So I love the old VW Vanagons. They are not very reliable, fast or efficient. So I was thinking... Could a person take the entire prius transaxle (drive shafts and all), and mount it in the back of one of these vans? Point the engine such that drive move the wheels the right direction and lock the steering. The track width is within a couple inches. I wonder if the prius computer would freak out pushing a car rather than pulling. Assuming everything fit, would there be any reason this would not work?
I think you'd have more success with putting it in frontwards. If that doesn't give you enough room up front, maybe you could use the front half of a bug and the back half of a van. Or try it with a Previa and add a poptop.
sounds simple to me, let us know how you progress and take lots of pics! should be interesting if nothing else.
I believe it is not that simple. You need to replace the entire brake system to receive most efficient regen and friction brake combination. The S-VSC system works on the front drive configuration with electric controlled power steering system. and so on... Ken@Japan
I think it is technically possible, but insanely hard to do well. Would you be bringing over the traction battery too, to start the engine?
That would be a big-big job. If you want to give a Vanagon some modern power with better fuel economy, a VW TDI engine is the way to go.
Isn't there a requirement that a replacement engine has to be from the same manufacturer? Swapping out the flat 4 VW for a flat 6 Porsche would be relatively easy, and maybe legal, but I'm not sure a Toyota engine in a VW would pass inspection, even if it could be done. Putting it in backwards is just plain crazy. Something far simpler and possibly even drivable would be to graft the back half of a Toyota van on to the front half of a Prius. edit: If you insist on a Vanagon, and if you're the least concerned with safety or handling, I'm not sure why you would, but you could always do this. Has that thing got a hemi? Personally, I think a Prius shell on a Corvette makes more sense.
This is an important point. Especially since vehicles brake much more effectively with respect to traction and weight transfer to apply more braking force in the front wheels. With the heavy regen on a RWD drivetrain in this configuration, there may be pre-mature skidding issues.
You would have to jack the Prius shell up because the drivers legs would be over the engine, maybe more. The transaxle would eliminate a good share of the prius rear seat.
It'd be like a tube-framed Vette with Prius body panels fastened on. The driver would be sitting about where the back seat used to be. I didn't say it would work, I said it made more sense than sticking a HSD in the back end of a Vanagon, locking the steering, and always running it in reverse. Perhaps 'slightly less crazy' would have been the more appropriate phrase.
I knew there would be a catch. Maybe I could put the rear electric motor out of an RX450h on the front wheels, and then... oh, never mind.
Back in the late 80's/early 90's or thereabouts, one of the car mags transplanted an entire Honda CRX drive train into the back of another CRX, welded the wheels straight, and turned it into a twin engine AWD monster. :rockon: Edit: found a link: http://www.carlustblog.com/2008/02/car-lust--twin.html
