Thread: Wheelbase: Best engine placement?

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Originally Posted by FNA

I know that if you set your engine "BACK" you gain a much better "FEEL" to the car but suffer room for your feet. Say you were to lengthen the frame and have a longer wheelbase...could you then move the engine a bit more forward to free up foot room but still have a decent handeling vehicle?

A short wheelbase car will be more nimble-handling than a long wheelbase car. The best you can hope for if you have handling in mind instead of brute horsepower is to use a lightweight motor to try to bring the weight distribution more toward 50/50 or 45/55 or whatever. Something like a SBF with aluminum heads, aluminum manifold and tubular headers. Or maybe even a turbocharged 4-banger from a Thunderbird Turbo Coupe.