Why no sticky?

[MrSprdSheet]

I was hoping to find some known formulas for late model conversions. I don't expect, for example, that '00-'03 Passats are an easy one for TDI?, but can anyone post success / failure at plopping a 1.9TDI into, say, any of the Jetta wagons of this vintage? At least those exist in TDI form.

Also, anyone know of any shops in the Northeast that would take whatever the labor rate is (15-25hours) and be good at this swap?

Jetta Wagon arbitrage:

High miles Jetta 2.0/1.8 with blown timing, etc + TDI motor = Jetta TDI Wagon

Something like:
6,000 + 5,000 = 11,000, where market for wagons = 15,000+

Thanks, seriously considering,
Chris

 

[arootbeer]

Just my $.02, but you've got the T&C already. If you're gonna have a shop do the whole thing anyway, why not spend another ~$2K (mostly in time) and have them fab up some motor mounts and a tranny plate and drop the TDI in there instead? You'd come out $4K ahead, and have a very unique vehicle (not to mention it's quite a bit more practical than the Jetta Wagon).

I'm thinking about doing this to our Grand Caravan, except I don't have the disposable income to undertake it now

 

[bhtooefr]

Of course, didn't someone mention a Chrysler diesel engine and transmission for their minivans, that's available in Europe? That seems like the way to go....

 

[Beta]

There are no formulas because as far as I have seen there are NO tdi conversions that can be justified financially. 15-20 hours labor? No way. A good used motor alone is 3-4k and a huge hassel to find complete in good condition.

 

[emus528]

<font color="red">AMEN! </font>

 

[MrSprdSheet]

I thought good TDI motors could be had for 4k w/o much trouble. I'm not sure about transmission issues in the swap, but 4k plus perhaps even another 2k for labor is still better than paying 18, or 20k, for a 70-110k mi TDI wagon.

You gotta admit the price gap has gotten extreme lately between gas/diesel versions.

Chris

 

[TCBaker]

The engine is only part of the equation, you must also figure the transmission, they are normally different on a TDI, the ECU, the wiring harness, possibly the cluster depending on the year. It’s not an easy swap.