Noisy Cricket wrote:Wonder if it wouldn't be easier to just modify the subframe.
I have always wondered why no one has tried this.
For example I wanted to fab some other stuff and just by flipping the subframe around backwards I was able to drop the engine in the car with stock upper and mid pan. But ones the trans is involved its a different story.
The other concern I have heard is that the stock pan could run dry due to where the pickup is located. Its hard for me to imagine that VW made a car that cant sustain cornering forces, but maybe it's true. If you look at the pan Hank made it includes baffles and trap doors unlike the stock pan and the sump is modified to sit where you want it.
I see the time attack/hillclimb A4 is or was running stock pans and looked like it was doing OK but I bet its not ideal.
This is sitting in the car with stock pans

A4

Remaking the pan looks like a dead end to me. I mean if I was to do it I’d go chips all in. It may be possible to cut off the portion needed for the bellhousing and save that but remake the rest, but I don't know if you could weld to it new aluminum to old.
I see one that has been modified and re used parts of it by trimming it down to almost nothing and welding up some new.
Here is what one looks like if you were to trim everything away and start over


The one I saw from Europe modified
Don’t know what’s supposed to happen in the upper left corner I think there should be some bolt holes
