Considering converting S1 to TDI?

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mike.gamble said:
You’ve hit the nail on the head - I don’t want a stock original car that I won’t use.
I want something that looks stock but, is slightly easier to live with on a day to day basis.
My suggestion for a 200/300tdi was mainly due to them being plentiful and, in comparison to the original 2.0 lump, it would be quite ‘modern’.

I’d like diesel as opposed to petrol so, going back to the original question, how do I do it?
Can anyone point me in the direction of someone who’s done it?
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I'm not sure what Series 1 you have, you mentioned lwb, is it a 107?

As for fitting a modern diesel. How much money are you looking at spending? And how much are you looking at doing yourself? And how bespoke? Are you happy spending the money/effort on one off items?

Firstly I'd have to ask, why diesel? How many miles do you think you'll be doing a year in it? If it's say 5000 miles a year, the £/mile fuel cost difference really won't be great between a diesel and a V8.

Tdi engines are fine engines, and will fit in an S1 pretty much the same way they do in a Series II or III. But they will be loud. And as pointed out, they are not modern. I personally wouldn't do this, and this comes from someone who has a Tdi converted Series III 88.


Other questions you need to consider. How much "Rover" do you want to retain? If you want a Rover/Land Rover engine, then you have the L-Series as used in the Freelander and Rover cars. It's actually a very nice engine and fairly modern.

The Td5 engine, which is very nice. And then there are some BMW based engines such as the M57 found in the L322 Range Rover. But fitting these will require considerably more work and effort.

Engine swaps may also mean a transmission swap, as not everything will mate up to everything else. Unless you plan to commission a custom bellhousing or adapter plate. And then you'll have to look at the transfer box also. If you go LT230 you may need to convert it rwd too, as you won't want to run the front axle in 4wd on the road due to the UJ's rather than CV's.

Which then asks, are you going to use different axles too?


Ultimately almost anything is possible. You could take the engine and drivetrain from a Jeep Cherokee (nice 3.0 litre Merc diesel) and plop it into the Land Rover, but it would require significant modification to make it all work.

If you are wanting things like power steering as well, this is all possible, and there are lots of potential option.
 
Awful idea. The charm of the S1 is what attracts you to it but yet not. This is no differnt to the woman who is attracted to a bloke because he is "a bit rough" then spends the all her time trying to change him into mr clean. We all know how it ends. So you like an S1 but can't live with it, you fit a TDI (noisier and rougher than S1 petrol) so you can "keep up with modern traffic". So now you have a noisy but more powerful engine and can sit on the motorway a 70 with amost no heater, 1950s single circuit drums, dangeoursly light steering for the speed, all the noise from the truck you are passing, no side protection and no roll over-protection enjoying the journey for what, lets say 5 miles. What you have is not the wrong engine for your needs, it is the wrong vehicle. Putting a TDI in an S1 will not make it more modern to drive, it will be noiser and faster when its main attraction was being smooth and slow.
 
I have driven a series one [ ish ] with a 200tdi but it was just a series one body on a cut down range rover chassis coils,disc brakes ect . It was nimble and went well with so little weight but noise from both engine and wind was horrible.
But if your chassis is
rotton it may be a way to go. Not my choice for a 107 but its your truck.
A freinds dad had a petrol 107 pick up with a delux cab, [ roof lining, roof vent,wiper on both windows, heater. ] drove it a few times and it was a jolly nice local run around.
 
300bhp/ton said:
I'm not sure what Series 1 you have, you mentioned lwb, is it a 107?

As for fitting a modern diesel. How much money are you looking at spending? And how much are you looking at doing yourself? And how bespoke? Are you happy spending the money/effort on one off items?

Firstly I'd have to ask, why diesel? How many miles do you think you'll be doing a year in it? If it's say 5000 miles a year, the £/mile fuel cost difference really won't be great between a diesel and a V8.

Tdi engines are fine engines, and will fit in an S1 pretty much the same way they do in a Series II or III. But they will be loud. And as pointed out, they are not modern. I personally wouldn't do this, and this comes from someone who has a Tdi converted Series III 88.


Other questions you need to consider. How much "Rover" do you want to retain? If you want a Rover/Land Rover engine, then you have the L-Series as used in the Freelander and Rover cars. It's actually a very nice engine and fairly modern.

The Td5 engine, which is very nice. And then there are some BMW based engines such as the M57 found in the L322 Range Rover. But fitting these will require considerably more work and effort.

Engine swaps may also mean a transmission swap, as not everything will mate up to everything else. Unless you plan to commission a custom bellhousing or adapter plate. And then you'll have to look at the transfer box also. If you go LT230 you may need to convert it rwd too, as you won't want to run the front axle in 4wd on the road due to the UJ's rather than CV's.

Which then asks, are you going to use different axles too?


Ultimately almost anything is possible. You could take the engine and drivetrain from a Jeep Cherokee (nice 3.0 litre Merc diesel) and plop it into the Land Rover, but it would require significant modification to make it all work.

If you are wanting things like power steering as well, this is all possible, and there are lots of potential option.
Click to expand...

I would be doing all the fabrication myself so the actual fitting of it won't be a problem.
My train of thought for the 200/300 tdi is the fact that it is quite simple with regards to electrics and, I hate electrics so, the more modern engine would scare me.
Regards to axles, I'm open to suggestion but I'd obviously have to do something with the brakes but if someone came up with a good option, I'd go down that route.
Gearbox, it would be my intention to use the relative gearbox for the engine used and just fabricate the new mounts where needed?

As for the Die-hards who think it's sacrilege to convert an S1 - which it probably is, I did realise that it wasn't for me and I did try and sell it on ebay, with it's now, completely perfect chassis that I've put hours into, plus all the second hand spares I've bought and the new parts of which there's hundreds of pounds - on the project in total, I've spent almost £7k so far - and on eBay it reached £2800!

In light of that, sacrilege is the way forward. Unless someone has a nice Defender Station wagon they want to swap for the S1...…………..
 
Why not finish off with the petrol engine and get a profit out of it? I duobt you will like driivng it with the TDI so it will just be more work for somethng that won't make decent money. At least if its up and running with an MOT as an S1 it should do a lot better than £2800
 
If you put a modern diesel in then i assume that means replacement gearbox too, i can't see an s1 box would cope even if it fitted. Then you'd need to uprate everything else including the brakes. Be easier and simpler to but something else if you don't want an s1
 
Henry_b said:
No point..

You'll just end up with a fast death trap..

Shyte brakes.

Shyte handling

And tbh i wouldn't want to go faster than 50mph in a S1.
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Sorry but that’s a load of BS. It will be no worse than any other Series. Many of which have more powerful motors fitted.
 
300bhp/ton said:
Sorry but that’s a load of BS. It will be no worse than any other Series. Many of which have more powerful motors fitted.
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Factory Drums.. = Crap..

Factory steering = Dangerous

Will have to cut up the 107's chassis to fit the motor.

And at the end it'll be totally worthless.

I'd say rebuild it properly, sell it, bank the cash and buy something he does want..
 
My expectation would be to have the correct gearbox for the engine fitted.
I would obviously uprate the brakes and the suspension but, these points are why I actually started the thread - for advice.
If someone could give me some advice, buy this vehicle as a donor, you’ll need these axles, if you do so and so, you’ll be able to have power steering, etc. that would be most helpful and appreciated.
 
Henry_b said:
Factory Drums.. = Crap..

Factory steering = Dangerous

Will have to cut up the 107's chassis to fit the motor.

And at the end it'll be totally worthless.

I'd say rebuild it properly, sell it, bank the cash and buy something he does want..
Click to expand...
Drums can work fine. It’s not as if a Tdi or similar is going to turn it into a 150mph sports car is it. Plus plenty of upgrades in regards to this.

Steering will be fine. Ffs people have been shoving 120-180hp V8’s in these since the 1970s!!!!
 
300bhp/ton said:
Drums can work fine. It’s not as if a Tdi or similar is going to turn it into a 150mph sports car is it. Plus plenty of upgrades in regards to this.

Steering will be fine. Ffs people have been shoving 120-180hp V8’s in these since the 1970s!!!!
Click to expand...

As you say yourself it won't make it a road burner.

So why do it?

S1 are rare enough now without yet another one cut up..

A S1 above 45mph floats and wanders like a MOFO..

And you can sprinkle fairy Píss on what i think is 10/1.5in drums still doesn't make them safe.
 
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