im just starting a resto on my mk2 escort van and thought this would be the ideal base for such a conversion. so after a lot of research i arrived at the 1.7 td izuzu engine as used in vauxhall astras and cavaliers in the 90s. mostly because these lumps are renowned for theyre reliability and good mpg. along with this they were restriced to 80 bhp when supplied to vauxhall so can be tuned easily for more output. and after measuring i found the engine to be 3 inches shorter than a pinto!! and roughly the same weight. but best of all they were made to fit the vauxhall box, so, a vauxhall to type 9 bellhousing used for fitting xe engines, and the rwd drivetrain is sorted!!
it wont be the simplest conversion ever in the mk2 van but will be cool if it works out i reckon!!
link to thread here.
http://z7.invisionfree.com/CEOCI/index. ... topic=8574
it was while sizing up this setup that i thought it may be a runner in a mk1 tranny flat front as pintos have been squeezed into them before.
so after sharing my thoughts with my mate who owns this sweet swb mk1 complete with very tired v4!!! he was more than keen to see if it would work out!!
after curiousity getting the better of me for the last while i decided to pull in a mk1 cab i got for breaking to mock it all up!!
first i just dangled the engine itself in there to see how it shaped up. first impressions were good!
so using the bellhousing i coupled up a tranny type 9.....i know a lot will question this, could always make up a plate to mate up an mt75 if it came to it!!
engine and box in place more or less in correct position.
i just bent up the hanger tabs for the mk1 box for clearance ( the beauty of using scrap van for mock up!!) the gearlever also lines up with hole, would look original inside using type 9.
oil filter fouls a little on drivers side but could get round this handy enough id say.
the most impressive part is the clearance up front when the front panel is in place.
even a mk5 di rad fits comfortably with room for a slimline fan on front id say!
like the escort van, one of the biggest hurdles will be the cooling system, the thermostat housing and mass of pipes on the back of the head will be a pain to deal with but not impossible i hope!!!
i figure if i can get it to work out in the escort van, the tranny ill be a lot simpler, for a start the sump shouldnt need touching as there should be plenty of clearance from the axle etc.
i couldnt see this conversion being "man" enough in a twin wheel fire tender for example, but should be pretty sweet in a swb,.....and a nice bit quieter than a DI.
it may be worth a shot i reckon!!
a mate of mine fitted 1 of these into a mk1 astra 
thats what would put me off doing this to mine but 80BHP is still 10 more than a Di 
