We at
www.dieselgeek.com and
www.vwpartscentral.com have developed a way for you to swap in a reliable, proven, heavily supported, easily upgradeable, turbo engine...the VW 1.8T!!! For those that don't know, this is the VW GTI 20 valve turbo motor. This motor also comes in some Jettas and New Beetles. We will answer as many questions as possible in this thread but first I made a little FAQ below so that we can handle this thread more easily; Just bear in mind that we aren't saying anything negative about the Ford engines other than we think the VW engine is better for forced induction per a given cost level. We are also VW freaks but are very excited about the Focus chassis in comparison to the MkIV VW chassis. We have a fully functional 1.8T-engined Focus ZX3 and we love it! We think you will too.
Power?
Depends on what year model 1.8T is installed, but the VW/Audi five valves per cylinder engine makes anywhere from 150 - 225 STOCK crank hp. Our kit will only include the parts required to install the complete VW power train into any version of Ford Focus. The power level will ultimately be determined by the owner of the car. The great thing is that you can run 300-400 hp without a standalone system or internal engine modifications.
Fueling/Computer etc.?
The fuelling and ignition are run by the Volkswagen ECU. The Ford ECU becomes a paperweight (or a source of cash). A full return type fuel system including a high capacity Walbro roller cell fuel pump is included with the kit (will handle virtually any level of power). 28-30 mpg is the city/highway fuel consumption so far on our test car at 80mph cruise. The engine requires Super Unleaded with the addition of any computer chip. We would never consider running less-even though the engine uses dual knock sensors with cylinder-selective knock sensing. (We don't really want to waste time debating the octane issue. You will always have to run Super, period)
What's Installed?
EVERY part of the 1.8T motor and transmission is used including wiring harness, A/C compressor, power steering pump, alternator (90A standard, 120A & 150A available), cool luminescent instrument cluster (with immobilizer), emission equipment, electronic drive by wire gas pedal, complete axles and the shifter assembly (with dieselgeek.com short shifter). All of the VW systems are wonderfully compatible with the Ford systems.
How much power can come from the 1.8T?
This motor has been shown to hold 400 at the ground with stock internals. Higher strength internals can be had from several sources-this is a very highly supported engine. Twelve second ¼ mile times have been achieved from the engine though we haven't had our test car out on the track yet. Can't wait.
Transmission options?
The kit will accommodate the standard VW 5 speed or the newer VW/Audi 6 speed. You could also run the VW four or five speed automatic but the specific wiring of the transmission would not be supported or provided by us.
Why the VW motor?
1. Reliability, why not go with a FACTORY turbo motor? The internal parts of the 1.8T are made for forced induction so the engine will last longer than any forced induction Zetec engine with stock internals, especially at 250 + hp.
2. It makes sense: the Focus out handles the Golf...The Focus is an awesome chassis without enough power..so we put them together to solve the power problem.
3. Both cars were made for each other...just think, they were both first engineered in Europe.
4. The 1.8T has a huge following over at
www.vwvortex.com. Their 1.8T forum is the largest by far with many people to provide advice and opinions of products available for the engine. Wouldn't it be nice to have an turbo engine with a lot of support behind it?
5. There is the existence of a very inexpensive (as low as $200) and widely-used diagnostic program called Vag-Com which helps the engine owner diagnose problems if they arise.
6. Availability: these drive trains are relatively easy to find.
7. Much support has been provided by many aftermarket suppliers eager to make the engine perform at very high levels.
Weight
The car weighs the same 2700 pounds before and after the swap . It's interesting to note that the 1.8T VW-powered ZX3 Focus weighs exactly 200 pounds less than a GTI 1.8T.
Cost?
The combined projected price for our conversion kit AND the power train that you source is around $4,000, so we estimate that for roughly $4500 you can/will be at 200 front wheel horsepower if you get the 1.8T from the Golf/Jetta or New Beetle and simply chip it. If you get really lucky and find an engine from an Audi TT Quattro 225 then you will start out with 225 factory horsepower. (Quattro not available though we can dream, can't we?)
Remember that you will have many dollars worth of used Focus power train parts left over after the conversion. We will have a simple website to offer for downloading that will include PayPal buttons so that you can offer your leftover engine, transmission, accessories, etc. for sale on the web. There are a gazillion stock Foci out there and the owners of these cars will need used parts soon as the cars age.
How will we sell the kit?
This has yet to be determined and that's where we need your input. Which option do you think is best?
Option 1
Buy our kit that would include the electrical adapters, mounts, brackets, exhaust parts, install manual, and a laundry list of everything you will need to get from a donor car at your local salvage yard. The kit price would be reasonable enough for you that you should be able to get all of the used parts you need plus the install kit for about $4,000. But you actually may spend less than that this way, because YOU work out the price of the drive train etc. with the salvage yard owner. Cash is King at the salvage yard, wink, wink, especially around closing time on Friday!
Option 2
Buy our kit that would include EVERYTHING needed, i.e. complete used drive train with all the necessary custom made mounts and conversion parts, etc. We would crate up the power train and ship it to you for you to install.
Option 3
Ship your car to us in Austin, Texas and have us do the install work. Keep in mind the cost to you will go up significantly for this option. However if you wanted it done this way, we can perform other upgrades at the same time.
Will you offer a TDI (VW's excellent 45-50 mpg Direct Injection Turbo diesel) swap kit?
Yes, if there is enough interest. The U.S.-spec TDI has been modded to 150hp at the ground with 310 torque with no loss in fuel mileage. We are chomping at the bit to fully exploit both of VW's star engines since our dieselgeek.com website caters to VW TDI owners. In addition to the current VW engines, the new fifth generation Golf has just been released in Europe with even larger 2.0 16V direct injection gasoline (200 hp FSI turbo) and direct injection diesel (PD 140) engines. In the future, as they become available, both of these exciting power plants will work perfectly with our kit.
