Quote:
Originally Posted by freebeard
I was just pointing to Google's first result as a talking point. I should have high-lighted the towing weight in blue—like:
I'm skeptical of the Toureg because a replacement key costs like $300.
If you think outside that tiny little box of years, you could have a Vanagon with a Subaru engine and a Porsche 901 transaxle with a transmission cooler in the front bumper. Or 4-wheel drive.
Think of the look on your wife's face when you brought *that* home.  |
She would shake her head and roll her eyes
Thinking in that sort of box though,
I would import a smallish @150-200 hp turbo diesel, then build it up.
take 2 compact to midsized pickups, one with the long bed, and one with the quad cab. Chop the frames and weld the two sections I wanted together.
Strip it down to the frame and go over every joint and section and improve it stronger than stock.
Stick a custom Dana44 under the rear with an air bag helper.
Geared so that the final drive will have the engine turning at approx 2000
rpm at 75mph.
Rear disk brakes, upgraded front brakes.
Beef up the front suspenssion (for the heavier engine).
Take it to a friends brother to have the interior done up nice (to make wife happy)
Mate a nv3500 or equivalant manual transmission, or find another nv4500 (granny first, 26% od)
I should be able to haul 2000lbs+ cargo, and tow well over 5000lbs while still getting low to mid 20's in town, and high 20's to low 30's on the highway (unloaded)
However the time and work required are way up there.
Edit to add: Any new electronic security key will cost that much