Ltrail

I'm an off road guy but have been into fast cars previously. Get your laughter out now one was turbo honda and a few Volvo turbo setups. Here's the question since I haven't found much on the subject. If you had an ls based car(undecided on what car just yet) and wanted AWD what would be the most viable options? I see guys in the off road community trying to swap w56 car trans to 4wd and such. I'd like to be a manual trans but have the whole drive train from wrecked 1/2t burban. Thinking this could make a decent awd car with a little fabrication. What say ye?

1981TA

iTrader: (7)

decent donor cars/trucks:
trailblazer
Isuzu trooper v8
maybe check for a awd version of holden monaro (gto) or commodore (not sure they actually exist--research needed)

Going cheap? Maybe awd astro van or 4wd s 10 or Jimmy and add ls engine.

Ltrail

Yes I have a wrecked 01 suburban that I got for next to nothing. I'd fix and drive it but the rear barn doors won't close. It was to be a tow rig donor engine but found a decent truck so now I have a spare 4x4 truck drive train. I thought a fair cam and some heads I have here would wake it up a touch. First I was thinking Volvo 240 but the space isn't there. Going to be a little lazy here and not make too much work for myself. Thought a regal and make it look like GN. Or a friend has a 63 biscayne that I could do. Leaning towards 2dr s10 though. Can't seem to find much info on what trans guys are running as manuals. May keep the auto at first, but my concern is more on the transfer case at the moment. Truck case has a reduction in the case and I don't see the need in a street truck. I have heard the typhoon and astro boxes work but don't find any. I'd like to keep it a little low in the budget. I'm a decent fab guy and I usually can find parts reasonable. I just finishing up a jeep Cherokee with 4.7l I6 and a set of one ton ford axles. I'll be ~3500-4k into a built wheeler with a cage. I'd like to keep this one around there also. Have the means to build control arms and shorten the rear axle(probably ford 9) and make a front as well(possibly also a 9 center with cv's )

DavidBoren

The 4x4 S10 to AWD conversion is well documented. The Chevy Astro van and Olds Bravada suv AWD systems are the same, dirt cheap at the j/y, and reliable up to ~400ft/lb at the wheels.

You need the transfer case, front differential, front driveshaft, and front half-shafts... to convert an S10.

To use the same system in a full size suburban would require longer half-shafts and possibly a longer front driveshaft. And possibly custom A-arms to use the 4wd S10 uprights/hub/knuckle/whatever. Or maybe the custom half-shafts could be used to adapt the AWD astro/bravada front differential to mate with 4wd suburban ifs.

97pontta

iTrader: (10)

This guy has a Procharged LS2 engine in an 80's Olds. He did the fab work and used parts from a few different vehicles to make it work.

http://www.1320video.com/the-800hp-a...hp-jeep-srt-8/

DavidBoren

Get a 4wd manual S10.

Leave the manual transmission in there.

Swap engine for 5.3 V8.

Swap transfer case/ front diff for AWD.

Put whatever body you want on the frame.

That's literally the cheapest way I can think of to make anything into AWD with manual transmission and a V8. Well, anything that could fit on a S10 frame, that is.

The other, more modern, probably better, definitely more expensive option is the AWD hemi drivetrain.