Super fuel efficient car

[lapeer20m]

so the new project i hope to get started on soon....I want to swap my diesel vw engine into something really lightweight. I originally thought about a geo metro or ford festiva, then i ran across the 1800 pound crx and decided that would look way cooler. These cars got up to 56 mpg in the 1980's with a gas motor.



the diesel in my vw gets around 50 mpg in a car that is nearly twice as heavy as a crx.

what kind of fuel economy should i expect with a diesel vw motor in a honda crx??

[pete c]

That is a sharp looking crx.

I would think that it should do well over 60 if it is geared high enough. I think you can buy a replacement OD 5th gear. It is about a .60.

Go to tdiclub.com They have a very busy board with a forum dedicated to tdi transplants. There are alot of very knowledgable folks there.

Good luck.

[pete c]

That looks like an Si. It was the hot rod crx which, if I recall "only" got fourty something on the highway. the hf had skinnier tires, a smaller engine and real tall gears and was rated for around 65 mpg.

So why in the hell are we not making cars like this today? With the improvements in engine management, you could put a 1 liter or maybe even smaller 3 cylinder in there and get similar performance and probably over 70 mpg.

Is the donor tdi in decent shape? If so, you could clean it up a bit and get pretty damn good money for it. I think this makes more $$$$$ sense. But, if you are doing it more as a fun project, then have at it.

[lapeer20m]

i don't actually have a crx yet...i just included the photo so people would know what one was. i'm still searchign for a cheap (nearly free) donor car. The original vw body is in such bad shape i really shouldn't be driving it. it's gettign kind of dangerous.

i could easily find pretty much any vw from the past 25 years to transplant this motor into, but where's the fun in that? I don't even drive much. i fill up my tank once ever 2 or 3 weeks. I'm taking on this project just for fun.

i figure i can get about $300 in scrap for my current 3K pound vw, so that's my budget for the new car.....i'd like a crx, but might settle for about any car under 2K pounds and 300 dollars.

here's a few suitable cars i've found data on

fiesiva 1598
metro 1650
miata 2027
90 metro 1690
tercel 91 1950
spitfire 1500
horizon/omni 2080

i think that an engine swap is too complicated, verses swapping the entire powertrain (engine/transmission) that way gears already fit the engine. the "conversion" will be made in the special coupler that will allow vw axleshafts to come off the motor, and crx axleshafts to come off the car...

even if it gets 70 or 80, it won't compare to the new vw currently being tested and sheduled for release in 2010. It can get over 230 mpg from a single cylinder 300cc diesel engine, and a top speed of 120kmh.

[pete c]

a tdi miata would be pretty cool. It would mean using the miata tranny, though. I do believe there is an existing bell housing adapter for it.

[phillbus914]

Originally Posted by Smitty

Have you all noticed since gas prices hit $4.....everyone with a small./compact car has automatically doubled the price? I've seen $500 junkers (worth $250) priced at $1000.....simply because they're small with a small motor.
Smitty

You're not kidding... I just picked up a TDI Volkswagen Passat last week off craigslist. I got lucky, I was the first one there with the cash and picked it up for "only" $875 (probably would have been worth $500 a few years ago) Just yesterday the same year/make/model sold on ebay for $4,800 and with 60,000 more miles than my car has!

I drove it across the state last weekend and I'm getting around 50mpg with it. I bought it to fix up and sell, but with this mileage I might keep it and replace my daily driver that gets 1/2 the mileage.

[lapeer20m]

think i just found my car! going to pick it up tomorrow



not nearly as nice looking as the crx in my original post,

but

after a new diesel engine, and a fancy new paint job (rustoleam of coarse!) she should be better than new!

300 bucks on craigslist

according to this website: http://www.autozine.org/Classiccar/html/Honda/CRX.html a 1983 crx weighs 1815 pounds (825 kg) not as light as a festiva, but a lot cooler!

[the_experience03]

Originally Posted by lapeer20m

not as light as a festiva, but a lot cooler!

And you can still get parts for a Honda. Ford discontinued replacement parts for the Festiva and Aspire and the aftermarket never really jumped on them. That means current owners of them are left adapting (like using Ford Escort caliper hardware...)

You are much better off with the Honda. What trim line is that? The HF models got some really neat stuff like a torque cam (in exchange fr lower horsepower), an alternator that the computer would not only regulate, but actually turn off completely, and some other neat mileage getting ideas that the domestics are just now catching on to.

[pete c]

I assume that rustoleum paint job will be black.....with yellow flames, ofcourse.

Probably have to skip the jacuzzi on this one, though.

If you can get that tdi to fit in there, it should be quite the little rocket. They make just a bit over 100 hp, but, nearly 200 ft lbs of torque. That thing could probably idle it at 70 mph if you could get high enough gears.

[lapeer20m]

this is sort of a junk yard project...it doesn't have much of a budget, and will be mostly built with parts on hand....i don't have a tdi motor...although i agree that this would be a rocket with a 1.9 lter tdi!

I have a non turbo 1.6? liter from a 1985 vw golf. makes around 50 hp.

i was thinking that black with flames would be appropriate! i could pull the car around behind the bus when i go to car shows. people would get a kick out of little "mini me" and the diesel swap would be a real kicker.

so i brought her home today, the body is in much nicer shape than i anticipated. totally worth 300 bucks! @ 260/ton the 3K pound vw and a few other misc pieces of scrap metal i have laying around should make me more than 300 bucks at the scrap yard.

I have to work tonight, but hope to get a good start on removing engines tomorrow

[lapeer20m]

i did some measuring....looks like the vw powertrain is smaller than the honda in every aspect except height (and probably weight). vw desel is about 3 inches taller than the honda. Either have to sink the diesel deeper into the car, or made some kind of hood scoop to clear the cam pulley like the eagle talon has. The vw diesel is only lke 17 inches across.

gvw on the car is 2,200 pounds. The bus has more than 10 times the gvw of the crx.

looks like it has duel carb's.....and 4 air filters.

[pete c]

Is it an hf model? I doubt it. If it has dual carbs, it is likely the S version. I think that is what they called it prior to coming out with fuel injection.

Does it run OK?

I had an '84 accord. It was a great car other than the piece of **** carb with about 287 vacuum lines. FI was a big improvement.

[lapeer20m]

Originally Posted by pete c

Is it an hf model? I doubt it. If it has dual carbs, it is likely the S version. I think that is what they called it prior to coming out with fuel injection.

Does it run OK?

it's not getting fuel. I put a little ether to each of the four air filters and she took right off. I dont really feel like toying with it right now, but i'd like to get it running so i can sell it. I don't know what model it is.....didn't come with a title, and couldn't find any info except vin and tire loading info on the door tag. I could prob run the vin # online and figure it out...but it doesn't really matter since i'm removing the original motor and trans.

Yesterday i got the vw motor removed. Today i hope to remove the honda motor, and set the vw down inside the honda frame just to see how it fits.

photos to come

[the_experience03]

Are you planning on reusing the stock Honda subframe assembly? Adapting the VW subframe assembly? Building your own tubed out subframe? I'm curious how this is going to work. Your photos typically pretty well document this stuff.

[lapeer20m]

Originally Posted by the_experience03

Are you planning on reusing the stock Honda subframe assembly? Adapting the VW subframe assembly? Building your own tubed out subframe? I'm curious how this is going to work. Your photos typically pretty well document this stuff.

i haven't exactly decided.....

i think i'm gonna leave the honda subframe in place as long as i can get the motor mounts to work for me

just got the 2nd motor pulled a few minutes ago....they are remarkably similiar in size and weight. wish i had a scale handy.





next step is to set the diesel in the honda and see how it looks....then fab some motor mounts.

[lapeer20m]

making progress.

nothing bolted in, just happy to see that it'll fits!

the photos are only exciting if curiosity makes you wonder if you can get a vw diesel in a honda crx.

[Abbott]

Good stuff!

[lapeer20m]

new youtube video posted here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eY4k6W9UGBQ

[lapeer20m]

the scrap yard just paid me $418.00 for the vw body and about 1,500 pounds of other scrap material i had laying around.

i still have the mostly aluminum honda engine/trans that i listed on craigslist for $250. if i have no takers by next week i'd like to disassemble and take to the scrap yard for about a dollar/pound....still have a hundred pounds or so worth of aluminum from an eagle talon engine and trans that needs to be disassembled.

[lapeer20m]

making progress....sort of.

mocked up the modified vw badge for the civic crx



welded one of the axles today......measured wrong and it's at least 1 inch too long. UGGG! it looks nice though