Frankenvan: 1999 TDI complete swap into 1969 Westfalia

[Lee Bear]

Hello! Please forgive the length of this post in advance - I've been meaning to get on here and post some pics of my project for a while, but am finally getting around to it! :) I'm trying to find someone/anyone doing this same swap - I'd love to compare notes and pick up any design and mod ideas!

First off, this project is rooted in the fact that I have never really loved any TDI conversion that I've seen. It seems to me there's always some drawback or another - be it improper cooling, a new engine/old trans mismatch, etc. So when I set out to do this thing, I was determined to take an ENTIRE TDI Jetta and insert it into a classic Westy. I wanted to run the complete factory powertrain including transmission AND wiring harness, just as VW designed and built it.

When I managed to horse-trade for a complete TDI, and pick up a pair of Westy vans for super cheap, it was time to get this show on the road - so to speak! Unfortunately I wasn't able to get started until late August, so running up against winter has really slowed the progress.

It pretty quickly became obvious that splicing the axles and retaining the old rear end wasn't going to work - so as the width of the Jetta and van are very similar, I ended up taking the entire front end of the Jetta and replacing the rear end of the van with it - resulting in a mid-engine structure. (The engine sits ahead of the rear wheels).

I've maintained all the original Jetta front end architecture, and sliced apart the rack (my apologies to all those who've ever had to buy one, for cutting up a perfectly good ZF rack) to build a solid TIG-welded framework that incorporates the original tie-rod setup for adjustment.

It took three full days of calculations and triple-checking measurements to perfectly align the rear end with the existing frame for welding; a van that dogtracks or eats tires or has a different wheelbase on each side or any of a dozen other horrible things wouldn't be much fun at all.

The wiring harness required a total of 700 feet of additional wire to extend it to the back of the van. When doing this harness modification, it's best to be in the same mental place as John Lithgow from 'Buckaroo Banzai'.

The dash is a surprisingly good fit - the blower case has to be shortened roughly five inches to clear the inside curve of the van front body, and all the A/C has been removed (I hate air conditioning ruining my precious mileage!). I've reversed the heater core and the heater hoses route to the right side of the van and will run underneath the pan back to the engine.

The wiper motor remains van original and is one of the few pieces in the vehicle to be so.

The Jetta seat-heaters (which probably don't work anyway - I have a very low opinion of VW seat heating technology) and factory CD changer are retained, with the CD changer moved to beneath the driver's seat. All of the venting/blower motor/defrost/climate controls, etc. are fully functional, just as they were in the Jetta.

The steering column is a real bear to modify to use top end Jetta/bottom end van; I've got 20+ hours and a pile of TIG-welding into that column alone. Once I get a little more complete, I'm going to install a Nissan truck power steering box and gain power steering.

With a thank-you nod to Harold Williams, I did the 1969-front-drum-to-1973-disc conversion, which is a piece of cake (welding new brake hose mounts to the frame is the worst of it). The result is that I now have four-wheel disc, which is a nice perk. The braking system itself is total (relative) gravy, as the Jetta and van brake lines are a straight bolt-up. The system incorporates the 1973 proportioning valve.

Anyway, I will post a link to a few pictures of the progress so far; I hope this works as it's the first time I've used any sort of online photo album. As I say, I'm trying to find someone else who's doing/has done this same sort of conversion!! If anyone knows of one, I'd really appreciate a heads-up!

http://s1213.photobucket.com/albums/cc468/LeeBear1/

Hope that link works!

A big thanks to Frank Irving too, for his helpful advice and tips on the engine! Top-notch fellow, for sure. Have to get on that engine rebuild ANY day now too!!

Thanks for taking the time to read all that! I'll post more as I go along (waiting for parts to arrive now, so I'm at a little bit of a standstill) if anyone wants to see. I won't go into the 34 zillion obstacles on something like this, as I'm sure anyone with mechanical experience and a vivid imagination (and a knowledge of horror films) can picture them. On the plus side, I'll be able to recite the entire Bentley manual from memory by the end of this!

:)

[chittychittybangbang]

Very ambitious project!