So three of us car guys at work have come up with a project car for a Fiat 850 body that one of the guys owns. He was planning to use a Smart TD with Auto Shift trans and has decided now that it wont fit, so he is putting it into a Fiat X1/9. So of course I suggested we T4 the Fiat 850. Then the third guy came up with the rotery. Looked it up and found that others have done VW conversions to Fiat 850's, but we didn't find any roterys done.
My question here is what gears should be used with a 13b to push a 1800 lb. car? What gears are being used in 914 roterys? stock? Will the 200 lbs. make a big difference in gearing?
-Mike D.
Full Version: OT: New Project - Rotery Question
Hi Mike,,
When I had a running 13B streetport (220 HP) in a 914, I found the stock gearing in that gearbox complimented my engine very well. The gears were a tad long but revving to 8k was no problem. I assume the car weighed about 2100 lbs, but it was never weighed. IMHO I don't think 200#s will make too much difference. I hope this helps a little.
-Rob
When I had a running 13B streetport (220 HP) in a 914, I found the stock gearing in that gearbox complimented my engine very well. The gears were a tad long but revving to 8k was no problem. I assume the car weighed about 2100 lbs, but it was never weighed. IMHO I don't think 200#s will make too much difference. I hope this helps a little.
-Rob
yes, thanks - obviously, I'm not going with a 914 trans. but some later VW with CV joints. I will have custom length half shafts and I'll have to figure something out with the wheel hubs...
Here is the car, It is the white one. Not a great pic....
Here is the car, It is the white one. Not a great pic....
oops...
Aren't all the 850s swing-axle? If you go with CVs, what are you going to do about a rear suspension? Fabricating something?
Certainly, I'd not pump much power through the stock swing axle suspension. However, if you fabricate something more sensible (perhaps a DeDion arrangement), then you'd have a nice car, probably the most fun 850 on the planet. If you went with a VW swing-axle transaxle, I'd probably not do a hot rotary, but something more like a mild 12A, at most. Or perhaps a moderate T1. Even then, I'd want to devise some kind of zero-roll setup in back. Powerful swing-axle cars are just plain evil. 100hp would be pretty much the upper limit unless you're a masochist.
Certainly, I'd not pump much power through the stock swing axle suspension. However, if you fabricate something more sensible (perhaps a DeDion arrangement), then you'd have a nice car, probably the most fun 850 on the planet. If you went with a VW swing-axle transaxle, I'd probably not do a hot rotary, but something more like a mild 12A, at most. Or perhaps a moderate T1. Even then, I'd want to devise some kind of zero-roll setup in back. Powerful swing-axle cars are just plain evil. 100hp would be pretty much the upper limit unless you're a masochist.
A friend of mine bought a '67 with a turbo'd 124 motor (I think 1.8.) Sweet cars!
Need to do this to the 850 too 
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