Looking for advice on Transaxles

[Jake]

Hi, I am in the process of attempting to fit a Chevy 350 into a 1973 Lotus Europa, and being a mid engined car I am looking for a transaxle to drop in. In the many searches I have done on the internet regarding transaxles I have been directed to this forum more than a few times, so I decided to join and post what I'm up to.

Jake

 

[Dalton Veitch]

Welcome Jake. There are many members on here with experience and knowledge on transaxles. You probably need to define your requirements to get the ball rolling (mainly street, or racing? what power and torque is the engine output? is your budget economy or generous? will you work on it yourself, or will you have to take it to a workshop for problems? etc.).

 

[Jake]

Dalton, I am looking for somewhere in the 350 to 450hp range (more than enough for a car that is less than 1800lbs) , my budget is somewhat tight, I will do all the work I can myself. My goal is to end up with a car I can drive every day but still set wicked fast times at the local road coarse, so I want something that can take some abuse every once and a while and still be reliable.

 

[Dalton Veitch]

Jake, once everyone has seen your hello here, you're going to need to move the technical discussion over to the transaxle section of the Technical Forum, where I'm sure there will be a number of members ready to discuss the finer points of what's availble around Chicago.

 

[Seymour Snerd]

.... move the technical discussion over to the transaxle section of the Technical Forum

Please, no. That's the GT40 technical section, not the Lotus Europa forum.

Put it under the Auto Coillection.

 

[DaveM]

Hi Jake,
As another Lotus Europa owner (Zetec engine S1) I know what you are up against. My initial thought is look at Porsche or Audi boxes. ZF, Hewland, and Mendiola boxes will be too expensive if you're on a budget. Your major problem will be length of the transaxle from engine block to axle shafts. Add to that the longer V8. Unless you're planning on stretching the chassis and body (Lotus 47D) it may not be possible.