rabbit TDI build

[Greasecar]

Well, tomorrow the new windshield is going in so I took the opportunity to pop out the old chipped glass and clean and repaint the frame.  Conor and Ethan dug into the wiring and got the horn working so now all that is really needed for inspection is a new reverse switch.



Of course we couldn't resist taking a few runs around the building with the glass out, but safety first! Nice job Ethan.



I'm heading to CT on Sat. to check out the silver rabbit previously mentioned.  It has been garaged since 1992 and is currently owned by the original owner.  Sounds like it was a pretty cool car 15 years ago but I'm not sure how well the Koni and neuspeed gear ages.  We'll see.

[Greasecar]

Well, we had the car almost ready to register but my intercooler kit arrived!  It was a cheapo kit bought on Ebay (less than $200 shipped) but looks like it will do the job nicely.


I'll need to make up a few adaptors to knock the 2.5in IC tubes down to mate up with my turbo but otherwise there are more than enough tubes, couplers and clamps to get the job done.  

Look at that fit.




I also picked up the fittings and tubing needed to complete the boost gauge and wastegate plumbing and drilled and tapped the intake manifold.

[blkboostedtruck]

hey Greasecar,
could you post a link to the seller of the I.C. supplyer? I got one coming from Tyler (burn your money) if that one don't fit to my liking .I would like to go with a kit like what you got to fit my caddy!
 I would appreciate the info? and like to see more pics when you get more of it hooked up!
thanks Duane

[JunkcollectorJ]

Well, we had the car almost ready to register but my intercooler kit arrived!  It was a cheapo kit bought on Ebay (less than $200 shipped) but looks like it will do the job nicely.

I'll need to make up a few adaptors to knock the 2.5in IC tubes down to mate up with my turbo but otherwise there are more than enough tubes, couplers and clamps to get the job done.  

Look at that fit.

Looks good!   Glad to hear that the kit came in, and it looks like the car will be on the road soon!  How thick is that IC?

Did you get my intake manifold and TD injection pump yet??

[Greasecar]

The company is called CXRacing and they have an Ebay store.  A friend of mine turned me onto them who also bought an intercooler from them.  The quality and completeness is amazing for the price (the T-clamps alone from other suppliers would be the price of the whole kit ).  Don't get me wrong though, this is a Chinese kit and will likely lack a bit in performance and longevity but for a budget project I don't see how you can do much better. The customer service was pretty good too and they even offer a $30 rebate if you send them installation photos that they can use.

If you go with them, I would recommend getting a full kit rather than just the cooler because it is all those incidentals that can really add up. Fortunately I have a nice tig and can weld up all the tubes but with the amount of tubes, couplers and clamps anyone should be able to cut and paste a fairly elaborate tube set.

I hope to get most of the equipment installed in the next coulpe of days so that I can get the car put back together and on the road, I'll post updates.

http://stores.ebay.com/CXRacing_intercooler-kit_W0QQcolZ4QQdirZ1QQfsubZ10881276QQftidZ1QQtZkm

[Greasecar]

Okay, a little update

I picked up the new shell for the actual TDI build which is loaded with oldschool stuff to swap over to the IDI car.  I bought it from the original owner who loaded it up with add-ons over the years including Neuspeed and Koni suspension, Hella lighting, short shifter Zender rear spoiler amongst others. Also a Techtonics motor which I hope to sell to defray the cost of the shell. They key for me is that this thing is rust free and should make a clean and solid platform for the build.

The interior is in good shape under the mildew (car has been sitting in a garage for the last 15 years) so I plan on swapping that into the maroon car to make way for the MK 4 stuff we are planning for the TDI.



I have fabbed up all of my IC plumbing and swapped the TD pump that Jay gave me (condition unknown, cross your fingers).  I should be getting my EGT and boost gauges tomorrow along with the narrower radiator I need to clear the IC pipes and should be ready to roll.






I also got the battery re-located and wired



I guess the one thing I left out is the intake which I will probably just slap together for now but plan on making a cool air box when time allows.  My imidiate need is to get the car out of the shop and clear some space for the longer term TDI project especially because we have cars scheduled to come in for conversion.

Hopefully I'll have it all together in the next week and will post photos.  I want to be able to drive up to see Jay and his progress on the 4-door in the next month.

[RabbitGTDguy]

very nice looking silver shell there Justin!!!

Progress is coming along nicely as well!

Joe

[JunkcollectorJ]

Awesome!!  Glad to hear you picked up that shell, it looks great!  A perfect candidate for the TDI swap.

The idi car looks like it's coming along real well too!  I'm excited to check that out.  I really hope that pump works for you...it's been sitting for a long time, but was mint when I got it so I'll cross my fingers.

[Greasecar]

Well the brakes are slammed on the maroon car.  I got everything back together today and thought i was ready to run but it turns out the injection pump is junk, leaks like a siv from the output shaft and throttle shaft and doesn't give any pressure to the injector lines.  I ordered a VE gasket set this weekend to have just in case but it will likely be a week or so until I get it. With the amount of time and hassle it has cost me I may just buy a reman.  I can't imagine going through the trouble of pulling this thing, throwing gaskets into it, putting it back only to find that it has something else wrong with it.  

I have a couple of leads on pump sources but if anyone has any suggestions let me know.

[Greasecar]

Opened up the pump today to see what I'm dealing with and it turns out I would need more than seals. (here is one of the issues)



 Since this n IDI issue I am discussing it primarily on the IDI board but I am thinking about building a hybrid pump with one of my ALH cores so the TDI crown may have something to say.

http://vwdiesel.net/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=10828

[fuslit]

first:  Wow, nice build up bummer about the ip...

second: I hardly ever come on to the tdi side of the forum but saw the thread and thought I'd post because you have been asking about Joe's old car.

Joe passed the shell along to me which I took to keep it from hitting a junk yard which I thought would be a shame. there are a few rust issues that need to be taken care of and I had planned to rebuild a turbo diesel motor I have pulled parts together for and put it in.



some pics of the move, although it's dustier now
http://fuslit.org/photo_gallery/index.php?album=misc/car/turbo_diesel_buildup/12-02-06_moving_the_rabbit/

This is a long term project for me at the moment.

I've gotten quite a few parts (and projects) laying around.

Priority project at the moment is my daily driver (a vr6 jetta) needs its timing chains replaced before I can get into anything else. The car has been a source of frustration because to me it is not a 'fun' car to work on and it's precipitated me complaining to Joe about many things (sorry man)

To make a long story short, I've fluctuated with what I want to do with the Jetta, rabbit and I also have a caddy. Space is an issue in some sense, but GTD is taking a bay up in my garage.

I thought I'd sell the caddy as it had been sitting quite a while and needs some body work. I was thinking I would sell the caddy to get some space freed up The problem is I also have a wife who likes the practicality of the caddy and isn't so enthused about the gtd.  note: while Cate (my wife) has some input as a happy wife = happy me, I do still like the gtd. But, when the Jetta timing chain issue propted up I became frustrated. (with cars in general as I have other projects that get put on hold while I come up with the money to fix an expensive in my view issue.) I got into vw's in a diesel rabbit, cheap to drive and bullet proof. The complete opposite of the GLX ...

Anyway, as the caddy is forbidden to sell, I have gone back and forth with what I want to do with the shell. (i.e. keep or pass along.)

Because it seems I have about 100 projects in the air at once so it makes it discouraging sometimes to see something an know you can't get to it right away.

So, I sat back and thought about everything where I was, what I needed to do and talked the glx parts issue over with my wife. The parts for the timing chains are cheaper than a car payment and in reality it has been fairly reliable. (almost 220k on it) It's fun to drive and I know the history behind it. Rational thought replaced the urge to sell all cars and ride my bike to work. (it's almost an hour drive one way)

Since I have managed so far the space issue in the garage and am working slowly to add better storage of stuff, at the moment I settled on fixing the rabbit up (yeah Joe, I'm worse than a yo-yo.) I see great potential in it and the final thought is, I really really enjoy working on the mk1's.

my mk3 jetta, well, that's a large source of frustration some times (mostly about how much parts cost for a vr6) but at least it's fun to drive. Since it's a daily drive I gotta keep it running.

I also have a longblock tdi (sans ip, and turbo) which needs to be bored over to fix one cylinder that got hosed but that's a possible motor for my long term project plan for the glx (mk3 coupe with cabrio side skirts, maybe syncro m-tdi)... it's a 95 so pre-obd2... *grin* anyway as I say, long term project and I can dream.

(not really making the story short am I?)

and I'm getting sidetracked. I guess what I am trying to say Joes' old GTD is still in play to be returned to it's former glory, but it's in a very long que at the moment.

I'll be following the car build, hybrid pump build and that intercooler set is a pretty great deal for sure! Thanks for the info and I'll try to do better about posting.

-Todd

[RabbitGTDguy]

Good to hear Todd...with your talking last week, etc. I had actually had a few conversations with family and friends at home if indeed you were going to get rid of her (for storage sake, so I could revisit it down the road when I have more time...and another bay or two!)!
Glad to hear it. It'll be great!!!

Justin...how are things going?

Joe

[Greasecar]

I think it's great that we have the past and present of both Joes and my Rabbits on this thread.  That four door really did get stripped before you handed it off.

Todd, looks like you have a couple of nice chunks of hardwood there next to the Rabbit what sort of woodworking are you doing?

It's a bummer about rust on these old bunnies and the maroon rabbit is no acception.  I spent weeks patching the old four-door that Jay is getting painted up this weekend and it really sucked the momentum out of me, that's why I went through the trouble of tracking down the rust-free silver shell for the TDI build.  Speaking of rust here are a couple of shots of the floor patching I did on the maroon car.



My shield gas tank is being held hostage at the Mini shop so I had to do the job with flux-core and was not too happy with the results, but since this is the slap together beater I just wanted to get it water tight.  I'm waiting on some POR 15 to finish the job then the carpets and interior are goin in.

I'm still waiting for my nozzles and gasket kit that I foolishly ordered through a Canadian vendor (I forgot how long that can take) so I am still at a standstill mechanically.  However, I used that spare time to get the air intake, oil seperator and washer tank together.





Conor did most of the final fab on the air box which just needs a bit of trim to finish up.

I also got a killer deal on a set of 15" Corrado steelies ($60 w/ tires)! The two in the photo haven't been cleaned but they are close to mint under the brake dust.



Here's a little shot of the two cars crammed in the single bay.  I can't wait to get the maroon car back on the floor to see how it sits on the new wheels.



Here is the turbo pipe I made up goes from the outlet to the IC tubes (my Cummins in the backround)



Here are a few shots of the "Franken-pump" workbench.  I plan on cleaning up quite a bit before re-assembly operations.  The plan is to build the NA pump into a TD pump with the extra LDA I have, hybridize the TD pump with the TDI head and then see what I need to order to piece the corroded pump back together (looks like almost everything).  If anyone has core pumps let me know because I wouldn't mind recycling parts.




The powder in that last shot is from the fire supressant (this stuff is ubiquitous and nearly impossible to get rid of)

If I get a few more parts in (which I should today) I hope to have the Maroon car runnin'  and out of the shop then I should be able to get going on the "TDI" build that this thread was started for.

[fuslit]

I think it's great that we have the past and present of both Joes and my Rabbits on this thread.  That four door really did get stripped before you handed it off.

Todd, looks like you have a couple of nice chunks of hardwood there next to the Rabbit what sort of woodworking are you doing?

It's a bummer about rust on these old bunnies and the maroon rabbit is no acception.  I spent weeks patching the old four-door that Jay is getting painted up this weekend and it really sucked the momentum out of me, that's why I went through the trouble of tracking down the rust-free silver shell for the TDI build.  Speaking of rust here are a couple of shots of the floor patching I did on the maroon car.
...

Ah, the woodworking, bringing up another longterm hobby...

the stuff on the bench is blackwalnut scraps which i've picked up for cutting boards, they have cracks throughout which would make it tough to use for anything else.

the green rabbit has rust issues which need to be addressed before I do anything else to it.





While, I've got some body work ahead of me. I'm waiting until I pickup a bottle for my welder before I tackle any of the sheetmetal work.

I have a couple 1.6 diesel pumps, I had planned on rebuilding.

BUT, I'm not sure what they're worth and I've no idea what condition they're in, perhaps we could work something out if you can't find one to use.

-Todd

[Greasecar]

Well, after a few stumbles getting the throttle set up the rabbit is finally up and running!  Here are a few photos, Hopefully I'll have time to type up an update tomorrow and get a video later this week.