Sometimes you learn a bit of info and it just smacks ya right in the face.

Buddy just got a 92 Astro AWD 700R4/4L60 4.3V6 4 cheap

I don't think straight line guys would care but id dig seeing a AWD 3rd gen showing up some Subarus's on their own turff.

Has anyone ever raced a 3rd gen up pikes peak?

 

Cause didn't they make and sell an AWD 3rd gen in europe or something? Pretty sure I seen one once that was imported.
Could of been BS though.

 

No, the Euro 3rd gens were not AWD.

 

it was in a magazine. no photos to back up the claim. it was a gm test mule but like I said no proof of how they got past the eng. being in the way of the front axle just not enough room with out getting super creative or dumping the body on a truck frame

 

talk about no ground clearance if they went under the k member!!

 

Did GM own hummer at that time?

Maybe they made some rim axels like it uses.
ya know the gears are in the tire hub, so the axel can come in up high?

Id assume it was like a FWD trans axel setup???

 

Its been done... by about every toothless hillbilly with too much free time... take one rusted out K5 Blazer heap, one arc welder, a thirdgen with some minor problem, and 13 24 packs of Old Mil and presto...

As far as one built for better performance (not offroading or running over the old VW out in the burn pile) why would anyone bother?

Yeehaw, here's a 2nd gen example of an AWD (4x4) Z28

 

I don't know about you guys but I would own that just for giggles,the sheer goofiness of it cracks me up!

 

thats the best 4x4 f-body I have seen

 

either move the engine up in the chassis, or back in the chassis so you have some room to work with, then use an Astro AWD transfer case going to a Corvette, BWM, Jag or other independant rear suspension diff set up for CV joints, along with SAW custom half shafts and GM FWD struts(like out of a Caddy or other similar weight FWD vehicle) and a 4th gen steering rack(cause it's nice and small). Obviously theres a ton of fabrication involved, but that's about as simple as I can make a complex swap like this off the top of my head

 

I saw one thatappeared to be a 4x4 but it had also een lifted a fait bit so t looked terrible.

 

I'm talking AWD.

Not some dumb 4x4 solid axle truck frame swap.

Real AWD computer controled independent suspension.

Maybe even swap in a Vette rear end to make it complete.

 

Realisticly it can be done but a minor lift must be involved or a major rear passanger comparment modification to clear the transfer case. Your best and probably only solution is an S series frame swap for a semi descent ride height but you will still have to deal with the trasfer case height and location since our cars do not have room anywhere for a t-case. Even if you were to slam the S frame and do an axle flip the trasnfer case will be sticking up right under and behind the drivers seat.

To answer your other question, loads of rear wheel drive 3rdgens have made it up the Peak, some still do it in record time.

 

I want to say it was in the gm highperformance mag or one of those similar ones. but, the car looked stock which is why I figure it was fake. or mis print. I mean come on you have a awd 90 somthing camaro that looks stock and there are no eng. or under car pictures to show any hint of what they did? yes, you can make it work if you have the tooling and the factorys to built one off cases. look at the 6000 STE, AWD montana vans, and so on basic changes to the trans case is all that is needed. a large truck transfer case is not needed

 

Take the AWD montana transmission, rear end, and a Cadillac Northstar. V8 AWD Camaro.

Also doesn't the front axle run through a tunnel in the oil pan on the new I6 Trailblazer?

 

 

I know I heard about the car here and pretty sure the owner posted in the thread too. Probably before it was in the mag???
But was such a long time ago.

 

the problem is that in the f-bodies current configuration it can't be done. there is no room for a transfercase and the only possible way to get the front diff in there would be something similar to the trailblazer with the diff going through the oil pan. you'd also hae to re-locate the steering gear. keep in mind you engineering genius's that see the awd cars out there that they all have the engine sideways in the engine bay (transverse mounted) and have the transmission and transfercase built into one and all up front with the rear driveshaft running where the normal shaft runs. to fit a transfercase in there with the engine mounted longitutanly (spelling off) you'd have to enlarge the trans tunnel making foot room almost non-existant where the front driveshaft would need to run. on top of that, think of where it would run to, where in the hell are you going to fit a front diff in there that close to the engine. if you want awd, go buy something foreign...

 

I think you should send a PM or E-Mail to the user S10Wildside. He has completed an AWD conversion on his S-Series truck which also has a V8 conversion done. I remember him being very popular on the truck message boards and turns out he is also a member on these forums because of his interest in the V8 swap and TPI and stuff. I'm not saying his setup would drop into a Camaro (haha!) but he probably knows a good ammount about AWD V8 setups and what to look out for or whatever.

 

HAHA that is so *******.

 

realistically, doing something similar to a subaru's awd setup would be more fesible w/o lifting it. If you've ever owned/looked closely under the body of one of those, the whole drivetrain is quite small. looked much like 2 fwd setups put together. 4 cv shafts, one short driveshaft (mine looked not even half the width of my camaro's) one little transfer case/diff the size of a small melon in the back.

Then again subaru's AWD is 90/10 unless you have the manual button. Or pull a fuse and its fwd.

 

Well that is a good idea.

I have driven in 4x4s fun but AWD is so awesome.
Its smooth and controled. Anyone can nail it and drive through some crap but being able to drive as slow as you want in the nastiest stuff is so very neat. Plus you can get more then 8MPG.

 

??

 

doing an awd in an S-Series is a piece of cake. you buy a 4wd S-Series and change the transfercase. Here is an example.

 

didnt you guys know that GM engineers designed the 3rd gen to be possibly front wheel drive and didnt make the decision to go with rear wheel drive until late in the design stages? yes, the 3rd gen was almost FWD...lol crazy huh? all you would have to do is transversly mount the engine and run a transaxle. once u have it set up for front wheel drive you can make it AWD (not exactly sure how AWD works with transversly mounted engines but a lot of the AWD japanese cars are FWD in base form so it must not be that hard...)

 

No RWD no long smokey burn outs. That would suck

 

There is a good answer to explain that AWD 3rd gen.
Might not of been a 90s car. Maybe an early prototype that avoided the crusher out the back door. Then they used a 90s production car to get clean numbers.

might be also why its was mentioned in one mag and went MIA back underground. Like a stolen piece of art.

GM Xfiles

 

With the right programing and engine combo, I am sure you could get all 4 roasting. Aim for 200Whp per tire.

 

we thought about that once and canned it cuz no way to get good axle angles at stock height the front rear would be to far foward or back. we had a van and everything. and then he said i got the 383 f--- this!

 

"Who needs a transfer case? Not me."

[kinda]

Just hit me watching trucks.... 1000hp hill climbers don't use transfer cases. The run chain drive for the clearance and space issues. Now how to do that without a solid axles,aaaahhhhhhhhh
who knows. Good stuff for thought.

 

Hi. I'm not even close to being a mechanic. I can barely check my own oil BUT here goes with the questions.

Why can't you just buy an engine and tranny from a car that already has and awd v8?
Range Rover, Audi rs4 etc

Just fitment that is an issue?

Cheers 🍻

 

The issue is making it all fit in a platform that was never designed for that application

 

I've spent more time than I care to remember researching this idea and sourcing parts options. Its totally possible, but its an insane amount of work to make it all fit and maintain stock appearance and ride heights.

maybe one day....

 

Here's some G Body inspiration!

https://www.lsxmag.com/news/necessit...-1982-cutlass/