mongo

I can only speak for Michigan, but if you have a car with a title, it has headlights, taillights, turn signals, brakelights, a horn and a windshield, you can put it on the road. Oh, you need at least PLPD insurance.


There is a guy rolls around my area with a Dodge Shadow with a blown 440 in it.

hyperv6

Putting RWD and a V8 would be similar to building a pro street car.

To do it right the price would run about $20K to how ever much you want to spend.

You would have to build a chassie and sit the body on it. THat alone would put you near $20K. now if you paint the chassie, powder coat it, what rear axle you run, what kind of tin work you do to put the floor in etc all add up to how much you want to spend.

My buddies Fiero Prostreet is not even done and he is around $30-35K. He still needs paint and he went with a mild 350 engine nothing crazy.

I know a few guys that went well into the 6 figures on their builds. But these are extreem show cars.

There are guys who can do this on the cheap but often have issue with the way the car drives. One buddy had a Camaro pro street that did not have a full chassie under it and T tops. The car drove horrible and ended up bending in the center. The new owner had to put a full chassie and near $20,000 into the car. It drives very well now.

cosmic1

This would be no different than a Hemi in a '32 Ford or VW bug with a V8 up front. Jay Leno has a Toronado that was converted to RWD. If I remember correctly, the Year One HHR didn't have a VIN. It was "given" to them by Chevrolet to build a car for the SEMA show. Some states don't like to register heavily modified cars, i.e. Pro Street. Other states, no problem (there is a street legal sprint car running around somewhere in CA). I think an HHR with a Solstice drive-train would be a lot of fun. An HHR with a 350 up front would be a blast.

db/sb

These guys build V8 Pontiac Solstaces; pretty much the same thing:
http://www.mallettcars.com/solstice-conversion.htm

LawDog88

Bada$$!

paulspanel

Guys; that would involve fabbing a complete new frame and driveshaft tunnel such as they do to a drag super stock car that has been transfigured from fwd to rwd. You;re talking substantial coin! Then you need to also construct a total rear suspension along w/third member and axles. Don't forget the new firewall and tin for the new floor also!

foolmoon_design

A co-worker of mine has a solstice with a caddy motor in it. The motor bolts right up with the tranny! You have to beef the front suspension, and he says it drives like a boat sinking by the bow.(the front end always wants to push out during corners.)


The best way to change the SS to a V-8 is to get a Camaro SS from GMPP completly stripped down(strip/track chassis) and then drop the HHR over the top. Not cheap but, essentially your titling a Camaro not an HHR.

It can be done! I saw a late 50's Corvette body dropped onto a 2008 ZO6 (it sold at Barret Jacksons) It was wider, shorter, and longer..... but still looked close enough to the original.

1970judge

You don't 'have' to third member anything. Trust me. I will be swapping in my spare 6 banger I have, not a V8, but I have seen what it took for year ones car, and it wasn't that complicated. Getting around the electronics is the worst part to think about IMO.

LawDog88

What size 6 banger?

prod

Yeah it said they kept the front end steering components from the hhr.
Fabbing the tunnel, mounting the engine/drivetrain, and adding frame rails. No problem for someone experienced in such things, but not me.