Anyone ever think about diesel conversions?

SuperRallyRoo · Post by **SuperRallyRoo** » Sun Feb 08, 2009 4:35 am

My dad bought a 2000 subaru outback and its basically the nicest road trip and camping car I have ever driven... Decent off road, quite, comfy, handles like a boat... But its just gutless as hell. It gets 24-27mpg though. I really want one of these cars for myself and I know that new turbo diesel is available in europe now. Anyone know how difficult it would be to get the parts shipped to the US to install in an older subaru? I just wish they would give us the frikin diesel already. 50mpg and amazing torque makes me horny. Sorry for kinda rambling here give me ur thoughts... Non subaru diesel conversion perhaps? mercedes? vw? 4bt cummins?

555BCTurbo · Post by **555BCTurbo** » Sun Feb 08, 2009 5:14 am

Yeah...4bt only weighs like 750 lbs...lol

You might be able to tuck a TDI in there...and do an Audi-esque radiator setup...

evolutionmovement · Post by **evolutionmovement** » Sun Feb 08, 2009 5:32 pm

You can get it shipped into the country as a car part, though installing it will be questionably legal. Check the EPA site as I can't remember the details. You're going to need the harness, fuel pump(s) and everything and you'll have to get a new tank and fuel lines (which you might be able to fab here). You'll probably also want the transmission rather than spending all the time and money to mate it to an old one that will likely have a problem with the torque. The other problem will be availability. Not likely there's many available yet and they'll cost a fortune. 50 mpg will probably be about right on the highway if you drive slow. The Euro cars get almost 50 Imp Gal, but that's low 40's US gal. and the 2000 Outback might even weigh more than the current model. All parts will have to be sourced from Europe, cost a fortune, and will take a while to get. I thought about trying to get one of these for my Cessna-car and the likely increase in mileage would have taken me something like 660k miles with $3 gas/$4 diesel to cover the minimum cost of the conversion over an OBDII EJ22. And that's not counting how many rear ends that thing might blow out in my case. I liked the idea of being able to run on biodiesel, but not for the cost and a 1500 lbs. vehicle doesn't need 250 lbs./ft to move.

The diesel actually only weighs a little more than the gas engine as it's all aluminum. I forget if it's 50 or 80 lbs.

SuperRallyRoo · Post by **SuperRallyRoo** » Sun Feb 08, 2009 9:27 pm

Jezz you make it sound so difficult lol. Ya I suppose the cost at this point in time would be pretty ridiculous.

evolutionmovement · Post by **evolutionmovement** » Mon Feb 09, 2009 5:43 am

Yeah, it's too bad. Diesel and Subaru just seem like they'd go so well together. If you needed the thing to move, you could turbo it, but it's still just a heavy vehicle no matter what.

555BCTurbo · Post by **555BCTurbo** » Mon Feb 09, 2009 6:22 am

TDI mang...it can be done!

tahiti350 · Post by **tahiti350** » Mon Feb 09, 2009 12:10 pm

there is an Isuzu 1.8 diesel on the Seattle Craigslist for $1800, good running solid appearing sedan. Might make a decent donor for a swap... owner claims 36-38 MPG

555BCTurbo · Post by **555BCTurbo** » Tue Feb 10, 2009 1:31 am

Those Isuzus are NUTLESS!!!

AWD_addict · Post by **AWD_addict** » Tue Feb 10, 2009 6:42 am

Lets get a group letter to Subaru started. If we all ask for the diesel Legacy it'll have more chance of getting here than if nobody asks for it.

I've wanted one since they came out. Anybody else see it on Top Gear?

AWD_addict · Post by **AWD_addict** » Tue Feb 10, 2009 6:47 am

Season 12, episode 4. http://hessmo.com/Hessmo/TG_Season_12.html

SuperRallyRoo · Post by **SuperRallyRoo** » Tue Feb 10, 2009 9:37 am

Ya I already sent off a letter to subaru when the diesel came out about how much I wanted to own a legacy GT wagon or a forester diesel here in the states.

douglas vincent · Post by **douglas vincent** » Tue Feb 10, 2009 11:57 am

I don't know if the Season 12, episode 4 is the one I am thinking of, but they say it SUCKED.

evolutionmovement · Post by **evolutionmovement** » Tue Feb 10, 2009 1:08 pm

Clarkson's a tool (probably 3" erect) anyway. All the reviews I've read have loved the engine, but not loved the cars they've been put into. Sounds about right.

555BCTurbo · Post by **555BCTurbo** » Wed Feb 11, 2009 4:39 am

Clarkson isn't a tool...he loves performance cars...and while a diesel Legacy would be awesome, it ain't no performance car...

evolutionmovement · Post by **evolutionmovement** » Wed Feb 11, 2009 4:57 am

But that's ALL he likes. He's got the brain of a 12 year old. He can be amusing, but taking his reviews as anything more than entertainment is a mistake. Nobody is buying a diesel Subaru in the interest of performance. You don't ask a gay guy what he thinks about a girl you're interested in. Well, I wouldn't at least.

555BCTurbo · Post by **555BCTurbo** » Wed Feb 11, 2009 5:29 am

I dunno...sometimes gay dudes can be very objective with the girls.

As far as Clarkson, I believe his opinions have merit from a driving standpoint...the man can drive, that is an indisputable fact...

Except he doesn't really like 911s...which does not compute

entirelyturbo · Post by **entirelyturbo** » Wed Feb 11, 2009 2:01 pm

So what business do they have bashing a diesel Legacy if all they do is performance cars?

I love Top Gear; it's the only TV show I go out of my way to watch. It's far more entertaining than those old stodgy shows like Motorweek or Two Guys' Garage.

But entertainment value is all it has. I never learn anything from it, and on the occasion when they get serious and pretend to deliver factual information like they know what they're talking about, I ignore them. I know where to get the right information.

evolutionmovement · Post by **evolutionmovement** » Thu Feb 12, 2009 11:17 pm

And Top Gear definitely thrashes some interesting cars. The T-Rex in the rain was one of my favorites. My point is only that all the reviews I've read loved the diesel engine for its smoothness, power, willingness to rev, and even the sound. I tend to trust Car Magazine the most even though they seem to review by brand perception too much, but then, it IS a UK magazine and they still have admiration for hereditary royalty and that just carries over. Mainly I love their photography and journey-minded articles that are closer to Natural Geographic than standard car mag fare.

Richard · Post by **Richard** » Sat Feb 21, 2009 8:34 pm

There's no question that there are producers calling the shots and scripts to follow most of the time. That said, I believe Top Gear is the best damn car show I've ever seen.

TwinTurbine · Post by **TwinTurbine** » Fri Mar 06, 2009 4:52 am

Clarkson has some really good points that he brings out, however the fact of his driving might be brought in to question in light of the over drama of the Caparo that he drove. He couldn't handle the car, however the Stig seem to do quite well. Clarkson can whip down the tarmac fine enough (straight), throw in a turn or two and see what happens. As far as the Caparo is concerned Phil Bennet drove the Caparo after Clarkson did...and the understeer was not like Clarkson described it to be. And don't be taken by Clarkson's drifting skills and tire smoke bellowing out from under the wheels. Most times he never holds the drift anyway. If you want to drive fast you have to drive smooth. There is a reason he didn't drive the Bugatti Veyron to the edge of it's limit. Although they let him on the street with it, go figure.
Don't make him out to be a driving God, his head is big enough.

entirelyturbo · Post by **entirelyturbo** » Fri Mar 06, 2009 7:04 pm

Seriously.

He can drive better than you or I, but there's a reason they put the Stig behind the wheel and not him when they want the car driven professionally.

If we rank every driver in the world as either beginner, intermediate, or expert... he and Hammond would probably be in the intermediate category, below a professional racer in NASCAR or ALMS.

Anyway, to get closer back to the topic... Top Gear are a bunch of idiots for hating on diesels, first off. The only association they have with diesels is with small economy cars. They don't understand much about them.

Although it does sound a bit loud compared to modern diesels from the videos I've watched, the Subaru diesel still sounds like an awesome engine. Diesels can run somewhat rough, but a balanced boxer engine should eliminate a lot of that. It still sounds like a Subaru too.

TwinTurbine · Post by **TwinTurbine** » Sun Mar 08, 2009 1:34 am

I agree with you about the Subaru Diesels and the progress of the diesel itself, I enjoy them at the Grand Prix here at Mosport in Canada. As well as seeing them proform in OffShore racing events.

However, if you are going to compare Clarkson's diving with yours...fine. Leave me out of it. You never know who is behind the key board do you? The 200Mph club keeps growing every day, not just for the guys that have money to buy exotic cars, or Super cars if you will, or have stutus to drive other peoples cars. But for us Finns who worked hard at useing our left (throttle) foot to kick open the door to life at birth, some of us work hard from small to perfect the art of driving, and support those to aspire to more through testing and development.
Don't get me wrong I like Clarkson and I like Top Gear, pretty much one of my favorite shows.
But don't make Clarkson out to be a driving God, we know his driving we can see it from the paddock thank you very much.

(Cough) "Subaru's rule!!"

Aerotech · Post by **Aerotech** » Sun Mar 08, 2009 3:57 am

Anybody catch the Economy Race last Monday?
750 miles, one tank of gas, and a time limit...

Legacy Estate diesel
vs
VW Polo 3-cyl TDI
vs
Jaguar V8 Twin Turbo CDI

Guess which one didn't make it to the finish line.

entirelyturbo · Post by **entirelyturbo** » Mon Mar 09, 2009 4:16 am

TwinTurbine wrote:However, if you are going to compare Clarkson's diving with yours...fine. Leave me out of it. You never know who is behind the key board do you?

I'd normally retort quite nastily to this comment, but since you're relatively new here, and since I take a small part of responsibility in the administration of this board, I'll refrain.

I will clear up, however, that my "you or I" comment was a generalization directed at people like myself... with amateur racing careers that have a few autoXes and rallyXes to speak of, but whose driving skills are still very much in the developmental stages.

It was not directed at anyone in particular.

So... chill.

Aerotech wrote:Guess which one didn't make it to the finish line.

None of them. They all made it, but May arrived last... in typical May fashion.

Aerotech · Post by **Aerotech** » Mon Mar 09, 2009 10:47 am

Oh, he did make it... wasn't sure. Not in time, obviously... I must have missed it.
Captain Slow FTL...

Amazing average mileage... the Polo was running at over 70mpg at one point, and even the big Jag was pulling in 50mpg.

Clarkson has always had a pathological hatred of diesels, so any review will be tinted that way, but they made particular note of the odd lack of torque from the Subie, that it felt really gutless compared to others. Strange when the gas boxers are noted for their torque.

By the way, if anyone really is looking for a diesel engine to experiment with, I have a good low-mile VW 1.9 TD (AAZ engine code) from Germany, great for a Samurai, small Landy or Jeep, or to re-power an older VW diesel.
From a '93 Golf, pre-TDI, but tuneable to put out similar power if you tweak the pump and upgrade the injectors. No electronics, all mechanical controls, takes about 6 wires to make it run.
Looking for $2K.

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Anyone ever think about diesel conversions?

Anyone ever think about diesel conversions?

Clarkson

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