Tech / General Engine Is your car making a strange sound or won't start? Thinking of adding power with a new combination? Need other technical information or engine specific advice? Don't see another board for your problem? Post it here!
Sponsored by:
Sponsored by: CARiD

AWD...

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Aug 17, 2013 | 11:08 PM
  #1  
BadRiggins's Avatar
Thread Starter
Member
 
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 102
Likes: 0
From: Wahxaw, NC
Car: 1989 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am
Engine: 5.0 305 V8 FI
Transmission: 700R4 Automatic
AWD...

First of all, I have no clue where this thread should be posted, but I decided to post here. I would like to know for sure, but I highly doubt, did any Camaro/Firebird/Corvette ever come with stock AWD? If not, what GM cars did/do? It might be a crazy thought, but a LS1 built engine with a strong transmission (with overdrive, daily driver) that is AWD would be an amazing...in my opinion that is. Would you have to get the transmission and axles from a GM truck that had/has AWD? Again, just another info and opinion thread.
Reply
Old Aug 18, 2013 | 12:22 AM
  #2  
novaderrik's Avatar
Supreme Member
 
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 1,293
Likes: 5
From: Howard Lake, MN
Car: 86 Camaro
Engine: 355- hopefully a 5.3 this summer
Transmission: 700r4
Axle/Gears: 3.42
Re: AWD...

no cars that i can think of off the top of my head, but there were a lot of Olds Bravadas, Cadillac Escalades, and Chevy Astro/GMC Safari vans sold with AWD starting in the early 90's and continuing to this day... GMC also sold the Syclone and Typhoon trucks for a few years in the early 90's, but those were just 4X4 S series chassis that were lowered and powered by special turbocharged versions of the 4.3 V6 backed with the Astro/Safari AWD transfer cases...

and this is one of those subjects where if you have to ask how hard it is to do, then you probably don't have the tools, talent, and experience to do it. many a project car has died and inglorious death because someone thought it would be easy to make their car into an AWD beast..
Reply
Old Aug 18, 2013 | 12:46 AM
  #3  
Zane M's Avatar
Member
iTrader: (1)
 
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 326
Likes: 1
From: SLC, UT
Car: 1991 GTA
Engine: LB9
Transmission: T5
Re: AWD...

A few hundred hours of fab work and you should be golden.
A Astro conversion would probably be the easiest(Syclone/Typhoon would be comparable, but don't hack one of those up for this project)-but you will be stuck with a V6, and it isn't LS
Want to go V8/LS? Then step up to a Tahoe/Escalade donor and add some more to your labor/fabrication total.
In either case, you are going to need the motor/trans/transfer case/computer/front differential/rear axle(or change your gearing to match the front) and wiring from the donor vehicle. It actually may be easier to integrate the 3rd gen body onto the entire donor vehicle than to swap all the parts over to the 3rd gen.(kind of like the 3rd gen 4x4 Camaro rolling around my neighborhood on the 12" lifted K5 drivetrain).
Anything is doable but you have to be honest with yourself about how much time/dedication/skill and money you have and are willing to put into the project.
Reply
Old Aug 18, 2013 | 06:17 PM
  #4  
novaderrik's Avatar
Supreme Member
 
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 1,293
Likes: 5
From: Howard Lake, MN
Car: 86 Camaro
Engine: 355- hopefully a 5.3 this summer
Transmission: 700r4
Axle/Gears: 3.42
Re: AWD...

an Astro van might be the least hard way to go... the whole front suspension and drivetrain back to the transfer case comes out with the subframe that holds the front suspension.. i think the track width might even be close... but it's a very difficult and time consuming project with the only gain being that you will be able to get thru pretty much any snow drift you may encounter...
Reply
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
3rdGen_Newbie
Tech / General Engine
2
May 11, 2009 09:25 PM
roadpie4u
Tech / General Engine
6
Sep 25, 2001 04:59 PM




All times are GMT -5. The time now is 05:41 AM.