TDI Swapped Cabrio - talk me down

I used to be a VW guy - way back in the day, and wouldnt be opposed to rocking a 50 MPG Cabrio in the summer.

My friend got rear ended in his 02 Golf TDI 5 speed. Car is totalled, hit in rear, front is perfect, still runs and drives A+ despite 225k miles. He also just did a full timing belt service and put in a new camshaft??!?.

He will bring the TDI to me from Minneapolis for $1050 all in. I can get a decent 02 VW Cabrio for $1500-$2500. I would do the swap myself, in my garage with all the toys (TIG welder, etc)

I read up on this and it seems that its pretty straight forward, the Golf is an A4 and the Cabrio is an A3 chassis, but nothing some rudimentary hacking wouldn't fix.

My questions:

1. Is $1050 a good price for a complete running driving 02 TDI for a swap. If this idea goes tits up would it be an easy sell later?
2. If I decide this sucks, even after its together, is there any market for a swap like this if done well? Could I sell it for $5k? Or would it be worth $300 and be trouble to move?
3. What else would an 02 TDI be a neat swap into? Small SUV? Maybe an older 4runner? Jeep Wrangler? Would have to be complete and awesome with everything working to make me happy.

Ive done some reading on TDI Club and it looks relatively forward, looking for some real world experience here.

Mk4--->Mk3 wiring, make sure you have a handle on the wiring, immo defeat, etc.

The Cabrio is a MK3/MK4 hybrid, so the swap might not be too bad. It has the MK3 body, but most of the running gear is based on the (then) current MK4.

I agree the wiring is the main concern. You may need to essentially strip both cars down to the bare chassis and essentially convert the Cabrio into a Mk IV - at least as far as the ECU is concerned. There are companies out there that can reprogram the ECU to defeat the immobilizer, but it's not cheap.

I've had a similar dream: take a caddy and install the various bits of a Cabrio and a MkIV TDI to make a "late caddy" with the more modern interior.

Depending on how bad the rear hit is, would a http://www.smythkitcars.com/ conversion be possible?

How much would it be worth when you're done? Who knows. $5K may be stretching it... I'd guess maybe half that. Maybe more if the conversion is clean and isn't any weirdness. That's a pretty big "if"... When you're done, it'll still be a 14 year old VW, TDI or not.

I would buy the car in a heartbeat for $1050, but I'd do the truck conversion I mentioned above.

I've considered doing this as well. When coupled with some upgrades from Kermatdi they are pretty fun beasts. Do your homework on the immobilizer defeat. Gauge cluster issues are also related to the immobilizer but have been managed.

Not so worried on the wiring, I love that stuff. It would be my favorite part of the project.

In fact I love struggle so much I am tempted to do a late A1 Cabrio, like a 91 or 92. Defeating the immo costs around $150, I can spend that on a good night out so no worries there and would simplify the install greatly.

Just bear in mind, if you want the final car to be worth anything, everything has to work. Everything. A/C, cruise control, HVAC, idiot lights, etc. Everything.

I don't know much about the Cabrio/Mk3.5, but I own a MKIV and know it does have a body control computer that handles most chassis functions as well as communicating to the ECU.

93gsxturbo wrote: 1. Is $1050 a good price for a complete running driving 02 TDI for a swap. If this idea goes tits up would it be an easy sell later?

Yes. Absolutely. No brainer good deal, especially with the manual trans.

2. If I decide this sucks, even after its together, is there any market for a swap like this if done well? Could I sell it for $5k? Or would it be worth $300 and be trouble to move?

Maybe not $5K, but it'd be worth a premium to a very niche buyer over an equivalent clean Cabrio of same vintage. If you can do as you claim and DIY 90% of it, you'll come out even.

3. What else would an 02 TDI be a neat swap into? Small SUV? Maybe an older 4runner? Jeep Wrangler? Would have to be complete and awesome with everything working to make me happy.

Sky's the limit here. There's RWD adapter plates for them and people have swapped in many things. I like to see them in cars that will see a lot of mileage, because that's where the TDI pays itself back. A good friend of mine swapped an ALH TDI into a Corrado which he daily's and averages close to 50mpg with a tune and a bigger turbo. I'd stick to something light enough for it still to be mildly fun.

So... my question, other than being cheap, why the Cabrio?

Is the Golf intact enough to consider one of the Smyth truck conversion kits?

http://www.smythkitcars.com/#!untitled/c1o

I'll talk you down right quick: Ever driven a convertible while following a diesel?

Now remember you'll be bringing your own stench with you wherever you go.

Duke wrote: I'll talk you down right quick: **Ever driven a convertible while following a diesel?** Now remember you'll be bringing your own stench with you wherever you go.

This ^ Seriously. Worst part about driving in the spring/summer are the diesel vehicles in traffic while you're trying to enjoy an open sunroof/top/window.

It should be noted that they aren't exactly nice to listen to (although they've done a lot of work to make them fairly quiet on the TDi's)

I love my diesel F250, the sound, the smell, everything!

I even have the girlfriend accustomed to riding in the Corvette and it is not especially non-stinky (catless X pipe, blower tune so runs rich)

Golf should be intact enough to make the Smythe conversion out of but not sure on the title situation. Worst case from a body damage standpoint it would need to be pulled or have a piece sectioned in, would all be behind the rear axle so well within the means of me. It still drives fine, wheels are straight, and doors shut good.

The reason for a Cabrio is that convertibles are awesome, if you are gonna have a slow car, it may as well be fun. And a VW Cabrio would be seeing a lot of daily commuting/road tripping.

As far as everything working, I am far too mental to not have it running/driving/looking like it left the factory. I keep everything working on all my cars, just too OCD to have a CEL or broken features.

93gsxturbo wrote: I love my diesel F250, the sound, the smell, everything!

In that case the only thing I would add is a tractor style exhaust stack through the hood with rain cap tap-tap-tapping away at stoplights.

If I had an '02 TDi to use as a swap donor, the engine would be in my '75 VW Transporter.

Swap it into a Miata if you want a convertible. I recently flipped a Mk3 cabrio and it gave me quite a bit of trouble just in the few months I owned it.

TDI in a Meeeotter isnt happening, wrong engine for that chassis. Besides, Miatas are chick cars.

93gsxturbo wrote: Besides, Miatas are chick cars.

93gsxturbo wrote: Not so worried on the wiring, I love that stuff. It would be my favorite part of the project...

To paraphrase Foghorn Leghorn, "Something just ain't right with that boy."

In reply to xflowgolf:

That sounds like a ridiculously cool idea! 45mpg MTB transporter with tiny footprint. Bookmarked for future use...

Wall-e wrote:

93gsxturbo wrote: I love my diesel F250, the sound, the smell, everything!

In that case the only thing I would add is a tractor style exhaust stack through the hood with rain cap tap-tap-tapping away at stoplights.

I put a tractor muffler on the last GTI I owned - though I kept the exhaust rear-exit. It was way cheaper than anything the area auto parts stores carried, and it for better too.