Sambar engine swap?

[rxwild]

well, I am finally getting back to an engine sawp I started over 12 years ago...LOL

I have a 1970 Subaru Sambar (360)van...I bought it in 1975 and drove it until 1985 when I sold the engine/transaxle out of it for more than 5 times what I paid for the whole van...
I was already thinking engine swap before I sold the engine, now I have a reason to do it...what do you put into a 900lb vehicle that was originally powered by a Yamaha 354cc two stroke twin?
A Wankel rotary, of course...
HOW? well, originally it was rear engine/rear transaxle, so that means there is nothing forward of the engine bay(except the shift rod), so MIDENGINE is the word of the day...I have anRX3 that I hot rodded, so the engine is coming from there. This engine was ordered from Japan and torn down upon arrival, then the intake and exhaust ports were opened up for more air flow, blocking nozzles were added so a header could be used, then a carb was massaged to send goodly amounts of air/fuel to the beast...engine dyno read 280hp at the flywheel...not very much really and I will lose some thru the auto trans, but remember, I am aiming for 1000lb vehicle weight...
I got a mazda auto trans, cut down the tailshaft and housing(lost the speedo drive) and saved space, no driveshaft and the slipjoint from the trans output is mated directly to the pinion flange on the 3rd member, this setup puts the water pump pully 6" from the BACK of the drivers seat...I built a subframe to hold the engine/trans/dif in one unit...then a pivot point just in front of the balancing point of this, then mazda coil springs over the axle to the subaru frame(where the IRS shocks were attached)...radiator in the rear with a pusher fan and fresh air intake scoop on the side feeding air to the radiator, 12 gal aluminum marine fuel tank sits just above the axle. No heater or A/C planned, but who knows what will happen as I proceed.
I plan to remove the windows from the passenger area and weld in pieces of metal from a fullsize van(nothing back there but engine anyway) and give it a wild paint job...
I got some allow wheels from a VW and redrilled the lug holes to fit the Mazda hub, these are FWD and there is less than 1" of wheel outside of the hub, most of it is INSIDE so I won't have to build huge fender flares to cover them...

[rxwild]

A few pix can be found here: http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbul...d.php?t=450167

in the fabrication forum...