Diesel engine in old Kombi van
Submitted: Tuesday, May 30, 2006 at 18:14
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phil
Hi,
I have just returned from South Africa and over there saw an amazing conversion.
A Toyota diesel engine in a 1972 VW Kombi van. Amazingly it fits in the same place as the original engine without having to modify the interior of the van. I would never have believed that there was enough height but when the owner opened the access door at the back, there it was! It is coupled to the original transmission. There is a radiator built into the front of the van, within the body. The owner claims more power and no overheating. The rear torsion bars need to be wound up to cope with the extra weight. He uses it like a 4WD.
Phil I
Reply By: Willem - Tuesday, May 30, 2006 at 19:31
Tuesday, May 30, 2006 at 19:31
Yep they also used to build Ford Sierra 3lt petrol engines into the Kombi's.
On one of my trips over there a mate scared the living daylights out of me by travelling at 180kmh in his V6 Kombi. It could lift the front wheel off the ground if he revved it and dropped the clutch on take off. Was pretty unstable at speed when there was a breeze about...lol
AnswerID:
175702
Reply By: Member - John R (NSW) - Tuesday, May 30, 2006 at 19:32
Tuesday, May 30, 2006 at 19:32
Phil, I've owned a couple of kombi's, and you'd be amazed at the room in the engine bay. I remember seeing one getting around Merrylands with a V6 Crumpledore engine in it. It went like bleep off a greasy shovel :-)
I never had any trouble getting
mine to some relatively inaccessible
places. They had better ground clearance than some of todays 4x4's.
Leyland Brothers did a lot of good
places in them, too....
AnswerID:
175703
Follow Up By: Member - Axle - Tuesday, May 30, 2006 at 21:26
Tuesday, May 30, 2006 at 21:26
It was surprising where they would go, Same as beetle no clearance, but could claw its way anywhere.
FollowupID:
431800
Reply By: Peter 2 - Tuesday, May 30, 2006 at 19:40
Tuesday, May 30, 2006 at 19:40
There was one round
Sydney years ago with a Rover 3.5l V8 in it too.
apparently weighed about the same as the original donk. went
well as long as you backed off enough to allow the front wheels to hit the ground occasionally.
AnswerID:
175706
Reply By: Eric Experience. - Tuesday, May 30, 2006 at 20:33
Tuesday, May 30, 2006 at 20:33
Phil.
I did a conversion for a customer, a 186 into a ex 2 litre comby. It was not a succes because of the diff ratio, the motor was reving to hard and used huge amounts of fuel. It did not pass a RWC so the disapionted owner could not sell it. You can buy a transporter with a much better than toyota diesel standard, a bloody good vehicle.
Eric.
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175724