# The Rabbit TDI Project Part 1: Introduction



## MrDave (Jul 26, 2002)

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,



http://www.mrdavesworld.com/tdi/idi-engine.jpg




http://www.mrdavesworld.com/tdi/old-out.jpg




http://www.mrdavesworld.com/tdi/engine-final.jpg




Ugh.
VWVortex many updates, and other website limitations,
the photos are dead, again.

All the photos are here:


http://www.mrdavesworld.com/tdi/






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


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## adamrules (Dec 26, 2000)

*Re: The Rabbit TDI Project Part 1: Introduction (MrDave)*

cool. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## 88JETTEXTREME (Jan 1, 2000)

*Re: The Rabbit TDI Project Part 1: Introduction (MrDave)*

I want to do this so badly into an A2 Golf or Jetta it would be the ultimate daily driver. So how does it run? Are you happy is there more pix? Dave


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## MrDave (Jul 26, 2002)

*Re: The Rabbit TDI Project Part 1: Introduction (88JETTEXTREME)*

More pics coming later.
Runs good, still working out the bugs and gremlins.
If you're wanting to do an A2, see what this guy has done:
 Project TRQMNSTR 




[Modified by MrDave, 10:45 PM 4-2-2003]


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## dumbestified (Mar 25, 2003)

*Re: The Rabbit TDI Project Part 1: Introduction (MrDave)*

i dunno which I want more... your sweet Caddy or your sweet Bobcat.


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## MrDave (Jul 26, 2002)

*Re: The Rabbit TDI Project Part 1: Introduction (dumbestified)*

Besides the truck, the first picture also shows a riding lawnmower and some saddle trees...

-Dave


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## ArpyArpad (Jan 4, 2002)

*Re: The Rabbit TDI Project Part 1: Introduction (MrDave)*

i recently saw some pics of someone taking a tdi out of a new beetle and putting it into an a2 . dont remember where i saw it though.









whoops! nevermind, that site you linked has those pics.










[Modified by ArpyArpad, 12:49 AM 4-5-2003]


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## [email protected] (Apr 15, 2004)

*Re: The Rabbit TDI Project Part 1: Introduction (MrDave)*

Thats a bad A2 link...do you have the correct one?


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## MrDave (Jul 26, 2002)

*Re: The Rabbit TDI Project Part 1: Introduction ([email protected])*

Websites come and go.
That website has been idle for well over a year, and I've heard
that the project has been idle for some time as well.
Here are some links to a different cars:
http://www.album.ee/?o=300002220
http://www.cwstuning.com/gallery/MK2tdi
-Dave


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## mikeyworks (Jan 8, 2001)

*Re: The Rabbit TDI Project Part 1: Introduction (MrDave)*

Resurection....of an older thread....but this one cannot die.
In fact, I saved each page as its own PDF so I can keep it for my files.
Mr. Dave, expect e-mails one of these days as I would love to do this to my Caddy too!!!!
Mikey


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## urogolf (Dec 10, 2000)

*Re: The Rabbit TDI Project Part 1: Introduction (MrDave)*

AWESOME JOB!!
any updates to this?


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## MrDave (Jul 26, 2002)

*Re: The Rabbit TDI Project Part 1: Introduction (urogolf)*

Updates?
Follow the links in the first post.
Beyond that, daily driven, turned over 82,000 kms on the conversion this morning.
-Dave


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## SlientG60 (Dec 6, 2002)

*Re: The Rabbit TDI Project Part 1: Introduction (MrDave)*

I'm hoping to score a TDI anytime soon.


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## kfen (Jun 3, 2004)

*Re: The Rabbit TDI Project Part 1: Introduction (MrDave)*

Is it possible to do this project with a Rabbit gasoline pickup? I am thinking of picking up a totaled 2002 tdi golf.


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## MrDave (Jul 26, 2002)

*Re: The Rabbit TDI Project Part 1: Introduction (kfen)*

Wow, back from the dead.
Simple answer: yes.
Remove the fuel pump at the back and figure out your fuel plumbing, everything else is pretty much the same. 
Project update: daily driven, recently changed the timing belt, currently at 106,000 kms on the swap, running 55mpg (Imp) on my current tank of fuel.
-Dave


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## kfen (Jun 3, 2004)

*Re: The Rabbit TDI Project Part 1: Introduction (MrDave)*

Thank you. I am on the hunt for a rabbit.


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## punkvideo81 (Jul 13, 2005)

*Re: The Rabbit TDI Project Part 1: Introduction (kfen)*

Hey MrDave,
Been interested in doing a TDI Rabbit ever since readng your posts. I found this deal for $2000. Do you think it sounds good?
1996 Passat sedan. It was a wreck I picked up to use the engine and electronics for customer conversion, but he found a newer engine he decided to use instead. The car has 120K documneted miles, has been sitting two years since the accident. Five-speed. It was hit on the left front, unfortunately breaking the intercooler, but I have a spare in usable condition I can give you. The only other broken part is the starter. I did swap out a starter from another TDI long enough to verify the engine ran well and sounded in good. I've already removed the front bumper structure, radiator and support, so pulling it shouldn't be too difficult at all. There are still quite a few parts you can sell from the car to recoup some of the money too.


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## SuperChicken13 (Dec 6, 2003)

*Re: The Rabbit TDI Project Part 1: Introduction (punkvideo81)*

Lol, I read this and was like "WTF, another one?!"


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## B166eR - VW (Dec 11, 2003)

*Re: The Rabbit TDI Project Part 1: Introduction (SuperChicken13)*

Sorry, had to bump.. Is this baby still on the road?


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## MrDave (Jul 26, 2002)

*Re: The Rabbit TDI Project Part 1: Introduction (B166eR - VW)*

Just about ready for it's 250,000km service. (that's 250k since the TDI went in. About 450k on the shell)
-Dave


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## B166eR - VW (Dec 11, 2003)

*Re: The Rabbit TDI Project Part 1: Introduction (MrDave)*

amazing. I would love the same for this A1 Jetta Coupe I have.


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## diive4sho (Feb 7, 2004)

*cached or backup pdf's*

If anyone has these pages cached or if you have pdf's can you send them to [email protected] 
We are about to undergo a TDI swap into our auto-x car. 

Thanks!


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## MrDave (Jul 26, 2002)

diive4sho said:


> If anyone has these pages cached or if you have pdf's can you send them to [email protected]
> We are about to undergo a TDI swap into our auto-x car.
> 
> Thanks!


 
Try the internet archives: 
http://web.archive.org/web/20070429163224/forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=778864 

-Dave


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## MKIGTITDI (Aug 25, 2007)

How long did it take for you to complete the entire swap into your caddy? Im looking at doing this myself and im planning on a couple of months with daily work on it.


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## puebla (Sep 9, 2003)

B166eR - VW said:


> amazing. I would love the same for this A1 Jetta Coupe I have.


Great thread, in for later.


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## Samsquam (Jul 8, 2012)

Most of the links 404'd Logged on to have a good read once again. Please bring it back dave


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## MrDave (Jul 26, 2002)

Samsquam said:


> Most of the links 404'd Logged on to have a good read once again. Please bring it back dave


Some things were misplaced in VWVortex's zeroforum/vBulletin changes.

Here are the updated links: 

Note: added part 14.

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


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## 854door (Nov 11, 2009)

Any chance you have another build thread?


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## suburbangeorge (Apr 24, 2004)

854door said:


> Any chance you have another build thread?


It's been a while since I read this thread but your post popped it up on my watched threads. Why would he need another build thread? This is a very detailed comprehensive build thread. If you can't find enough info, hire it done by someone else.


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## westbeach4 (Aug 19, 2006)

Damn it I hate when the photo's go


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## MrDave (Jul 26, 2002)

westbeach4 said:


> Damn it I hate when the photo's go



lousy web hosting. I'll figure something out.

-Dave


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