QUEST: Find an Eco-Overlander Vehicle

[mountainpete]

Hmmmmm....what about just lifting a Passat Wagon. they hold a lot!!

The Passat Wagons do hold a lot of gear, but my experience with one was so sad. I purchased a beautiful brand new P-Wag in 2002 with the 1.8T. In 14 months of ownership it was in the shop over 60 days! :yikes:

It got to the point the VW was going to buy it back, but the deal wasn't very good. So I simply got rid of it.

So for me - the Passat was a poor choice.

 

[pwc]

On the other end of a spectrum, that shots was frmo teh begining of a road trip from Seattle to Yellowstone/Grand Teton (the compressed bags are sleeping bags and tent). I had the oil changed before hand. that was it. Same thing for a Disneyland roadrip.

We beat on the thing and other than having the timing belt changed, it stays on the road. If I could lift it and use it off road, I'd do it. it's a TDI and gets 42 on road trips and 38MPG otherwise on biodiesel.

 

[dieselcruiserhead]

that is great.. I have a friend who frequently does the same thing with a passat of the same color, TDI & everything... Neat

 

[DesertRose]

Hmmmmm....what about just lifting a Passat Wagon. they hold a lot!!

That's so great!

I will take a look at Passats - nice compromise if I stop thinking 4WD.

PS, it looks like if any of those compression straps let go, your Passat would end up blown all over the landscape!

 

[DesertRose]

Here are some links courtesy of my red star membership at Pirate (totally lame they charge that.. to search ... )

http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=354974&highlight=volkswagen


http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=554084&highlight=dieseltoyz
Really good info on the dieseltoyz swaps. I believe they are in Texas. I really like their technique and outlook on the diesel conversions. Everything seems 100% accurate and correct of everything I've seen them say on the forums and on their web site...
EDIT: on this page, they are claiming 35 mpg from some of their setups...
http://www.dieseltoyz.com/index-2.html

Thanks for this great link - the factory Toyota 3.0L 4-cyl TD sounds incredible. Dieseltoyz sounds like a great company - and the engines can be adapted to earlier (90up) 4Runners - now we're talking!

Although I adore my Taco, again - it seems dumb for us to have 3 low-fuel-economy 2-seater 4x4s. Most of the time my Taco's huge cargo space is a dust-collector or used for hauling our trash and recycling! (we have a utility trailer for that if I got another vehicle).

Great stuff, everybody - thanks for taking the time!

Today I might be a little less active, because, um, I need to work!

 

[Jonathan Hanson]

My nomination for this project is either an FJ60 with a Toyota diesel/five-speed swap - easily done - or a Discovery with a 2.8 diesel/five-speed swap - also fairly easily done. Since we tend to keep vehicles for long periods and long mileages (and we live five miles down a dirt road), I'm suspicious of the durability of the cute-utes. A friend of ours in Phoenix has an HJ45 Troopie he imported from Australia, with a 2H diesel. He gets 26 mpg on the highway at 65 mph, with the stock four-speed. I'm convinced the same engine in a far-more-aerodynamic FJ60, with a five-speed, could touch 30mpg, retaining all the superb expedition qualities of the 60 series.

The Disco is attractive, too: Great comfort and off-road capability, good capacity, and a lot of style. However, I'd be . . . mildy, I guess . . . concerned about reliability of ancillary systems, even with a diesel and manual transmission swap. But the cost, if we found one with a bad stock engine, would be doable.

 

[Jonathan Hanson]

In other circumstances, it would be interesting to see how much mileage could be squeezed from a V6 auto Tacoma. Narrower tires, manual hubs, headers and exhaust, a deck plate intake mod, and, um, probably removing the bloody great ARB bumper up front, might get you to 23 mpg or so.

But Roseann has already caught the fatal itch. She wants something different. Glad she doesn't feel the same way about husbands . . .

 

[DesertRose]

But Roseann has already caught the fatal itch. She wants something different. Glad she doesn't feel the same way about husbands . . .

Too many miles invested in you, hon.:jump:

And don't forget, I want a motorcycle, too!! :roost:

Life is too short to always do the practical thing.

:elkgrin:

 

[Clutch]

A BMW GS650 or KTM640....with side cars on either side...60-70 mpg and seating for 4....solves the daul sport quest too!

 

[slooowr6]

I'll throw my 2c in for the passat. I've a 98 A4 it has the same 1.8t engine and it's pretty much the same car just different badge and interior. The 1.8t is a very nice engine and durable but it's the other little things that break. I do all my maintance myself, I changed the timing belt at 90k, it took me a day. Now the sun roof does not open, there must be a broken pully in there somewhere in the track I just don't want to spend the time and $ to fix it. The drive side rear window does not open, a plastic pully in the track broke I don't have passenger often so I did not fix that. Water pump leaks and was replaced when doing the timing belt change. Oil press sensor leaks got this one fixed. Head gasket leaks at 120k got this one fixed. The center door lock pneumatic pump leaks at 80k got this fixed with a used part, the pump is very expensive I remember. The door locks are driven by air on these VW/Audi. Upper ball joint worn out at 110k relaced these, tie rod end worn at the same time and got this replaced.
Over all I still like the car but in compare my hand-me-down 86 Hoda Prelude it needs more attentation. The little A4 gets great milage on freeway, 28mpg but on locale street is another story 18-19mpg. With the enging getting older the turbo lag is getting more and more.
Just some owner experience want to share so you can know what you might be in for:elkgrin:

 

[Grim Reaper]

The problem is air bags, diesel and mpg and money.

Anything newer then 95 that will have the bags you want is going to be near impossible to make the $11k with diesel swap. Newer then 2000 impossible.

Personally....I LOVE air cooled VW's. I HATE water cooled VW's. Last good VW rolled off the line about 83. They haven't built anything half as problem free as a Toyota anything since then. I don't think I would ever feel good about the TDI.

Zuk's are cool but the TDI in a bigger Zuk is going to be a Dog.

I very seriously considered putting a 2L-TE in my 86 4Runner. It is a bolt in. and I live 30 minutes from www.jarcoinc.com It was going to be $2600 for the half cut and then god knows how much time and other little things to make it work. I figured $3k as the bare minimum to do the conversion. The 1Kz are $4-5k. Doing the math over what it cost to rebuilt my 22RE I would have to drive the thing about 200K to break even on the fuel savings.....I plan to drive it a lot but I doubt I will have it for another 200k. Then we get into the whole problem that these motors were not offered in the US so parts are going to be a problem.

You are NOT going to save money doing a diesel swap in anything. It will in fact cost you more. If you are doing the swap its for the cool factor and nothing else.

If you can get over the diesel swap I would say you best bet is a light 4 door like a Rav4 or Vitara. You can make the money and features goal easily.

If you are set on the Diesel then the only way to make the money goal is find something like a 95 or older 4Runner. If you can find a 22R equipped 4Runner the 2L-TE is a bolt in. The only part that won't be plug and play is the harness. You will have to make it a left hand drive harness. Tedious but not hard.

Blown up 3.0 4Runners are pretty common for cheap. No direct bolt in diesel but you could fabricate the motor mounts and put the 2L or the 1Kz in it and probably stay under $8k.I think 96 was the first passenger side airbag. Not sure when driver side came in.

 

[TeleScooby]

OK, so a couple of thoughts on this one:

First, as a Forester driver, I gotta say, can't go wrong with a Scooby! Find a 2000-2004 5mt with reasonable mileage, import some bits (bull bars, sump guard and lift kit) from Australia, add a basket to the roof and you're good to go! You'll likely see in the high 20s-low 30s freeway, assuming a reasonable street tire, have plenty of space for light overlanding, etc...

Check out http://www.subaruforester.org/vbulletin/

for more info...I'm Seattleforester over there.

Second comment, what about a first gen RAV4? They get great mileage, there are lift kits, etc...pretty widely available, they're Toyotas...and when/if it ever dies, you can do the same diesel swap as with a zuke...

I've been looking online, and a reasonably low mileage '99 or 2000 would go for less than $6000...

 

[devinsixtyseven]

This may be a shot in the dark, and probably TeleScooby would know more, but I've heard of forced induction on Foresters...would that get the mileage consistently in the 30s?

...IIRC it was something about having the same engine as the WRX...? Therefore access to the same modifications?

-Sean

 

[TeleScooby]

This may be a shot in the dark, and probably TeleScooby would know more, but I've heard of forced induction on Foresters...would that get the mileage consistently in the 30s?

...IIRC it was something about having the same engine as the WRX...? Therefore access to the same modifications?

-Sean

The XT model, the T is of course for Turbo, has the same 2.5 litre turbo engine as the WRX. nowhere near the mileage and premium fuel only. My X has the same 2.5 litres, just no turbo and imo more then enough power for daily driving and light offroading...

 

[slooowr6]

The XT model, the T is of course for Turbo, has the same 2.5 litre turbo engine as the WRX. nowhere near the mileage and premium fuel only. My X has the same 2.5 litres, just no turbo and imo more then enough power for daily driving and light offroading...

Non-turbo is better if you don't look at the hp number. The power is more liner, the engine will last longer, don't need premium, and better mpg. After having A4 for 9 years, I don't want to get a turbo anymore.