is it possible to put a front wheel drive motor in a rear wheel drive vehicle?

No....

Only if you are ingenious enough...

Why cant it be done?

If you want to go threw major fabrication to put the engine & trany over the rear end then yes. But the trany is designed to drive 2 axles, not one.

Oh, I see what you are asking, sorry, I would not be sure on that but have a sneaking suspicion that you can not.

No . Just that simple. A rear wheel drive car has a longitudinal engine, serpentine or V-belts in front by radiator. A Front wheel drive car is transverse, 'sideways' and just not doable without extensive fabraction

I wouldn't use a front wheel trany on the rear. I thought a motor was a motor. I thought if you managed to get motor mounts on the engine it would fit right in.

I put a 3.1L V6 in a Pontiac Sun fire, it runs, so I was just thinking about another project.

As for serpentine belts, a friend of mine has a race car that operates with a serpentine belt. I think it can be done.

Yes it can be done, it will take an ass load of fab work however look at the older caddy's that were front wheel drive or the toranados just saying they used a v8 that was not sideways in the car yet had a tranny that only drove the front wheels, u can take a front wheel drive car and make it rear wheel drive just look at Mr Leno with his 1100hp olds tornado it has a better c6 drive line and twin turbos, beside guys with a welder anything is possible

Vette***

I want to thank all of you for the answers to my questions. If I attempt to put a front wheel drive motor in a rear wheel drive vehicle, I will keep you posted.

U wouldn't be using front wheel drive trans u would use trans from rear wheel drive car only fab would be transplate adapter and wiring differences.

Can you take the engine out of a car that the engine is sideways and mount engine only to a rear wheel tranny etc.?

to make thissimple u can do anything nothing is to hard! with a little thought before u start.to answer guru Q.no with an adapter plate odds are more in your favor. have fun make it happen

one can only try right

I’m sure you were talking about putting the whole front end of a front wheel drive car. I positive you can, I’m thinking to do it to a 38 Plymouth, that would give me a late model engine, trans, new suspension with rack and pinion steering.... It would much easier the sub framing a camero to a old car and much cleaner. Just find something with the same wheel base as the car your going to install it in

just do it! i have done a lot of so called imposable projects.think it out !have fun! these things are all so posable...DougF/X

find a late model 4x4 front spindles. you will have to re- engineer the control arm's ,steering links probably springs, sway bars, brakes...and for sure a custom abs/ wheel speed controller unit. look at every thing. use the C.V. axles tied into a electric motor (1 on each side of the block) I'm planning to under-drive them 2 to 1. the next thing you need to do is put some kind of over drive to the rear axle, the electric motors could passably over run the speed of the rear wheel drivetrain, next you have to power it. any one know how to take a small fraction of combustion pressure straight to electric? ( Ya 12 to 1 pistons and all) think about it.

There is no transmission involved. Strip the fwd down to the short block and transfer all the parts from the red to the short block. Wiring and plenum and etc are the same because you are using the parts from your original project. 3.8 is a 3.8 bottom line. YB

So, If It is Doable Then Why Say No?...

It is Doable If You Disconnect The Engine from The Transaxle and Set Up Your Engine Configuration Longitudinally With a Rear Wheel Drive Transmission Such as The Porche Transmissions.

Great OP; was thinking of this for a late '60's ute (Val VC or Falcon XR) to give more power and economy, and partially offset the loss of tail weight with LPG tanks. So is it easier/cheaper/realistic to replace the original engine with a FWD engine or to muck around re-orienting the original RWD motor?

Yes you can follow this. https://www.transmissionadapters.com/GM%203800%20series.htm

My answer is yes. I say that because I also asked the same very question. So here it is 06 taurus fwd. Frame gone from rust so I wanted to build death cart but hard to drift fwd. So I'm going to cut the front end off . Put it in the rear ( also it will be rear wheel steering).then Fab new frame to the front attach the rear end up front. Build roll cage and figure out steering. So that's my plan. I will be successful with y'alls advice help and questions.

Yes you can.....GuruSB9YG....i have one that's finished motor in the front and one in the back both came from 94 galants I have it set up so I can pick front or back or and 4wheel steering all make from cheap cheap laying around.....My grandpa built the car I would have to say it's pretty crazy

Sure why not, use front subframe holding g enginr and tranny. Bolt up to rear of as prepped vehicle meaning rear axle removed and fabbed to mount your subframe. You wont want to steer anymore so that will have to be locked down center. Cooling will be next. Prob ke eff p radiator up front with a booster pump

This,is,excactly what I think.transfer engine with trans.setup and block steering. Should ve do able

There was an article back in the 90s in one of the car magazines where the authors took the engine and drive train from a wrecked Honda Crv (I think) and mounted the whole shebang in the rear of another Crv. This gave them two engines with all wheel drive. I remember they talked about what fun it was to roll up on a "fast car" at a light and then smoke them off the line - apparently the mod turned the little Honda into quite the sleeper... If anyone remembers the magazine, or the article please post what you know - I'd love to reread it. I think they called it the "CR-V squared".

If you are trying to make a RWD car into a FWD car then just use a subaru or skyline trans and remove the drive shaft spindle and block the hole off with a plate. As for the rear you would at minimal need to remove the rear diff, axles, and just leave the spindles bolted through the rear hubs. (assuming we are talking a car with IRS.) You can also take a front wheel drive engine and mount it longitudinally mated to a RWD transmission. In both cases here: Does it bolt right in? No. Does it require the fabrication of custom motor or transmission mounts? Yes. Does it require an adapter plate to mate a transmission to the engine? Yes Is it going to take a while to do? Yes. Has it been done millions of times meaning a simple google search would give you plenty of examples? Yes. In short anything can be done if you have the skills and or money necessary to complete it. It isn't easy but everyone in here that said no is just outright wrong and clearly has never fabricated a part in their lives.

So can you cut the existing fwd motor mounts off the block then install the motor just hanging or whatever how ever with out it falling then find center or where ever you wanna put the motor and take set of red motor mounts weld them to the block just like the fwd motor mounts was but on the side then install a red trans make a drive shaft and let her eat is that possible