Many FWD communities have similar thoughts..."I'll just drop the whole subframe out and bolt it into X"
Thats all great in theory, but you run into unique problems.
Disclaimer...the engine in my Avatar is a FWD engine so I'm not trying to talk you out of anything, just accept going in that it's a bad idea.
-Typical McPherson FWD front end suspensions are hard to adapt to a T. Not impossible, but certainly hard. You have to fabricate the equivalent of strut towers and upper motor mounts into your frame...that means duplicating the donor cars dimensions. All of that could be thrown out the window in favor of a 100% custom suspension, but its still just as much or more fabrication that way.
-If you do figure out how to make the stock suspension work, the spring rates will most likely be way too stiff. Thats not unusual in a T, but it sucks.
-Those McPherson setups don't typically have much room for big tires normally favored on a T. That could be gotten around with offset and/or spacers but its still another problem to solve.
-Those FWD suspensions are UGLY. In a T, you would want to hide the whole thing unless you do a custom suspension and make it look good.
-Modern engines bring modern problems...lots of sensors, wiring, ECU's, and emissions controls that again, are UGLY. Making the whole package attractive through wire tucks and camouflage is an entire project in itself.
-Exhaust requires creative solutions...modern engines need catalytic converters and O2 sensors...where do you put them in this application?
-Cooling system...the radiator is normally kept close to the engine but if that's the case, where do you put it and how do you make sure it gets enough air flow? If you put it in the front, do you need a supplemental coolant pump? Maybe a bigger radiator?
-Resale value will be essentially nil. Nobody but you will ever want this.
All of these problems (except resale value) can be solved with enough creativity, time, and money and I would love to see it done. The best bet is always going to be start with a complete running car...you need something that works before you start taking it apart if you want any hope of having it work after you put it back together. That will also allow you to get the geometry right for the strut towers and upper motor mount.
Here's some inspiration...Go do it!
