TDI in a Corvette??

B

BV1

Active member
Joined
May 27, 2005
Location
Central Pa
TDI
(2) 2006 Jettas - Platinum Gray/Spice Red
Sounds crazy, but I think it can be done. The early C4's can be had for less than $5000 USD and weigh just under 3200 LBS. With the weight saving of the TDI engine, one could have a vehicle that weighs less than the new Jetta. Cant you picture yourself driving a Vette that gets over 40 MPG?
Acme sell an adapter for the 1.9 to toyota transmision. The W-series toyota trannies are availible and fairly durable.
Any thoughts?
 
B

Brian24

Veteran Member
Joined
Dec 9, 2001
Location
colorado
Corvette Hmmmm? You will need a mullet, a mustache and Oakley wrap around sunglasses to make it work, but I think it can be done.
The Toyota W transmissions are for a rear wheel drive application so you are good there.
The problems I see:
TDI engines are kind of tall. Make sure it will fit under that low plastic...er fiberglass hood.
Electronics. TDIs have more electronics on them then the first Space Shuttle. You will have to have everything hooked up properly or the computer may just decide it doesn't want to run.
Complexity. I guaranty the conversion wont be easy. Or fast. Or necessarily fun.
Cost. You may end up with a Corvette that gets 40 mpg but you will never make up the cost of the conversion.
If you do it please keep us all updated.
 
R

redmondjp

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 1, 2004
Location
Redmond, WA
TDI
'96 Passat Sedan
To get around the engine height issue, if one were to use a earlier TDI motor such as a 1Z or AHU, you could find an old 1.6D Vanagon and use some of the components (oil pan, etc) from that motor, which is tipped over at a pretty extreme angle. There would still be significant work for all of the intake plumbing.

This could certainly be done, but WHY?


One thing to think about here--if you're going to do a conversion like this, you should try to end up with a vehicle that somebody else would actually want. The problem with a lot of conversion vehicles like this is you get $15-20K tied up in it, and can only get $4-5K out when you want to sell it (like my friend that had a V8 Volvo wagon for sale here about a year ago).

Now as an example of a truly unique conversion vehicle that has quite a high resale potential--another forum member has a four-door VW pickup (front of a 4-door rabbit, married to the back of a caddy) that was very well made. It had the anemic 1.6D in it when he bought it, so he transplanted in a 1Z TDI motor from a '96 Passat. This is an all-VW conversion that would certainly appeal to many VW and TDI enthusiasts.
 
MrMopar

MrMopar

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Mar 1, 2003
Location
Bloomington, IL
TDI
none
Maybe if you had an Audi V-8 TDI engine, one of the 300-whatever horsepower engines, that might be much more sporting. A regular 90hp TDI? There are better things to do with such an engine than try it out in a Corvette. Make a Toyota 4wd TDI pickup out of it or something.
 
Bob_Fout

Bob_Fout

Oil Wanker
Joined
Sep 5, 2004
Location
Indiana
TDI
2003 Jetta - Alaska Green (sold) / 2015 GTI 2.0T
I think the V6 TDI puts out 200 HP and 300 or so ft-lb of torque.
 
T

torqueofthetown

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 7, 2004
Maybe if you had an Audi V-8 TDI engine, one of the 300-whatever horsepower engines, that might be much more sporting. A regular 90hp TDI? There are better things to do with such an engine than try it out in a Corvette. Make a Toyota 4wd TDI pickup out of it or something.
Click to expand...
My thoughts exactly!!

I believe in the premier issue of Diesel Power Magazine they had a puff piece on a early vette with a BMW diesel in it.
 
dieseldorf

dieseldorf

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Oct 11, 2000
Location
MA
TDI
ex- 1996 wagon, ex-2000 Jetta


I live in Cranbrook, British Columbia Canada and drive a diesel GMC Jimmy, a Chevy diesel conversion van and a 1977 Chevrolet Corvette powered by a 6.5L diesel. Some may wonder why I did this - install a 6.5 in a Corvette. To put it simply - fuel economy. Not many cars can handle the weight, is streamlined, won't rust, yet retains its value, and is a sporty - fun car to drive. The Chevrolet Corvette offers all these things. The engine and transmission were installed without any chassis or body modifications.

To reduce the diesel rattle, we re-calibrated the injectors to a lower fuel injection pressure. This reduced some of the diesel rattle, so once above idle, very little noise is heard from inside the vehicle, and there is very little smoke on full-throttle. Due to the low ground clearance of the Corvette, I needed to reduce the height of the oil pan. The ground clearance is only about 4-½ inches, but hasn't been a problem yet.


I installed the engine in May of 2001, and have driven it about 3000 miles since then. We average about 48-mpg Canadian, and have seen a high of 55-mpg. We're using a TH700R4 automatic with a manually controlled converter lock-up. I also removed the EGR valve. The acceleration is very good, but if I wanted a 0-60 in 7 seconds I would install a 427/425hp @ 8mpg (makes sense). I would consider a turbo, but am concerned about how the added heat might affect the fiberglass hood.
Click to expand...
 
Golf_GTDI

Golf_GTDI

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 12, 2004
Location
Logan Ohio, USA
TDI
2001 Golf GLS
I say if your gonna do it put in a Cummins or a Power Stroke and have some real fun. The conversion would be easier and you may be able to make the thing fast enough to scare yourself.
 
supton

supton

Top Post Dawg
Joined
May 25, 2004
Location
Central NH (USA)
TDI
'04 Jetta Wagon GLS
Why would 90hp be all that slow? It can't be any slower than a regular TDI. Which is death-slow for a Vette, granted; but IIRC, the regular Jetta's run around 3000lb vs 3200 for the Vette.

Chip that TDI, and it'll be slow. I don't know if there are any other different gear ratios for the rear end, to get the motor where it'll be happy; but I suspect that the Vette has better aerodynamics to help make up for extra weight.

I want to say that the old iron headed 350's were about 550lbs; with aluminum heads maybe 25-50lbs lighter. How much does a TDI motor weigh? There's not much left in a Vette to strip out and reduce weight, so you're kinda stuck at the weight it's at.

Although, you could go with narrower tires, those wide things for high speed cornering can't be helping mpg's all that much...
 
P

petec1

Well-known member
Joined
May 25, 2004
I say if your gonna do it put in a Cummins or a Power Stroke and have some real fun. The conversion would be easier and you may be able to make the thing fast enough to scare yourself.
Click to expand...
that 3 foot tall hood scoop to make the cummins fit would look pretty sweet. You'd need a damn periscope to see where you were going!
 
B

BV1

Active member
Joined
May 27, 2005
Location
Central Pa
TDI
(2) 2006 Jettas - Platinum Gray/Spice Red
This should have been in the TDI Conversions section but it seemed to be locked at the time I first posted. The 4BTA would be way too tall for the vette, besides the cummins is going in the jeep. Considered the 1.9 for the jeep, but just couldn't give up the power I have now. I tow with the jeep and need the extra power.
A 1984 vette with the infamous crossfire weighs 3164 (stick). Anyhow, I believe the weight of the vette could be cut down to 2700-2800 lbs inexpensively. With that weight and more turbo/exhaust options, a chipped 1.9 (175hp/350ftlbs) should provide a good fun factor and still get over 40MPG.
Why do it? because I can. Why have a 400hp jeep? because I can.

I think the conversion could be done for apprx $10,000.
What ever I decide it will have to wait, having back surgery at the end of the month. I will have a long time to change my mind several times.
 
2

29mpgWRX

New member
Joined
Sep 11, 2005
TDI
I just want one
I think that would be a waste of a vette and a diesel engine. A c5 vette with a six speed can easily get 27-30 mpg completely stock. My dad's vette is lowered, has full exhaust, intake, and a dyno tune. It makes around 345whp and 360wtq, we saw as high as 31 mpg with the a/c off and on cruising at 75-85. I know thats nothing to write home about around here, but i consider that very impressive for a 12 sec car. They seem to be very aerodynamic and the gearing is ridicously tall.

I guess what i'm trying to say is a mildly modified LS1 doesn't give up much in the mpg department and is in a league of its own for performance.

P.S. I love diesels. That's why I'm here. Damn Gas Prices.
 
P

Pat Dolan

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 19, 2002
Location
Martensville, SK
TDI
2003 A4 Variant, 2015 Q7
The plastic pig should have a GM diesel V8, as is the 6.5 conversion shown above. That is nearly a straight bolt-in.

As for the TDI, IT is an easy bolt-in to a Scirocco or Coraddo, and both have been done. If you really want something kinky, I bought a 924 recently (now these are CHEAP) so I can bolt my Audi 5000 TD in the hole. It fits the bellhousing (Audi to Audi) and clears the hoodline (which is even lower than a Corvette).

My 924 weighs within 200 lbs of my Miata. If it turns out as well as I hope, I will buy a later 924S, 944 or 968 and get a 2.5 litre TDI for it from Europe.

Pat
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top