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IMO, there isn't room for the rest of the things that will matter in a Spitfire. I am not saying it can't be done, but it would be a clever trick if it can.
You need room for a intercooler, then more room for the turbo unit, all the plumbing, and a total new exhaust.
Like Mitch I wonder about the oem engine.
I read on one of the TDI links the Volvo video took me too, that there is more torque, which could be a problem with a spitfire tranny and final drive too. The rear axels in Spitfires are not exactly the most rugged parts to ever hit the pike. With some ease i think you could tear the rear end right out of a Spitfire if it had any real power.
It the Spitfire has wire wheels and knocks caps, fer sure you could strip the spline adapters easy, and bend all the spokes.
Interesting. I had just been looking into a similar thing with both my MGB and my '63 Comet (instead of the Lexus 4.0 V8 I have slated to install in it). Their newer TDi's have a unique bellhousing bolt patern, and I hadn't seen anything good on adapter plates. Samurais and Toyota pickup guys are using the earlier 1.6 TDi (late '80s VW sourced) bolted up to the Toyota 5 speed manual trans for RWD applications. And the guys doing it have also found ways of upping the rev limiter a bunch and getting quite a bit more power from them (not as much as the later 1.9 units, but still, 150-180 hp is enough for a Spitofire or my MGB, especially when talkiog dioesel torque added).
My plan now is to use a tweaked TDi in the Comet (2400 lbbs total ready to run, so it weighs less than a newer TDi Golf or Jetta) and run it on veggie oil. V8 torque and 40+ mpg would be cool. Same for a car like the Spitfire or MGB.
And seriously, I'd rather have a RWD convertible sports car than a FWD econo hatch.
The swap in motor of choice for diesel conversion is the Cummins 4BT. Everything else is a junkyard project. There are plenty of resources on this because it is head and shoulders the way to go. All the adapters are already on the market and how to's everywhere.
But why anyone would want to put any new motor in a Spitfire I can't imagine. That was a car for the scrap heap if there ever was one. If I had a Spitfire and wanted it to run, I'd buy a compact Chevy product and remove the body panels and fabricate the Spitfire body onto it. There is simply nothing mechanical or electrical worth saving in a Spitfire.
That's a strong statement Wilson. I had a 1,200 cc spit and beat the pants off a kid with a vett and a 400 something engine in it. Not sure but think it was a 455 engine. Black vet white top, white leather seats, but i bet daddie was some upset of the forsthisa scratches in the nice black paint.
I was a kid to, that that kid would not let up till I raced him. I got to pick the road. Last I saw of him in my rear view mirror was him slidin' sideways thru them bushes and the homeowner was out rakin leaves
The TDI motor out of a Passat would probably be the easiest since it is not transverse mounted. Maybe it could be adapted to the stock transmission with an adaptor plate.
That's a strong statement Wilson. I had a 1,200 cc spit and beat the pants off a kid with a vett and a 400 something engine in it. Not sure but think it was a 455 engine. Black vet white top, white leather seats, but i bet daddie was some upset of the forsthisa scratches in the nice black paint.
I was a kid to, that that kid would not let up till I raced him. I got to pick the road. Last I saw of him in my rear view mirror was him slidin' sideways thru them bushes and the homeowner was out rakin leaves
Hahaha, Mac. The 70's were indeed a blur for you. Me too. But, at least I was conscious enough to put my Vette into gear before some gnat in a Spitfire landed on my fender.
Now if you were referring to a BSA Spitfire, like the one my buddy rode, you would have my eternal respect. And, it would beat the pants oof all of those Vettes, except for the 427 68'.
Thanks Val! And thanks all for the godd discussion on the swap....
This is the BF, the engine runs, tranny is rebuilt, rear is fine but has a bearing noise and oh yea the transverse leaf spring has flattened again. This is the 3rd engine for the car, it is a 1980 and all I want is a fun of a car you rarely see with a lot less hastle you get from the old engine setup. The car is basically worth nothing, at best I can buy one restored for less than 8 thousand. I drive a 2010 Jetta TDI and love the performance. So I still love the lines of the spitfire but I do realize that just about everything in the drive train would need an upgrade if I did this conversion.
The swap in motor of choice for diesel conversion is the Cummins 4BT. Everything else is a junkyard project. There are plenty of resources on this because it is head and shoulders the way to go. All the adapters are already on the market and how to's everywhere.
At 745 lbs, the Cummins 4BT weighs the same as a fully dressed Chevy 454 big block. NOT a good choice for a small car. Seriously, do you not know the physical size difference between that 4 liter agricultural/step van engine and the 1.6-1.9 liter VWs we're talking about here? Hell, the 4BT would stick up quite a ways over teh top of the hood on a Spitfire or MGB.
Yeah, they're popular in Jeeps and light trucks for swaps, but we're not discussing those.
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