Just seen this on another forum. Whats yu thoughts? Possible?

"Now, i was thinking about this last night and I do know of an engine that will fit in the freelander (with the option to make it RWD in the process).

An M57 x30d (diesel) lump from the BMW range (330d, 530d). These have the same bhp as the V8 and more torque and will return 40mpg and more on the motorway.

Feeling really crazy? how about the x35d lump. Same M57 engine block and ancillaries but with the addition of a second sequential turbo. Kicking out 280bhp and 700nm of torque!

Now I fancy a challenge................... "

Sounds like it could be a nice motor....

once the brakes are sorted

These engine's are straight 6's

Still sounds nice, although would probably eat the IRD/VCU/diff

The ONLY way something like this can be done, is to replace EVERYTHING. And I mean the whole drivetrain (plus the electronics!), to include: engine, tranny, shafts, and differential. It would be almost impossible to keep it as "all wheel drive", with rear wheel drive as the only option. This means modifying the front end too. Some interior mods would be needed as well, (because the shifter on the new tranny would probably not line up with the center console) and maybe the brakes and/or axels.

And then......we are talking about computers! Pure nightmare to replace ECM, TCM, ABS (and "few" other things), match them all, and make them "talk to each other". Forget the power doors, alarms....etc communicating with the main processor (the new one that would have to come with the new engine). Oxygen sensors, ABS sensors, MAF, emission crap......all that has to be able to communicate with the new ECM.

When I picked up the dead Hippo on the junkyard, I thought about all this. I REALLY like the little car (and the wife is in LOVE with it!), but it has MANY issues. I was dreaming of keeping it "as is" (on the outside), and source better drivetrain (even something American, and cheap to fix). I decided that the conversion was NOT worth the aggravation (all things considered), and purchased ANOTHER Hippo to take its engine/tranny (and everything else I might need down the road) from it.

I researched the subject, and found out that people DO conversions in Africa (Japanese engines, and a lot of duct tape), but I bet they are not concerned about "amigos" (or any other warnings), and just paint them over. "Power", "fuel economy", "maintenace", and how long the components are going to last, are not the subjects that these people care about. All they care, is to make the car move, and go from point A to point B (without airconditioning, alarm, systems monitoring, etc.). Of course one could just replace the engine/tranny like that, and worry about replacing shafts, VCU, diff, brakes, etc when they go bad (and they WILL,... soon!).

Anyway,......that's MY opinion, and worth just about what you paid for it.

IRD/VCU/diff would be fine - cos the PG1 would disintegrate as soon as the clutch was lifted Mind you does the Tomcat use the PG1 - that's good for 200bhp.

You'd have to do the old rally spec Metro 6R4 jobbie - get rid of the back seats and mount it in the boot - could bolt onto those chassis rails running either side of the prop.

Danielsand said:

The ONLY way something like this can be done, is to replace EVERYTHING. And I mean the whole drivetrain (plus the electronics!), to include: engine, tranny, shafts, and differential. It would be almost impossible to keep it as "all wheel drive", with rear wheel drive as the only option. This means modifying the front end too. Some interior mods would be needed as well, (because the shifter on the new tranny would probably not line up with the center console) and maybe the brakes and/or axels.

And then......we are talking about computers! Pure nightmare to replace ECM, TCM, ABS (and "few" other things), match them all, and make them "talk to each other". Forget the power doors, alarms....etc communicating with the main processor (the new one that would have to come with the new engine). Oxygen sensors, ABS sensors, MAF, emission crap......all that has to be able to communicate with the new ECM.

When I picked up the dead Hippo on the junkyard, I thought about all this. I REALLY like the little car (and the wife is in LOVE with it!), but it has MANY issues. I was dreaming of keeping it "as is" (on the outside), and source better drivetrain (even something American, and cheap to fix). I decided that the conversion was NOT worth the aggravation (all things considered), and purchased ANOTHER Hippo to take its engine/tranny (and everything else I might need down the road) from it.

I researched the subject, and found out that people DO conversions in Africa (Japanese engines, and a lot of duct tape), but I bet they are not concerned about "amigos" (or any other warnings), and just paint them over. "Power", "fuel economy", "maintenace", and how long the components are going to last, are not the subjects that these people care about. All they care, is to make the car move, and go from point A to point B (without airconditioning, alarm, systems monitoring, etc.). Of course one could just replace the engine/tranny like that, and worry about replacing shafts, VCU, diff, brakes, etc when they go bad (and they WILL,... soon!).

Anyway,......that's MY opinion, and worth just about what you paid for it.

Click to expand...

Party pooper!

Couldn't you just leave the current electronics/computers in place to run the doors, windows, lights, ABS etc. In effect its ignition on or off but don't worry about the engine 'running'. May be some issues - eg AC is linked to engine sensors.

Then run the new engine electronics in parallel?

Yes you could! There is nothing "impossible" IF the time/money/patience is of no concern. You would have to get VERY familiar with the current "nerve system" of the vehicle, isolate it (to the point), and create the parallel system, while bypassing/fooling the current brain to think "all OK".

One of my vehicles (S430 AMG) has the dreaded "Airmatic" suspension, and I was considering changing it for the conventional "coilover". Even this simple modification needs a little printed circuit board to fool the main computer to think that everything operates as programmed. Can you imagine CREATING one on your own (none in the existance) for Hippo?

It's not impossible, but I decided that's a "little" too much involved for my "expertise", and my bank account. One can also rip ALL electronics out, go with simple "old school" set up, use key for everything (no remotes), radio wired directly, junk the ABS/cats/oxygen sensors, and forget about the registration! You can drive it off road only, or on your private property (or maybe in some third world countries, where they are not concerned about emissions and/or safety).

I am a realist, at the party of optimists (you can call me the party pooper!). In my opinion, all people are actually pessimists (the ones that are ill informed, call themselves "optimists"! LOL).

I know a guy in the UK who has a Skoda Citigo... Hang in there, now the interesting part.

He is fitting a 1.8tsi engine with around 400bhp, the drivetrain from an Audi TT and it looks almost standard.

One of his other cars is a Skoda Yeti 1.8tsi with around 300bhp which is very quick on track (and road).

You could fit the x-drive transmission which is rwd biased, would be interesting! Not sure how the wheelbases match up though, would be custom everything

SES88 said:

would be custom everything

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And that's what I'm saying here! "Custom EVERYTHING". Means: Tons of money (not a problem per se), TIME (the most precious "commodity" we have, and take it for granted), and AGGRAVATION to the "T".

Personally,....I'm running out of time (I'll be 59 in October), money is OK, but aggravation.............just an example: Two days ago my current wife (fourth one) complained that when she uses my laptop, some stuff from my ex girlfriends pops up that somehow got imbedded into the root directory. I'm pretty savy when it comes to computers, but I spent three hours trying to clean this stuff up, to no avail. I WAS aggravated,...... so much so, that I took the laptop in the back, put it against the tree, and fired 15 shots out of my Glock into it! The next day, I bought her the new laptop.

I don't take aggravation easily.:fighting:

Cheaper to buy a Freelander 2 SD4 than pay out for all the stuff to change it over, and the time, for it not to work or snap something.

Lol sounds grand

Hippo said:

Cheaper to buy a Freelander 2 SD4 than pay out for all the stuff to change it over, and the time, for it not to work or snap something.

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But if you want petrol,then it is the i6 then slapped a turbo on it for some sensible power

After upgrading the brakes and suspension of course.

Well it looks like if the world relied on the LZ Freelander forum for innovation and inspiration, we wouldn't even have invented the wheel yet, "cos its too much bovver".

GrumpyGel said:

Well it looks like if the world relied on the LZ Freelander forum for innovation and inspiration, we wouldn't even have invented the wheel yet, "cos its too much bovver".

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We have cummins 6bt and 1uzfe supercharged monster on here and my normally aspirated 1uzfe

GrumpyGel said:

Well it looks like if the world relied on the LZ Freelander forum for innovation and inspiration, we wouldn't even have invented the wheel yet, "cos its too much bovver".

Click to expand...

Maybe I was misunderstood. 'Inventing' something new, and needed is great. "Fixing something that ain't broken" is a waste of time/money.

With plenty of time, welding/mechanical skills ANYTHING can be done. Like this pic I attached, made from the Ford Exursion!

In the case of Hippo, the question is why? There are BETTER off road capable crossovers out there. Buying one outright would be cheaper, and the time can be used for driving it, and enjoying life. If the goal is to have "Land Rover" labeled crossover, ....there is Evoque ready at your dealer, with warranty, and CHEAP (4-5 hundred US for 3 year lease). Hippo IS what it IS, cute, capable crossover, with MANY problems. I accepted it for what it is. I'll be rebuilding engines, and sorting out the problems as they come.

Transportation costs money. No way that can be avoided. IF you lease the new vehicle (like above mentioned Evoque), it will cost you about 8500 US a year (with insurance included), and after three years you will be bored with it, and lease something new. So you end up paying about 700US per month for the rest of your life. Or,.......you buy old (but cute) Hippo, and drive it until it falls apart (not the engine,......body, everything). And depending on the climate, you might drive it for 10 years, at the cost of 40US per month. Even if you drive it for only three years, it would cost you 130US per month. That equals ONE dinner for two in a decent restaurant.

I am now about 5K in this one (and I could probably sell it for 3K), and if I went the route of changing the drivetrain, I'd be in over 10K now. IF my wife still loves it after two years, 5K is NOTHING to speak about, and the car will really be "The Freebbie". Once the second engine is used up, the rest of the car will be beyond feasible repair, and at that point it WILL go back to the junkyard.

Once the drivetrain is changed (and all problems associated with it sorted out), whoever does it, will most likely be the last owner of that vehicle. If one is OK with it (and has so much love for the body styling of the Hippo!), ANYTHING is possible. There are MANY Jaguars for sale in California, with Chevy V8 conversion. People can not give them away. Nobody wants them (and these models were converted BEFORE we had ECMs/TCMs/ABS and the rest of the electronic crap!). You know why?

Because once the drive train is changed, this thing is NOT a Jaguar any more! I cringe when I open the hood on one of them, and see the uglyness of the American junk under the hood. I had the "pleasure" of finding some pictures of converted Hippo's on the web. They had some 4banger Toyota fitted in there (there was the duct tape in there too!), and it looked sad. That thing is NOT a Land Rover any longer.

These ARE MY reasons behind MY decision to "leave it as invented", and not try to "improve" it. NOT because I'm lazy, or unimaginative.

You guys go ahead and do it. I'd like seeing the pictures of the process.

You are absolutely correct of course. But I don't think MHM was suggesting that this is a change for the masses. The last part of the quote was "Now I fancy a challenge...................". I don't think finding the cheapest lease deal is the sort of challenge the author was after.

That buggy looks good. The car of choice for doing that with over here is the Subaru Leone - not sure if its called summat else in other countries. Once the body is removed you end up with a lightweight chassis (for hacking about) combined with a decent 4wd system and reasonable power from the light weight 1.8L flat 4 boxer.

As for engine swaps - you're right it does generally 'devalue' cars. I think the most notable car for that in the UK was the Triumph Stag. Over here there's probably as many Series trucks sold with Holden straight 6 engines as the original 2 1/4. They are so common that that are almost like the 'standard' engine. Even when people "fancy a challenge" and restore them - they will restore the Holden engines as well and it does not devalue them at all.