>Has anyone ever looked into using the drivetrain out of a Toyota MR2 or a
>Pontiac Fiero in a van or bus?

These (well, at least the MR2) are normal FWD engine/trans units, merely
moved back to the rear axle line. To fit in a VW you'd either have to spin
the unit 180 degrees (so ending up with one forward gear & 5 reverse) or
cutting out the front of the engine bay to put the engine in front of the
axles, making it midengined. Big job for no real gains.

Only a factory midengined unit with diff AHEAD of the engine could be
adapted without major body work.

Andrew Grebneff
165 Evans St, Dunedin, New Zealand
ph   64 (3) 473-8863
fax 64 (3) 479-7527
<andrew.grebneff@stonebow.otago.ac.nz>
www.goingplatinum.com/member/vw1
www.highyieldcrusaders.ws/ref.html?ref=vw
www.aciimoney.com/index.shtml?vw1
VW & Toyota vans, Toyota diesels and Macintoshes rule