Anyone ever considered a TDi engine conversion?

[biggerbigben 0]

I am seriously with Kev on this one. its horrible to think that people have actually done this to a corrado.

If you are thinking of sticking a diesel in a corrado then my advice would be this - drive a tdi motor around for a couple of months then think about what your were going to do. they are awful - no throttle response to speak of, they sound crap, and they dont engage you at all.

no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no non no no no

 

do you want to sit down now coxy... :lol: :wink:

[dr_mat 0]

I *can* see the point actually. If you punt up and down motorways 500-1000 miles a week and your VR costs you £250-400 a month in petrol, then a TDi conversion is exactly what you need. The plus points of a Corrado handling and styling and TDi efficiency/reliability. And it's not like they're actually *slow* any more, just not as exciting to listen to or drive.

Horses for courses, I say.

I can see the point even more if you spend your whole life stuck in traffic in London - then you're really wanting a TDi..

For everyone in between it's of less benefit I would say.

[bcstudent 0]

Personally, I think it's a bloody excellent idea and I'll be doing the very same thing to mine as soon as time, space and money all reach acceptable levels. Sacrilige? Whatever! It's a VAG engine in a VAG car. If it was a Perkins people were talking about then I'd tend to agree.

[TomB 0]

I for one would love a Tdi Corrado. Diesel engines aren't what they used to be, last year a Le Mans runner was diesel, and Skoda's rally car is diesel I think. That and the fact that you could run it on chip fat and get 500 miles out of a tank has to count for a lot.

What the difference between running a 180bhp turbo charged beast with enough torque to pull down a block of flats than a Bahn Brenner (sp?) instead of a G-Lader, or a 1.8T rather than a VR6?

Cheers,

Tom

[samm_cvr6 0]

I have always been interested in this idea.

Perhaps the answer would be to add the DSG. I think to do it, you would have to be a real enthusiast tho because financially it doesn't work out, and I drive 500 miles a week in a VR.

I'm not so sure I love reving the nuts off my car, wo's to say the extra torque of a diesel doesn't compensate for not being able to rev so high?

But if I were looking at a quick diesel, go get an Ibiza 160 or 330d and remap it and then you will feel the force of the dark side, lol.

[craigowl 0]

the smoke and smell is foul not to mention the plastic gloves you need to wear when filling up.

Had a diesel for 14 years - cannot relate to this at all David.

Have never worn the gloves and never had much smell. And, no, I am not a stinky person anyway. :2gunfire:

 

I think the rapid development and improvement of the modern turbodiesel is truly staggering. I will be definitely be getting one after the Corrado and Peug 205 go.

[samm_cvr6 0]

I had a Pug 205 diesel, the thing just wouldn't die no matter how much I neglected it, poor little thing.

Just out of interest Craigowl, who is the picture of underneath your name? Looks a lot like a friend of mine.

[craigowl 0]

samm_cvr6 said

who is the picture of underneath your name? Looks a lot like a friend of mine.

 

It is Levon Helm drummer/vocalist in The Band. Pic is from the movie "The Last Waltz".

 

Yes, funny thing about the Pug 205 diesel, we have had it from new - took delivery on the day 1st Gulf War started, over 14 years ago.

There is hardly a spot of rust on its Topaz blue metallic paintwork, even though it has sat outside for most of the time. Garages certainly must be bad for cars that are used regularly.

 

Every time we get in it, even after cars like the VR6, we find there is a remarkable feeling of familiarity and security about this vehicle. Driver visibility must be about as good as you can get. This car does everything you ask it to (within reason.) I believe the French got it as near perfect as is possible at the first attempt. The amusing thing is that they replaced it with an inferior model when its sales were still going strong.

 

We will be sorry to see it go. I reckon it is worth the equivalent of a £3k used car, but the market value must be only around £1200 at most now. Maybe we are stuck with it!

Would certainly never buy a modern Peugeot, however.

[samm_cvr6 0]

Yes, before my VR I had a 205 1.9 gti and no other car has had better feel to it than that, not even the VR. Infact, on slower tight bends, I think the 205 would outhandle the VR and I am saying that after driving both of them many thousands of miles on every type of road. The VR has suprisingly good turn in for a nose heavy car but it does understeer quite a bit which scared the hell out of me the other day. I'm going to buy my bros 205 grd at end of year just as back up for the VR but I wouldn't buy any of these new french cars, except maybe a 182 or clio dci.

[Jim 2]

My first car was a 205 but to be honest I was never that enamoured with it. In its favour however it never let me down, and ran like an absolute champ despite the fact it was only 954cc. Cheapest car to run that I ever owned, and ironically the oldest! Always had an eye for the GTI though.. what a cool car :D

 

and the smoke and smell is foul not to mention the plastic gloves you need to wear when filling up.

 

As craigowl mentioned, these are not experiences of the modern day diesel! Not had to wear the plastic gloves yet, and modern diesel engines just aren't that smoky. Admittedly there is a little bit, but nothing like what I think you're hinting at.

 

All I can say is owning a modern diesel has changed my opinion on them quite considerably - yes, petrol is more 'refined' but already the fuel economy and low end grunt for general town driving is winning me over. A friend of mine has just sold his Mini Cooper S and bought a Golf MK4 Anniversary TDI PD - look forward to seeing how much of a different drive the 150PD engine is compared to my 115PD..

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Sacrilige? Whatever! It's a VAG engine in a VAG car.

 

And you'll look a berk driving a 10 year old Coupe with an agricultural engine worth more than the car under the bonnet....

[bcstudent 0]

Sacrilige? Whatever! It's a VAG engine in a VAG car.

 

And you'll look a berk driving a 10 year old Coupe with an agricultural engine worth more than the car under the bonnet....

 

And you'll sound like one by expressing such a rediculous opinion....

 

My dad's Land Rover 2.5D is agricultural. A VAG TDi is clearly a few leagues higher in the refinement game. As for the issue of the car value/engine value, if economy alone was my primary motivation I'd be off to buy a £200 Fiesta diesel. You make it sound like nobody has ever spent more on engine modifications than the total value of the car before.

 

Oh and, for the record, you can make that a 15 year old Coupe.

[CoxyLaad 0]

I am seriously with Kev on this one. its horrible to think that people have actually done this to a corrado.

If you are thinking of sticking a diesel in a corrado then my advice would be this - drive a tdi motor around for a couple of months then think about what your were going to do. they are awful - no throttle response to speak of, they sound crap, and they dont engage you at all.

no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no non no no no

 

do you want to sit down now coxy... :lol: :wink:

 

ok then lol - I am turning into a proper whinging tw@t now arent I :lol:

[CoxyLaad 0]

and low end grunt for general town driving is winning me over

haway - I dont buy into that at all, yes they have an enormous shove of power low down, but they have diddly squat below 1500rpm. when I first got mine I nearly wiped myself out on a number of occasions coasting up to junctions in second then toe-ing it and expecting it to take off only to find nothing happens for at least 3 seconds....

 

It happens, and nobody seems to mention it. and my car is not broken cos we have fleet of 20 of the barstads and everyone in the company has the same complaint.

[dr_mat 0]

You expect it to rip your head off at 1200 rpm? Give over.

You want a bloody steam engine.

[Kevin Bacon 5]

:lol: I love this forum....

[CoxyLaad 0]

You expect it to rip your head off at 1200 rpm? Give over.

err well you see what they are like at 1501rpm it almost does.

I am not talking about being pinned to the seat, I am talking about having no acceleration what-so-ever.

 

Have you driven one before? you should try it, its not good down there.

 

and whats the other options, approach a junction in 1st gear? do you know how harsh that is? and on an engine that redlines somewhere between 4.5 and 5000rpm? doesnt make for smooth relaxed progress I can tell ya.

 

I only speak from experience, I wouldnt comment otherwise.

The figures do sound impressive on paper, its just he way the power is delivered that is a pain.

[CoxyLaad 0]

:lol: I love this forum....

 

LOL

How about hiring a boxing ring and some of those enormous inflatable sumo suits to resolve 'forum differnces'

 

Baggsy taking on A20 LEE LOL

[Kevin Bacon 5]

I'll take all you punks on..... :D

 

Sure it was BA that said that? "Come ere fool...." LOL!

[dr_mat 0]

So in other words your complaint is that the torque band is narrow? Fair enough. Can't disagree.

The point about the diesels is that they produce more torque between 1500 and 3000 rpm than even the 2.9 litre VR6 can manage at full pelt.

Compare to pulling out of a roundabout in a VR in second at 800 rpm and see how quickly you wish you were in a diesel! Even with the Schrick, the VR just becomes "ok" at those revs. (Though the VR sounds truly EVIL with the throttle wide open at 2000 rpm .. :) )

 

I haven't driven a VAG PD engined car, but I know what you're talking about. The "legendary" torque just isn't there from tickover. I've driven a few Pug TDs and they're the same.

 

It's the trade off isn't it? 55mpg and huge torque 1500->3500, or 28mpg and huge torque 4000->6000 ..

 

For a flat torque curve from 0 rpm you want an electric traction motor...

[Guest]

i am currently driving a 1.4 SDI polo....no power and then suddenly there is and then it runs out of revs...lol, oh and it sounds like a bag of spanners when idling...but the fuel econonmy is just awesome, done around 180miles and the needle hardly flicked.....but you can't beat a petrol car, sure it does not leave much money in your pocket, but does leave a bigger smile on your face.... :)

[CoxyLaad 0]

So in other words your complaint is that the torque band is narrow?

well it is and it isnt. To be honest I dont mind the narrow torque band, just means a bit more cog swapping when you are booting it - I have a 6 speed box on my bora and I can keep it on the boil quite easily.

 

what annoys me is the bit leading up to the torque band. the bit that just isnt there. it is literally nothing....nothing....nothing....nothing.....wham full spread of torque and 1500rpm.

 

Compare to pulling out of a roundabout in a VR in second at 800 rpm and see how quickly you wish you were in a diesel!

 

now theres where you're wrong. you put both cars side by side in say 3rd gear at 1000rpm, and floor it, the corrado vr would pull away immediately and would never be caught.

The flat spot is so bad right down there that it hardlies accelerates at all - no exageration.

our lass's 1.8 mx5 would p1ss all over it in the same test.

 

if I ever meet you good Doctor, and I am in the bora, you are welcome to experience the hidious-ness of it......and get your sumo suit on lol :lol:

[Kevin Bacon 5]

:lol:

 

Nice one Mr Laad, I've always thought that about modern TDIs....the Mondeo and Focus TDCis (both of which I've driven) are exactly the same...nothing, nothing, nothing....squirt...game over... next gear...

 

The only diesel I've driven that is nothing like that is my mates rather silly 530d (bangle shape)....it is mental.

[TomB 0]

I'd put down the similar lack of acceleration below 1500rpm on work's Poxhall Astra(1.7TD) to the turbo not being up to speed. The only way to pull out quickly was to let in the clutch at about 2K rpm...

Same experience with my Passat TD as well, completely different power delivery to a petrol engine (but I'd still want one in a Corrado).

Cheers,

Tom

[Jim 2]

I find this whole discussion amusing. I may not exactly be the most mechanically minded (like my comments or opinions don't really count for a lot) but the total narrow minded bias against diesels just seems to be totally clouding any possible scope for rational discussion! Full credit to Matt for being able to weigh up the pro's and con's without just outright panning the engine.

 

It just seems odd to express an opinion on the subject and essentially be called wrong when I say I find the charactertistics of the 115PD in my car to be far superior to either of the Corrado's i've owned for town driving? The 16v was just dead below 3500RPM and to be honest the G60, whilst exceptionally quick when you got going, was a bit of a fart thanks to short gear ratios and the requirement to at least get over 2,500RPM before the charger really started getting into its own. In fact I found it a very frustrating car to drive around town.

 

Kev - you are right when you say the power band on the TDI is very narrow. It seems that beyond 3,500RPM you're just making more noise and getting no more performance but that only seems to be because the turbo basically shuts off once you get beyond about 2,500RPM and shunts all the boost out of the waste gate. For that reason I usually shift up at about 2,800RPM and at the very longest leave it to about 4,000RPM - i've not taken it any further round the dial than that yet!

 

Turbo lag is only really an issue if you make a slow start in first gear, or if you shift up at like 2,000RPM before the turbo even starts to get properly spooled up and you're cruising along at like 40MPH in 6th gear. Any other time its just not an issue - apply some revs before pulling away from a junction and the car goes like a greyhound out of the traps.

 

I think maybe we're just differing here because of what our requirements and desires are from our engines / cars - Kev, you love performance, you've driven lots of nice cars and as you've said yourself fuel economy is not an issue. I'm the opposite really so perhaps I just have much lower standards and lower expectations.. why would you settle for a TDI when you really don't need to?

 

I still think a Revo'd 150PD engine would be a great drive though..

 

Oh, and no-one take this personally please - this is intended as a friendly rebuttal! I'm not trying to clash with anyone.