Ironically, I'm getting very close to having my truck running again - just in time for the end of the rainy season. This is a 1981 VW Rabbit Pickup, into which I'm installing a TDI (turbo diesel injection) engine from a 1996 VW Passat. This is my dream truck, small but capable of hauling scooters, and most importantly very fuel efficient and capable of running on biodiesel with only minor modifications. That was the idea I had when I first started searching for one in 2004 and when I ultimately bought this truck on New Year's Eve at the end of that year. This truck is in fantastic shape for it's age, with no corrosion other than the most minor surface rust here and there, none of it structural at all. It was (technically) a two-owner truck before I bought it, having been owned by an old painter in the east bay for most of its life. It needed a new motor when I found it, and the guy I bought it from, who was a diesel mechanic agreed to install a turbo diesel for me, which he pulled from a 1983 Jetta in a junkyard. It needed some minor work here and there, but I was happy as a pig in mud after I took possession of it, still with the original blue and yellow license plates.
However, the head gasket blew out less than two months later, since which time my scooter hauler has sat inanimate. Not only did the head gasket blow, but it did so while I was doing 70 in the left lane of 280 in downtown San Jose, in the evening rush hour, in the rain, in the dark. By the time I got across the four lanes of traffic to the next off ramp, all of the coolant had boiled off and the aluminum cylinder heat melted at the top of two of the cylinders. It came to a stop just short of the peak of the Vine St. offramp, waiting for a tow truck to pick me up - thankfully nobody hit me while I was stuck there! I tried to find a new cylinder head for the engine, but the only one I could find was a rebuilt one from the VW dealer, which cost $1500! For that money, I figured I would be better off getting a whole new engine. After doing some research, I decided on a TDI motor, more specifically the 1Z version, which has a very efficient computer-controlled injection system, but without an immobilizer ignition lock which would be difficult to install. After some searching, I found one in great shape, with a custom-built intercooler, for $2250, which I bought. However, I soon realized that the four-speed transmission in my truck was geared completely wrong for the motor, and I ended up picking up a 5-speed transmission from a 96 Passat with custom mounting brackets to mount it in a VW Pickup like mine, for $600. I eventually got a flywheel, clutch and pressure plate and bolted the two together. Later, I pulled the old engine and transmission out of the truck, and after getting the right motor mounts, I installed the new engine and transmission in the truck. Slowly the truck was getting closer to being done.
However, as things happen, I found it difficult to devote time to working on the truck, being preoccupied with scooter repairs and the last Cannonball Run. Which brings me to my busybody neighbor. Just after the new year this year, the police got a call from someone who complained about at least a half dozen vehicles on my street, which they suspected did not run, including my truck and my roommate's car. I woke up to a bright orange sticker on the driver's window of my truck, which was a big surprise to me, since it's been parked in our driveway. However, apparently there is a law in my town, which prohibits non-operational vehicles from being stored within *sight* of the street. This was news to me, especially since I had lived here for well over 2 1/2 years at the time and no one had said peep about it. What's worse is that this puts me at risk of a $500 fine, having the truck towed, including fees for that plus impound, which would likely total more than $1000! I called the officer who left the note and discussed the situation, and she was willing to give me time to get it running. So, it was crunch time for me to make some serious progress on it.
I quickly got to work installing the parts I had and ordering the parts I found I needed, but this has been difficult with all the rainy weather we've been having. So far I have installed the intake and exhaust manifolds, new fuel lines and fuel filter, the axles, the alternator, parts of the intake system, and connected all the wiring from inside the truck to the new fuse box that came with the engine. However, this past weekend my busybody neighbor called the police yet again. Come on man, give me a break! I'm doing my best and all this rain is not making it any easier. Thankfully, I'm almost ready to have it towed to the shop to have the last couple of things done that I'm not able to do myself, including the exhaust system and cooling system. After doing some more work on it this week, hopefully I should be able to do that next week. Thus is the long, sad, sordid tale of my poor little scooter hauler truck... wish me luck!
