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Sun Aug 28, 2005 5:55 am

I like the looks of the Mk1 Scirocco and I like the power and improvements of the later-model TDI engines, so I'm wondering; Is it feasible to swap a TDI engine into a Mk1 Scirocco?

Or are the difficulties too numerous?

I know with enough time & money about any swap will work, but I've seen alot of 8v engines swapped to 16v. Other than the gas/diesel issue, can about any newer VW 4cyl engine be swapped into an earlier model ( e.g., Mk1 Scirocco)?

TIA

Sun Aug 28, 2005 7:59 am

First things first.....EVERY Scirocco is a Mk1. They were never built on the Mk2 platform.

Truthfully, any engine can be put in any car - money makes it happen. I've seen TDI-powered Rabbits & Rabbit trucks, so a 'Rocco could certainly be done. 8)

Sun Aug 28, 2005 11:23 am

plasticman1432 wrote: First things first.....EVERY Scirocco is a Mk1. They were never built on the Mk2 platform.

Truthfully, any engine can be put in any car - money makes it happen. I've seen TDI-powered Rabbits & Rabbit trucks, so a 'Rocco could certainly be done. 8)

Sorry for my ignorance. I meant an early, short wheelbase Scirocco (which I assume is very similar to the original Golf/Rabbit.) I only recently bought my first VW (a Eurovan), so I'm not a long-time VW afficianado. (Long-time admirer, short-time owner.)

Do you (or anyone else) know if the TDI-powered Rabbits and Rabbit trucks needed extensive modifications? Or just a swap of various parts (like other motor mounts, different tranny, radiator, etc.)?

Mon Aug 29, 2005 10:30 pm

The '75-84 Rabbits(Golfs) and Jettas did indeed have the same wheelbase as the '75-89 Sciroccos; you are correct. Sorry for coming off too harsh, but the Mk1/Mk2 thing about 'Roccos gets under my skin at times.

You may want to hit the 'hybrid & swap' forum over at www.vwvortex.com for answers to your questions....their TDI forum might also prove fruitful.
http://forums.vwvortex.com/zeromain?id=3

Thu Sep 01, 2005 9:16 pm

Unless I'm mistaken, the earlier TDIs were all mechanical, while the late-model ones are electronically controlled. I'd think it would be pretty tough to get the electronics right if you used a late model engine.

Also, the blocks on all liquid-cooled VWs are very similar, if not identical - so it might basically bolt right in.

Your best bet would probably be if you have a wrecked TDI to get all the stuff from. Otherwise, you could spend gobs of money on little parts, here and there, to make it work.

Sat Sep 03, 2005 11:51 pm

I believe a gentlemen by the name of Hayden (Christensen?) has performed this swap. You would be able to read about it in the archives of the vw diesel list or the vw audi diesel list. One is on yahoo, the other is off an older audi site... Do a bit of googling and you should be able to find each list. Sounds like a cool ride, enjoy! IIRC, somebody has already done a Corrado as well. Now that I think of it, I believe somebody in Denver (not Hayden) did another Scirocco years back... There's probably more.