control arm bushing things are going to need some mounts of some sort. Any thoughts on properly locating the axle? the old one had some tapered pins to do that but I'm not sure how the subaru one was originally located against the frame, or if it even matters.

b_the_j

I had considered the subaru components in the past but moved on in thought to trailblazer stuff, the pass through oil pan and diff mounted to the pan, the subaru spindles might work but i saw an uplander in the junkyard and thought those might be a decent choice.

DynoDave43

iTrader: (11)

Looks like a good application for the GMT360 (Trailblazer, Envoy, etc.) inline 6 with it's pan/axle.

b_the_j

The v8 awd uses the same components. ls swapped
awd six speed thirdgen is my dream build

topduarte

iTrader: (8)

Why would u do that to an f-body ?

Shaking my head here.

b_the_j

Why wouldn't you want to roll up next to a big tire car on street tires, him thinking no way you could beat him on a dig...and then you're gone

1989karr

If you use the Subaru stuff you'd need the struts right? Since the stock springs are in the K member, are the F-body shock mounts / towers strong enough to take all the pressure / force of movement with the springs of the strut? Just something that came to mind.



I used to see a 80s cutlass supreme that was converted to AWD on Facebook before...he showed some work etc......but it looks like the page was deleted or something.. it looked like a loooot of work though.
I think the same car is on youtube now as AWD cutlass I think those cars use a body on frame vs a Unibody like the F body though?? Might be able to take some notes from that though since I think thats closer to an F body than the subaru?

87bluebird

The awd cutlass has a oldsmobile bravada front frame section grafted onto the stock g-body frame. F body's are unibody so that wouldn't work the same.

Are you planning to use the subaru engine and trans? If not get a oilpan and front diff from a trailblazer ss and that will work ls engines would also need custom cv shafts