Front drivers, was: <VV>Used to be Novas and Vairs

[airvair]

You two missed the guy's original point, that there was NO tunnel on a
front driver. Only one I know of that to be true is the original
Toronado, etc. THAT was my point. You also missed my word "much" in the
last sentence. Besides, having a driveshaft thru the middle of the car
does NOT mandate a HUGE tunnel. I've seen some front drivers that have
bigger tunnels than some rear drivers. It all depends on just how much
stuff they cram down the center of the car. And as to the Corvair having
a tunnel, it's only a 1 1/2" rise in the REAR floorboard, NOT the front
floorboard. It's pretty much flat. "So who's making slanted observations
here?" said the kettle to the pot. (G)

-Mark

Seriously Mark??  The tunnel on a FWD car is tiny compared to the tunnel
on a front engine/rear
drive car.  They're typically bigger than the tunnel on a Corvair though
- but the Corvair DOES
have a hump running front to back.  I'm not sure what you'd gain from
having no tunnel at all
but there you go.  Having a tunnel shape running front to back does
provide a nice structural
component to the monocoque chasis though, so it's a good thing.  You
don't have to run a
driveshaft and what not down the tunnel with the exhaust pipe at least.

mikeH

Bill Elliott wrote:
> 
> Your "logic" from your political arguments is bleeding over here... are
> you really trying to say that there is no advantage of a 2" high tunnel
> over a 10" high, 12" wide one? I'd say there is some significant
> advantage there...
> 
> A great example for you... a Mini Cooper versus an MG Midget. Both cars
> are of a similar size and weight... and use the same engine. The
> differences in packaging is astounding in the FWD Mini over the front
> engine RWD Midget. Add two more passengers to start with...
> 
> Bill
> 
> airvair wrote:
> 
> >Then what is that hump down the middle of almost every front driver out
> >there? Oh, I forgot. They lowered the floorpan so low that they needed
> >somewhere to run the exhaust pipe. LOL Anyway, that blows your assertion
> >about a tunnel. Bottom line: front drive does NOT assure a tunnel-less
> >passenger compartment. Hence not much advantage there.
> >
> >-Mark
> >
> >Padgett wrote:
> >
> >
> >>>>Having said all that, I'm sure the main reason front engine/FWD came
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>about was strictly packaging - especially for small cars.
> >>>
> >>>
> >>It helps from a manufacturing
> >>standpoint also - like the Corvair, you just have a power module, not bits
> >>at both ends and there is no driveshaft tunnel needed.
> >>
> >>Padgett
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >
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