If it could be done, what would you think about a Corvette drivetrain in an E36? Do the full blown rear mounted transmission with torque tube and differential. That would help with weight balance/traction with the LS1 swaps by moving the weight of the transmission back 5 or so feet and also add a differential that is about twice as strong.

Anybody know where I could get dimentions for the torque tube, transmission, or differental? I haven't had much luck on the web today.

Just thought I'd throw a cool idea out there to see what reasons it would be shot down (other that labor intensive).

Do a search through some old Road and Track magazines ... or online and get the data sheet where they show the drivetrain of the car laid over the exterior.

Here is the Corvette

http://www.roadandtrack.com/assets/image/2006/Q2/532006175753.gif

http://www.roadandtrack.com/article.asp?section_id=3&article_id=5021

http://www.roadandtrack.com/assets/download/CallawayC16_dp.pdf

Good idea but the tranny looks pretty high at the front

Here is an E90 ... all I could find online

http://www.roadandtrack.com/assets/image/2005/0708200515595204.gif

http://www.roadandtrack.com/article.asp?section_id=3&article_id=2476

http://www.roadandtrack.com/assets/download/0508_bmw_data_panel.pdf

good luck!

Dave Menheere

I have a couple of Corvette drivetrains laying around, and I had the same thought. The biggest problems would be the width of the corvette front cradle (if you wanted to retain it) and the size of the tranny/diff. The Transmission and Diff would pretty much require you to heavily modify the back half of the frame, and probably ditch the rear seat.

Torque tube on the Z06 is about 4.8-5.0" in diameter - although it may be slightly smaller on the stock Corvette

Why?

The front/rear weight distribution on my swap is 51/49. Putting the rear mount transmission in an e36 would be a lot of work.

I have a couple of Corvette drivetrains laying around, and I had the same thought. The biggest problems would be the width of the corvette front cradle (if you wanted to retain it) and the size of the tranny/diff. The Transmission and Diff would pretty much require you to heavily modify the back half of the frame, and probably ditch the rear seat.

Torque tube on the Z06 is about 4.8-5.0" in diameter - although it may be slightly smaller on the stock Corvette

It would be on a completely stripped race car. I would buy a 318/325 or something to hack up. Cutting up the floor boards and anything else would not be a problem.

I found this and added some dimentions. There was a C6 rolling chassis on ebay and the seller was nice enought to measure the dimentions and send them to me. The lower dimentions are referenced to the center of the axle shafts. The first is to the back of the torque tube, the second is to the front of the torque tube, the third is to the back of the engine, and the fourth is to the center of the motor mount bolts.

Now I need some help with dimentions from someone who did the standard LS1/T56 swap:
How far back does the center of the motor mount bolts from the center of the front axle?

I put a tape measure next to my car and I figured out that if I line up the rear axle output with the center of the rear tires that the center of the engine mount bolts would be 6" behind the center of the front tire. I just want to compare that to how the standard LS1/T56 sits.