Talk to me about diesels...

[piratemaximus]

I've really (really) got the urge to buy a nice retro diesel

I'm undecided, and very open to suggestions

I've been to view 3 Mk2 golf GTD's recently, that all turned out to be rot boxes.

I'd love a retro Volvo, but I'm not even sure they made any Diesels for the UK market?

205 diesel? Caddy pick up? Audi 100?

Any recommendations?

Cheers chaps.

[bandedsteel]

if you really must have a diesel how about an old 3 or 5 series bmw? kinda cool with decent engines.

[WillCarter]

[Dez]

^thats not a diesel^

its generally accepted that VAG make the best older diesels, a lot of people on here have them/have owned them (me included) and love them, with the 1.9td as found in the above shape audi 80 and b3/b4 passats and mk3 golfs being the pick of the bunch. theyll easily do well over 50mpg, even when thrashing them. the 1.6td isnt a bad engine either though, just doesnt have the punch and tuning scope of the 1.9. its very easy to get quite big power gains with simple pump timing and exhaust/intercooling mods on the AAZ.

the fench also make a half decent one in the 1.9XUD, its jsut a shame about the cars they wrap it with.

merc and bmw diesels always get mentioned, but tbh neither are particulary refined, quick, powerful or even economical.

[waveman1500]

Clearly what you need is this:



Nissan Patrol, six cylinder 4.2 litre turbo intercooled diesel. Plenty of power, but still delivers similar real-world fuel economy to the 3.0 litre diesel, because it has so much torque and doesn't need to be worked hard. Will tow anything and go anywhere! Best of all, they're very nearly indestructible and will last for many hundred thousand km of hard use.

[gary1998]

mines a 92 b3 passat estate 1.6d turbo great mpg not super fast but can drive it hard and will keep up on motorway

heres a cheap one with the better engine www.ukpassats.co.uk/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=51181

[piratemaximus]

Cheers guys.

I've considered a nice B4 Passat, but they are plagued by rust like the vast majority of Mk3 golfs. Plus, who likes Mk3's anyway?

That Audi 80 looks amazing. How have they held up over time? I saw a black one on another thread that looked the bees knees.

If only I could afford to run one of those Patrols Do we even get them over here? Nice ride.

I've looked into the 2.5D Merc 190, but I've heard they are terrifyingly slow.

Thanks again, keep them coming.

[jasonj]

How about a Citroen BX TD or Peugeot 405. Good engines and easy to tune to 110-120 Bhp with no cost.

[barnesy]

Another vote here for VW diesel, mine is a 1.6td B3 Passat



It is my first diesel and I didn't know how I'd get on with them at all, but I love it, it's quick enough, economical, reliable - awesome thing really. I'd tune it but it's done 360,000 miles and I don't want to tempt fate!

[Deleted]

Jul 17, 2012 7:46:57 GMT barnesy said:

I'd tune it but it's done 360,000 miles and I don't want to tempt fate!

It's done 360,000 miles. Fate is sitting on your shoulder waiting for an urgent appointment, in nice clothes, torrential rain, no layby and a muddy verge to coincide. Tune it and make it die on your terms

[barnesy]

I'm hoping fate is 140,000 miles away!

[composimmonite]

Skoda Felicia or Fabia - which has 1.9 VW lump ?
We have a Fabia 1.4 diesel and even that capacity is quicker than you'd expect.

Paul H

[jonw]

Jul 17, 2012 9:30:28 GMT composimmonite said:

Skoda Felicia or Fabia - which has 1.9 VW lump ?
We have a Fabia 1.4 diesel and even that capacity is quicker than you'd expect.

Paul H

Drove a VRS fabia (130bhp 1.9tdi) and that was quick!!!! Sounded good as well.

[MiniDan]

I like retro diesels. Far better than modern ones in my opinion.

Never driven a VW diesel (except for my old recovery truck) so can't really comment, but my Mercedes C250D is pretty good as long as your on a run. Round town it isn't too great.

Jul 17, 2012 9:30:28 GMT composimmonite said:

Skoda Felicia or Fabia - which has 1.9 VW lump?

I've got a Felicia pickup with the 1.9 diesel engine and IMO, it isn't that economical. I have only just taken the huge fiberglass back off it, so it might be better now. I do drive quite hard/quick in it too, so doesn't help.

[Baby Cheeses]

B3 TD Passat cant knock them. shed load of space, runs on veg oil, engines that can do huge millage's, so cheap to run but I'm bias
My daily

If I didn't have above a Merc would be my second choice followed by Volvo

[ChasR]

I would personally go for either a VAG diesel or a PSA derv for their overal performance (reliability, frugality etc.). Whilst XUDs do get slated, I find that keeping their cooling system in order does wonders for reliability (I never had the fan come on my 306 TD after changing/flushing the coolant in addition to fitting a new radiator).

If you want a fun retro diesel, a Pug 205 STDT would be a good shout. If you can live with the speed, even the 106 Diesel with some good wheels and suspension improvements can impress (although I can appreciate that the latter are more banger than retro even in Phase 1 form). I did once have a drive of a 205 GTI with a DTurbo engine. It was a surprisingly good combination I have to say!

Another thing to bear in mind is that retro diesels are not necessarily that much more economical than their petrol counterparts, especially by the time you account for the higher cost of diesel.

Anyway, time for a standard(ish) pic of a 205 STDT.

[Tom Majeure]

Did someone say diesels? Shameless self whoring but if you click over to www.NoSmokeNoPoke.com there are a couple of retro diesel feature cars up on there to give you some ideas. ;D

[Mad Max]

May I suggest:


I had a Black cab very briefly (it had a fetching red stripe along the middle) and although it was dog slow and noisy as 'most anything, it will no doubt run for the rest of time. If you can find a tidy one (body rots a problem) then they're great load luggers and aren't half different. Plus you get the perks like the amazing turning circle and the one I had came with wheelchair ramps so you don't even have to step up to get in!

Or my current daily, 3.5 turbo Perkins Land Rover 110. Much much torque...

[RobinJI]

I'll jump on the "I've got a 1.6td B3 Estate and it's bloody good" Band wagon. It really is a bloody good car, mine's on 165k now and it uses virtually no oil (doesn't need a drop between services), pulls well for what it is (will sit at 100 all day, and will tow ~900kg fairly happily), and managed 57mpg from my last tank (about 2/3rds 70 on the motorway, the other 3rd country a-roads driving normally). I'm yet to manage worse than 45mpg even thrashing the living daylights out of it.

Only complaint is that it could be a touch pokier, but then I've not found the 1.9's to be any quicker unless they're the tdi. (Backed up by the power figures - 1.6td is 80bhp, the 1.9td is 75bhp.) It's not noticeably under-powered as such, 95% of the time you wouldn't even notice it, and considering it's an old 1.6td in a big car it's much better than you'd expect. It keeps up with traffic fine without having to be worked hard at all, it's just the odd moment when you try to go quicker and realise there's not that much more to give.

My one:




They're only boarderline retro in my opinion, and obviously not everyone needs a big estate, but having had this engine in the Passat I certainly wouldn't hesitate to get a mk2 GTD if you find a good one. I swapped one into my Scirocco which was great, but it was an unknown engine and died soon after. I bought the Passat thinking it would tide me by for a while then be a good replacement engine for the 'rocco, but I soon remembered how much I love owning an estate, and the Passat turned out to be a very clean example so I didn't want to break it.

Like's been mentioned, the Pug XUD is a good lump too, my dad had a 405 1.9td estate which was a damn good car.

[mini-mad-nick]

nothing to add really but theres a fairly quick 205 diesel around banbury, its green with beige steelies, stripped with a cage and 2 buckets, big intercooler out the front. The fuel has been turned up as it kickes out alot of black smoke when pulling away. My dad had trouble keeping up with it in his 2011 plate 170bhp astra diesel so its is seriously quick