Conversion of F1 transmission to manual.

Hello tofisi. I did a search here and found nothing.

I have a desire to see if an F1 can be converted. It makes sense that it can be because there is an F1 actuator that selects the gears. The gears are as they would be in a manual, the box being in essence an automatically operated manual I believe.

I can imagine that there would be the inevitable issues. There always are.


My interest is this.

I have a Boxer race car project. I do not know where I want to go with it yet. I do not want to kill a street car. My preference is to bring back the dead. In this pursuit, I will be horribly upside down if remaining faithfully BB. There is an alternative in TR parts.

But as I look at architecture and arrangements, many ideas pass through my mind ir I wish to stray away from an all BB route.

The higher center of gravity has made me think of alternatives. A BB in front of a tranny is one.


Moving the bulkhead a bit forward could provide a couple more inches. I will not change the body lines or the wheel location.

 

Thank you for letting me know. I remember seeing that thread title now. But I did not read the thread when I saw it.

I was in a hurry earlier, running out the door.

And I just realized that the 360 and 430 would be the obvious place to look, because they have both available.

I am simply discovering possibilities right now. If I go to a silhouette, well it's not much BB. It may be a BB only in looks.

A TR is an easy swap IMO. It is an updated unit of the same architecture. So that route make a Boxerossa.


I was just wandering if it would be possible for me to use a transaxle unit behind a flat 12. There was an F1 car of about 1970 that did something like that.

I would want to take stuff "off the shelf" and modify it maybe. If it were possible to do such a thing, the length of the packaged block and tranny will become a factor in the tight confines of a BB. The firewall in a BB could be moved forward a little in a track car. There is also wasted space, or rather space that could be used differently in a reinvisioned BB, with a true period look outside, a boxer bock, maybe even tranny. But a different mechanical architecture inside. Again, TR suspensions are easier to find than BBs. This would result in a pure exercise of wanting to do the different, and ending up with a track day car. It would be ineligible, so probably not favorable. But I have this curiosity.

I was looking at transaxles that might work. I came upon the 458 box. But, alas, I would want a three petal car. So it becomes more than merging two housings and drive shafts.

I'll look for that 360 thread. That may provide an easy solution if I am crazy enough to go this route. And I may be.


If you look at my avatar, that is about where I am. I want a good idea of where I want to go with it. That's why I'm looking around.

From where I am, there are many places I might go. Some of which are not where many would go.

For me, this is just like playing with a puzzle. I have an inquisitive mind and I like to roll things around a bit. And I'm trying to find a focus before I step off.



I think that the 1978 IMSA car of the Pozzi team, the #88 car, is available in Europe. When I am flush I will try to pick it up. So my tribute effort, the #89 car of that year may be still born. Or it may be the Boxerossa stablemate of #88. I just don't know myself at this point.

But I do thank you for your help. And I do love seeing BBLMs on track. They have always been heroic to me.

 

Yes. The easiest route of all is to buy a totaled TR. It is straight forward then.

The result is a Boxerossa. I don't mind too much. I am waiting for one to show itself. I could even use the frame and shorten it.

I started with the idea that I would buy the frame from the burned (BB)car at T Rutlands. They have the salvage title. That I would have as a badge of honor.

And it would be a BB. Back from the dead.

It is just a question of how far under water do I really want to be. And where do you start cutting corners.





I am thinking that I might have a BB frame, driveline, instrumentation and title. I am considering a custom or TR suspension and steering rack. This, to me, is a reasonably acceptable modded BB.




Cutting all the corners makes a TR that is clothed as a BB. I think there is one around. Oh no. There is a BB that was repowered w TR. Someone even said put an M unit in one.

 

I think I may know him as well. There can't be that many.

Hey Crowndog, I'm coming up to Washington County as I always do. I'll PM you and see if we can get together to compare notes.

 

This is where I was coming from. The F1 tie in was because it looks as though the most compact is the 458 unit.

If possible, it will be tight.

And this is just a feasibility study. The end goal not having been determined. There are no doubt easier ways to do this. But I would want the flat 12, or I won't consider it further.

What I was thinking is this.
1) Minimize the longitudinal distance of the obvious drastic change. That is the mating of the engine/clutch housing, to the transaxle in the shortest amount of space.
2) See if after gaining as much space as possible by moving the firewall forward, the unit fits.

This is probably best accomplished on a cocktail napkin than with a cutting torch and welder.

There is that little space where the filters and pumps are. Then there is all that plumbing and accessories on the front of the block. Lots of reworking. Not even to be considered unless the unit itself could fit. If so, then the other stuff comes into consideration.

Again, this is a feasibility study. The point of the F1 change is because there may be a desire to do this to a 458 Tranny. It appears to be the most compact.

There also is the odd chance that a TR tranny might work. Wouldn't that be interesting if so.

 

Mods. Could you please change the name of this thread to "Alternative drivetrain for a Boxer, Flat 12".

 

Bingo !

Just maybe.


I do like the idea of a lower Cg and closer to the middle too.



Again. Just thinkin. Without spendin.

 

Several people have mentioned a percieved disconnect with the conversion of an F1.

I concur. This is more about an alternative, albiet, only, is it possible, powertrain.

Hence, my request of the mods to rename this thread, in the name of accuracy and the desire for others, who in the future, may research this.



A better titled thread may read like this.... Alternative power train for a Boxer or even a Testarossa.

 

Hey,

If you can get it in the back of that thing in my avatar, that is a miracle in itself.