The Rabbit TDI Project
Part 1: Introduction
For about 10 years I've been looking for a Rabbit pickup. Last year, I found one about 3 hours drive away from home.
About 2 miles away from where I was supposed to meet the guy, the transmission in my GLI died: stuck in third.
So I bought the truck and drove it home.
1982 Rabbit pickup, 1.6L IDI diesel, 5speed.
Top speed: 120 kph, depending on wind direction
~80kph on some of the local hills...
The body of the truck was great, but the engine was lacking. I have a JH/ABA hybrid engine in the GLI, so I'm used to
having torque and power, I knew the engine had to go.
3 months previous, my parents purchased a 2002 GOlf TDI with a slush box. Hmmm....
Started lurking in the forums at TDIclub.com, and was quite intruigued by the performance potential of the TDIs.
Maybe I should leave the truck as a diesel...
Last summer I went to a whack of VW enthusiast gatherings (read: VW shows) Met Cam from CWS Tuning in Regina ( www.cwstuning.com), said he had a TDI engine from a 2002 Jetta, low miles (~2200 kms). Hmmmm....
For those that don't know, Cam has a fantastic 1.8T Rabbit.
So I bought the engine and picked it up on Labour Day weekend, 2002.
Poetic justic, the old truck bringing home it's new engine.
Months and tears and scraped nuckles and an empty wallet and a maxed out borrowing account later,
and it's running under it's own forced induction diesel power.
Mmmmmmm, forced induction diesel power.....
Stay tuned...
-Dave
Out with the old,
Part 1: Introduction
Part 2: Installing the Engine
Part 3: Transmission
Part 4: Wiring 1
Part 5: Speedometer and Cluster
Part 6: ImmobilizerIII
Part 7: Drive By Wire
Part 8: Intercooler
Part 9: Intake and Exhaust
part 10: MFA and Cruise Control
Part 11: The Dash
Part 12: The Little Things
Part 13: The End (for now)
Part 14: 6spd transmission and brake upgrades
One Year Later
Dyno results
Who Needs a VR6
TDI Rabbit
