Grassroots performance eco-conversions

I'm having fun cruising around in my old MB 300DT on vegetable oil (http://www.veggiediesel.org/2006.htm), but now I want something with more performance and I'm thinking electric. How about a magazine project? An electric 914 or Scirooco sounds about right to me. These links fueled my imagination this afternoon.

5 Cool Eco-Conversions We’d Like to See http://www.wired.com/autopia/2009/09/cool-eco-conversions/

A New Diesel Makes An Old Benz Much Wilder http://www.wired.com/autopia/2009/09/mercedes-diesel-swap/

DIY Electric Motorcycle http://www.wired.com/autopia/2009/09/diy-electric-motorcycle/

Electric Rabbits, Sciroccos and Porsches http://www.electroauto.com/index.html

Electric Drag Racing http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=112006313

Cheap performance electrics dont really exist right now. In my opinion the best eco performance setup right now would be a recent tdi motor in an older rabbit.

MrJoshua wrote: Cheap performance electrics dont really exist right now. In my opinion the best eco performance setup right now would be a recent tdi motor in an older rabbit.

This or something like an E30 swap maybe, Toyota Starlet, something small and with not-garbage aerodynamics. And while I can understand freaking over the cost of a Dino V6 rebuild and such, I wouldn't electrify one, put something else in there if you have to but electrifying one seems kind of stupid.

Mr. Joshua, You and Top Gear had the same idea about a tdi engine in an older rabbit. How about 0 to 60 in 7 seconds, 70 mph, and 70 mpg for $7000.

http://green.autoblog.com/2009/03/05/top-gear-americas-project-sipster-adds-2003-tdi-engine-to-1981/

Or just hop up a recent TDI StealthTDI.com

Electric can be done on the cheap, but lithium is sooooo close to being affordable. Raise the budget to $20k and you can make an EV that is fast and and a no sacrifice daily.

MrJoshua wrote: Or just hop up a recent TDI StealthTDI.com

Josh, the link doesn't work...

Newer TDI's are nice, but scarce and I just like late 70's and early 80's Rabbits. (Wishing I still had my '83 GTI to swap a tdi into.)

http://www.stealthtdi.com/

So...any tips for making a TDI RWD? I'd love to stuff one into an e30 shell I have here...

Nathan

And since the answer is always Miata, a 1996 electric Miata, converted for around $7000. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BkzAWzx_lDY

Mazda themselves unveiled an elecrtic Miata in 1995. http://www.greencar.com/articles/driving-mazdas-miata-electric-car.php ..."As an interesting aside, EV hobbyists in Japan can build their own electric Miata with the aid of the automaker. A subsidiary of Mazda is offering courses which teach how to replace the standard Miata engine with a 43 hp electric motor, as well as handle all the other necessary tasks in an electric retrofit. Students do nearly all of the work themselves during the six-month course."

How about some replica electric Porsche Spyders along with a 1990 electric Miata?

http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/technology&id=6896777

http://www.makemineelectric.com/index.html

njansenv wrote: So...any tips for making a TDI RWD? I'd love to stuff one into an e30 shell I have here... Nathan

Use a Sammy conversion kit to mount it to a Suzuki trans or Toyota trans:

Acme

Rocky Road

njansenv wrote: So...any tips for making a TDI RWD? I'd love to stuff one into an e30 shell I have here... Nathan

http://locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=3034&hilit=diesel

I'm not sure what transmission he used, but here's one...

The bel air listing caught me, my parents have a '57 bel air sedan, but I wasn't sure about the diesel. Turns out it (wiki) weighs in at only 3300ish lbs, I assumed it was over 5000. The steel is so thick, I bet the thing is bullet proof.

I'm doing a biodiesel Dmax conversion into a 66 Bonneville and a veggie oil 4BT in a 65 Scout.

I really don't care for electrics. That energy has to be created somewhere, and I'd rather know it's being generated in my own cylinders (connected to smog devices) rather than in some smoky electric plant somewhere.

Besides, I'm old and deaf. I like noise. Max has been asking the right questions:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXK63kvUi6U

G60ing built a Corrado with a TDI, I've always been interested in what one would run like on veggie oil, but not enough to actually do the work.
http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/reader-rides/1181/

His build thread:
http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=3279771

One of the tuner mags liked it:
http://www.eurotuner.com/featuredvehicles/eurp_0802_1992_vw_corrado_slc_tdi_swap/index.html

What's the definition of Eco?

Are we just measuring CO2, or should it include the other harmful chemcials- NOx, HC, and CO? And, for that matter, PM? While the Bio-fuels may get a pass on the CO2, no way do they get a pass for the other regulated emission. And that TDI- loved the smoke billowing out behind it in one of the pictures.

Eco is more than just CO2.

Eric

FriedGreenCorrado,

I like the Corrado TDI. Now it just needs a vegetable oil conversion.

AlfaDriver,

I agree "eco" is more than just CO2. Electric cars qualify best if they use solar energy or hydro power to recharge. If the power comes from coal fired power plants or nuclear, I don't think that counts as eco-friendly.