Subaru Conversion.. Is it Reversible?, Want to keep body stock. Options

[Brian Mifsud]

Has anyone successfully swapped in a Subaru and NOT had to slice up the body for the cooling lines, plumbing, and heat exchangers?

Specifically, in the nose of the car, can you get adequate cooling by installing the radiator and ducting by slicing up/altering JUST the front hood? (inlet in front, outlet at base of windshield, or above fender wells).

I'd like to make the swap wholly reversible so the car keeps it's "Stock" value.

"Plan B" (very undesirable) I'd think would be to cut out the inner fender wells, but keep the steel to reweld later.. and use the front hood (glass replica) to do the air-inlet.

[Andyrew]

A 2056 motor seems like it would work much better for you.. Probably similar investment.


The fact that your asking these questions seem to answer them itself.

Also a GOOD subaru conversion should have the same value as a good 4 cyl.

No one has ever installed a radiator using only the hood as the inlet and outlet. One limiting factor is the gas tank makes up the rear 1/3 of the hood, The work is possible, but the execution will look bad and IMHO not function near as well as it should. The better solution is to move the engine back a few inches and mount the radiator in front of the engine in the engine compartment. This has been done back in 05 and driven across country. I dont remember the gentlemans name but it did it on a shoestring budget and it was one of the better designed system I have seen.

[Brian Mifsud]

A 2056 motor seems like it would work much better for you.. Probably similar investment.


The fact that your asking these questions seem to answer them itself.

Also a GOOD subaru conversion should have the same value as a good 4 cyl.

No one has ever installed a radiator using only the hood as the inlet and outlet. One limiting factor is the gas tank makes up the rear 1/3 of the hood, The work is possible, but the execution will look bad and IMHO not function near as well as it should. The better solution is to move the engine back a few inches and mount the radiator in front of the engine in the engine compartment. This has been done back in 05 and driven across country. I dont remember the gentlemans name but it did it on a shoestring budget and it was one of the better designed system I have seen.

Andy...
I find re-inventing wheels is clunky.. those damn corners...!!! Getting a hood-only system to work with enough experimentation would probably be a long road.

Now that you mention the radiator in engine compartment, it reminds me of that self-contained power plant somebody put together where a geo-Metro 3 cylinder was set up to power 911's which where having their 6's rebuilt to keep the cars mobile. It had it's radiator set adjacent to the engine block in the custom cooling housing sheet-metal.

Venting all the cooling air in and out of the engine compartment is done..duuuuh! with the air-cooled motors.. so there's no good reason why a liquid to air heat exchanger wouldn't have enough airflow in that part of the car.. it's just a question of getting enough area and the right size radiator, or two small radiators in place. Ideally, it would all be a self-contained module of engine and liquid cooling system that drops out of the car in the same footprint as the air cooled power plants.

Mike..
Yes, you are right, a well executed oil-cooler would be seen as an enhancement in many eyes and is certainly not unique in a VW powered car. It might be a blend of the two ideas.. self contain the liquid cooling system, and add an oil cooler if needed..




I really like these ideas... I think I get my cake and eat it too!