Hello all from the UK 🇬🇧 👋🏻

Ok, I know the picture isn’t of a Honda, but please hear me out! 😁👍

Here is my rare 1998 Subaru Domingo that was imported from Japan at some point.

It’s rear engined, RWD, with the engine under the boot floor. The engine is right at the back with the driveshafts infront of the block.

I bought it recently with no engine fitted (came with 2 which are 1200cc 3cyl with 61bhp) but had a dead CVT gearbox. I’m hoping to put it back on the road as a fun daily driver.

I’ve been looking around for a replacement gearbox which now seems impossible in the UK and still very difficult in the rest of Europe where some of these were sold!

So this now leads me to consider totally different engine options but on a budget!?

The plan is to make it into a fun reliable daily and keep things as simple as possible…… ish!

Having a think of small reliable cars with good engines made me think Honda!
(You see where I’m going with this now lol ).

To keep costs down I’ll only be looking at the D16 or similar as I think the 100-120bhp is plenty in a van that only had 63bhp 😂.

I understand that the Honda engines run backwards compared to most other 4 cylinder engines. Therefore will be looking into mating it to either a Toyota or Nissan gearbox for example to change the output rotation and then spin the engine 180° so that the engine is right at the back of the van and the driveshafts are forward of the engine as per the factory lump. I don’t know the technicalities of doing this yet but apparently its possible.

First up I need to check the dimensions of the D16 engine and a gearbox itself to see how it may fit in the van.
The engine bay is under the boot floor with limited height BUT there is a hatch in the boot floor that’s removable that the top of the engine may protrude through. I’m hoping not too much so I still have good boot space lol.

Does anyone have the overall height/width/length of a D16 engine??

Any thoughts and assistance would be gratefully received and if I go ahead with this of course I’ll keep you posted 😁





Example of the rear setup in the factory van.

 

Smart Fortwo drivetrain comes to mind. Engine lays back almost flat and it's also a 3 cylinder. 91hp if I recall correctly.

D series is likely too tall to fit under that floor pan.

Have you considered EV conversion?

 

I looked at the smart engines and the electronics are ridiculously complicated for a small car!!

Ive seen an EV conversion done on one of these but I want a small petrol engine ideally.

Im aware that the D series engine is taller than the engine bay but as I said I can put it up through the boot floor hatch. Similar but not the same as this….

 

What about an EJ engine?




Use whatever transmission the VW Euro van guys are using. Or adapter to a trans axle of your choice. I know there is at least a K series to EJ trans adapter.

Rotary is also super low profile but again transmission adapter.

 

The EJ engine is quite long with gearbox and I doubt will fit.

There’s also no room for a rear axle as the driveshafts have to come direct from
the gearbox like in a FWD car.

I basically need a FWD setup in the back but something very simple to setup after mounting.
I’m looking for basic wiring without thousands of modules and sensors just to be the thing running.