PD tdi (volkswagen/skoda/seat) hints and tips

[320touring]

Hi, I'm starting this thread to avoid taking robchalmers excellent Polo thread off topic. I'm about to embark on a project to develop a fuel sipping tdi based daily driver. Looking at the cars available in my area and budget,i've identified 3 main possibilities:

1. Skoda Octavia tdi estate
2. Seat Cordoba vario tdi
3. Vw Passat tdi estate

As these cars all have the same family of engines in them, i'm hoping there are a few well known gains and tricks to gaining some benefit out of them. I'm open to all suggestions-fairly handy with a spanner! thanks Neil

[320touring]

oops, my phone seems to have lost the formatting when i posted-could a kindly mod space it out a bit for me?

thanks

[Piwoslaw]

Have you seen Vekke's Seat Cordoba Vario 1.9 TDI thread? He's getting ridiculously low fuel consumption numbers now that it's summer again.

[robchalmers]

Deezler also has a good thread to for his Jetta (Bora, to us brits) there is plenty of people on here and some really good info once you find it. I'll try and pick out some links

[Arragonis]

Deezler's thread is here and its a good source of info on TDIs - I'm looking to copy his Grill block when I have time...

Any of the models you choose will be good for FE, especially the Octavia and the Cordoba estates. The Passat is quite heavy but with an Octavia or Passat you may get a 6sp box - I don't think this was available on the Polo / Cordoba.

The 2nd gen Octavia is amazing for FE, my wife gets over 60 in hers and never ED's, and my dad has the 105 1.9 version and gets near 65 average.

If you can find one cheap enough also take a look at the Megane dCi estate (avoid the 1.9) or a Pug 206sw / 307sw HDi like PWs will give good mileage too. Astra estates are also cheap and there is a 1.3 CDTi option.

[320touring]

Originally Posted by Arragonis

Deezler's thread is here and its a good source of info on TDIs - I'm looking to copy his Grill block when I have time...

Any of the models you choose will be good for FE, especially the Octavia and the Cordoba estates. The Passat is quite heavy but with an Octavia or Passat you may get a 6sp box - I don't think this was available on the Polo / Cordoba.

The 2nd gen Octavia is amazing for FE, my wife gets over 60 in hers and never ED's, and my dad has the 105 1.9 version and gets near 65 average.

If you can find one cheap enough also take a look at the Megane dCi estate (avoid the 1.9) or a Pug 206sw / 307sw HDi like PWs will give good mileage too. Astra estates are also cheap and there is a 1.3 CDTi option.

thanks for the pointers to some awesome threads folks!
I'm glad i'm not too far off the plan that others have taken.

As for the astra and french cars, i'd rather not-i dont like engines thst outlast their cars plus if i got an old astra or cav with the izuzu lump i'd just ramp up the fuel pressure..smokin!

initial investigations suggest that an octavia tdi with the 90bhp lump for £500-700..so it may be possible to achieve good gains for under £1000 all in.

[Arragonis]

You could be right. Last time I was in a Mk1 Octavia it was a Taxi in 2005 and it already had 120K on the clock. No rattles at all though.

Keep us up to date with any mods

[320touring]

Thanks for that,

Where abouts are you in Scotland? I'm out West Lothian Way.
seems your getting that Fabia VRS working well.

I suppose first thing to do is buy a car!

[Arragonis]

I'm in Edinburgh and my travelling is about 50 % bypass or M8/M9 and 50 % in the 'burbs. I think my tanks are starting to, er, tank a little now so what I was doing is working less well now. I think my VRS is unwell somewhere though.

Where are you going to find the car ? Just tried a quick Autotrader search and the cheapest Octavia SDi within 30 miles of me is 1300, the cheapest TDI is 2.8K. I don't think AT is as good as the local papers though.

[320touring]

Originally Posted by Arragonis

I'm in Edinburgh and my travelling is about 50 % bypass or M8/M9 and 50 % in the 'burbs. I think my tanks are starting to, er, tank a little now so what I was doing is working less well now. I think my VRS is unwell somewhere though.

Where are you going to find the car ? Just tried a quick Autotrader search and the cheapest Octavia SDi within 30 miles of me is 1300, the cheapest TDI is 2.8K. I don't think AT is as good as the local papers though.

ah, the joys of the a720..
I work in livingston, and stay fairly close, but have family near glasgow and stuff out east lothian too-doing 2500 miles a month..

As for getting the car.. I have a history of travelling miles to get cars, so a wee trip for an octavia should be no hardship.

There are a few sub 800 octy's near here

As for your fab-take it you're on briskoda?