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Subaru engine with automatic in Bay window

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Hot VW Learner Dubber

4 posts · joined Mar 2011 ·

#831905
Hi,

I am looking at a bay window with a blown engine. Apparently the gearbox is no better. It is a Westfalia with a full poptop so thats good for us.

We have just sold our Toyota van and am looking to get more serious with a bay window. We already have a 66 splitty. No way any subie is gettinga sniff at that.

As my wife does not drive manual we thought of converting to auto at the same time.

Has anyone done this?
How do you install a subie auto in a bay window to give proper forward gears ?
Are there alternatives out there?

Have considered 911 but a bit pricey for us. Could consider 6 cylinder subie. I love 6 cylinders.

a spanner in the works is that I have a 1989 Mercedes Benz 500se for parts. It has heated orthopedic seats, electric windows, vacuum operated central locking, electric seats - front and rear, airconditioning, etc. At some stage we would look at retro fitting these to the bay window. Will sound proof as best as we can ---you see where we are going with this.

The bus will be German look running 18" Turbo twists. Looking for the bus to drive well. A rack and pinion steeringl with steering wheel tilt - up/down, fore/aft adjustibility may be adapted form the Merc.

A clone of 2 Germans and a Jap.

cheers.

Smiley Veteran Volks Folk

2,125 posts · joined Oct 2008 ·

#831908
The rumour mill has it that the bloke that developed the flipped ring and pinion for the manual transaxles is currently working on doing the auto box.

Might be worth flicking him and email and finding out a few facts.

http://www.subarugears.com/


Smiley 😎
If you said I was a Volkswagen man, you'd be right.

modulus Veteran Volks Folk

2,009 posts · joined Jul 2003 ·

#831911
Hi Hot,
There's an automatic Bay with a very rusty body for sale here:
http://forums.aussieveedubbers.com/viewtopic.php?tid=89365

That might provide the basis for an auto conversion for your existing Bay, then sell off the VW motors and install a subaru. An EJ22 or EJ25 (4 cyl.) will be more than enough in a Bay; if you go for an EJ33 (6 cyl.) the engine is longer and it all gets more crowded.

Do the engine bay soundproofing while you have the engine and box out.

If you get a subaru with aircon compressor then you'll just need to find an appropriate condensor and do the installation. Central locking is teasy and cheap on Bays; I did mine for about $80 then integrated with alarm/immobiliser/remote control; parts from any Jaycar or similar. Some BMW models (sorry, don't know the model number) have power windows which are a bolt-in installation to the Bay window winder mechanism.

The seats will be trickier as there is not a lot of room between the seat-mount base and the roof, so getting something from a Japanese car might be a better choice; these will need mod plating. Any mods to the steering column, mechanism etc. will also require an engineer's certificate, but then so will your subaru conversion.

You might be better parting out the Merc to help fund the conversion work, as I doubt you will be able to use many parts.

hth
Peter Hill
1975 Type 2 Double Cab
modulus.com.au

ttriebler Officially Full-On Dubber

321 posts · joined Jan 2008 ·

#831947
Am working on the 4speed and 5 speed Subi auto box now. Taken a little longer than I thought but will hopefully have one to show off at the nationals at the end of May. But don't expect it to fit without cutting the torsion bar. It's a big box. If you want to keep the torsion bar intact I would say it's likely you will need to fit an adaptor plate and VW auto.
Reversed gears for Subaru transmissions.
Fit a Subaru 5 speed to your rear engined car
www.subarugears.com

Hot VW Learner Dubber

4 posts · joined Mar 2011 ·

#832079
Hi, thanks for the feedback.

have not driven a bay window auto. Ancient trans with bucking horse style shifts comes to mind? want a smooth auto hence subie. Mercedes trans is too much work but oh so sublime.

EJ33 sounds good? This was in the SVX?

More weight in the back than a conventional VW aircooled I imagine. Will start driving like a beetle ....or worse an early 911 !
Anyone know the weight difference between EJ33 and VW Type 4 2.0L?

JVLRacing Custom Title Time!

1,100 posts · joined Mar 2007 ·

#832081
H6 subie motor