The purpose of this project was construct a fuel-efficient work vehicle that could offer good performance both on and off-road. A partial list of donor vehicles is shown below, followed by photos of the project. The following pages contain additional pictures and more details about the constrution. The 'Before & After' page shows side-by-side images of the vehicle before beginning the project, and after completion. The 'Construction' page shows a rough sequence of build stages. The 'Bits & Pieces' page shows pictures of individual components as they take shape.
1986 Suzuki Samurai hard-top with modified body & frame;
1.9L TDI 1Z diesel motor from a 1993 VW Passat: 90 HP and 149 ft lbs torque. Gets about 32 mpg in this vehicle;
Toyota 5-speed Transmission and T-Case with 4.7:1 low-range & 1:1 high-range;
Dana44 rear differential with 3.73 gears (tall gears were selected to keep highway RPM low: 2500-rpm @ 75-mph);
Reinforced Samurai front axle with heavy-duty 26-spline shafts;
Rear disk brakes using Samurai rotors, Audi 5000 calipers, and Acura Integra parking brake cables;
Toyota MR2 intercooler;
Volkswagen Quantum radiator;
Honda Prelude air-filter-box;
Jeep Wrangler fenders;
Suzuki SJ410 grill;
Dodge D50 motor-mounts;
Chevy S10-Pickup oil pan;
15-gallon petroworks fuel tank;
5-gallon stainless-steel jerry-can automatically drains into main tank, increasing range to 600+ miles;
Air-lockers with on-board compressor;
Roll cage is welded into the body to provide solid mounts for tailgate & roof rack;
Compartments for storage & stowaway-winch are built into the floor;
Body, Frame & Wheelbase were lengthened four inches;
Three inches were removed from the cab-height (for increased stability & aerodynamics);
Leaf-spring mounts were raised one inch (to keep springs even with contour of frame and to lower vehicle);
FOA coil-over shocks can be adjusted to provide additional lift (and softer ride);
32-inch tires;
Many more parts from the local Pick-n-Pull scrap yard.
For additional discussion or to post questions about the project: http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=341609
