Will a Polo/Lupo/Fox motor bolt into a Rabbit without a lot of bullshit?
US VW Fox engine? If so yes, with the Rabbit engine/ tranx mounts.
Polo-- which engine/ what years you talking about? The short answer is yes, but what work is required depends on the engine.
Lupo-- again which engine? Can be done.
What do you want to achieve here? Polo/ Lupo stuff is all non- USDM obviously…
if it is the same 8v they use in everything then yeah
Out of sick, sick curiosity, I’m wondering if the 1.2L diesel three-cylinder from the Polo will go in a Rabbit. On top of that, I’m wondering if it would be able to net close to that 78mpg on shitty american diesel.
To be honest you’d be better off with a N/A diesel Rabbit. They will get well over 50mpg, just don’t expect it to be fast. If you want a little more power swap in a 1.6 TD. They came in a few '83 Rabbits (very rare) and '84 Jettas, as well as A2 chassis Jettas. If you wanna be really pimp swap in a 1.9 TDI. Sounds like you’re after max MPG, but how much speed you willing to sacrifice?
As for the Polo diesel, I honestly don’t know how much work would be involved with swapping the 3 cyl into a Rabbit-- but it’s prolly gonna be more work than you’re indicating you wanna do. Never mind getting hold of the engine in the first place.
The 1.9 TDI was my original thought. I’m sure in a Rabbit that should get at least high 40s mpg-wise for predominantly city driving AND should still be relatively quick. The 1.2 idea just popped into my head and I was wondering how feasible it was.
If I do the TDI, am I better off looking for a diesel Rabbit to start with, or should I be more worried about finding a car that has the least amount of rust?
Look for a Rabbit with the least amount of rust you can find, because that’s difficult enough without worrying if it’s gas or diesel. Diesel Rabbits are getting ridiculously expensive too.
my buddy tim has a 1.6 turbo diesel motor. i think he wants $700 bucks for it.
Go for that-- MUCH cheaper and easier to install than a TDI.
u can use the 1.9tdi and put the 1.6 manifolds on it and convert it back to fully mechancial diesel. the 1.9 tdi motors are pricey-- like 2k for a engine w/ the pump.
berst bet is finding a older 1.6 dielsel. if it is non turbo, no problem making it turbo. if it is turbo, then ur ahead of the game.