The Vegfalia is a 1987 Vanagon GL Syncro with a transplanted 1.9L Turbo Diesel engine and a Greasecar two-tank vegetable oil kit installed.
Modifications:
Previous owner:
California Oak hardwood floors
GoWesty 16” alloy rims
Pioneer speaker system
The S.E.E.P. Mods:
1.9L Turbo Diesel engine installed by Autostadt West, Sacramento, CA
Engine/mounting bars/fuel tank/bellhousing from Quality German Auto, Montclair, CA
Greasecar SVO kit with 15 gallon tank and computer controller
GoWesty Auxiliary Battery relay with Odessy 1900 450 amp-hour battery
High-Intensity Headlight Upgrade from GoWesty
LED bulbs in stock interior lights
Audi dome light with LED bulb
Sony xPlod Bluetooth enabled stereo/speakerphone
Auxiliary 12V jack
300 watt 110V inverter
110V trickle-charger – charges aux battery when van is plugged in.
Cleaned/repaired 3-way fridge, added GoWesty priming pump upgrade
Refrigerator temperature gauge
Shady Boy Awning
Van-Café Big Bumpers
Rear rack from Gary Lee with ladder and fold-down shelf for bike carriers
Rear shower (had to remove Helton Heat Exchanger due to coolant system problems)
First Alert CO2/fire alarm
PDA mount with GPS
South African Big Brake Kit
4WD Decoupler
3 point rear seat belts
Anti-Road Rage Dashboard Buddha
To be added:
85 Watt Solar Panel with charge controller and LCD display
Eberspacher diesel heater
Jump Seat
hi! I been checkking over and over alot of web with the idea to purches a van like yours!(my respects) I have my self a vw camper 80´and would like to get a syncro in order to convert to diesel (another guy with thesame history) anyways maybe you can give me same tips on where I can purch a project like this beside (ebay,gowesty) witch I keep serching on those for one came up!
thank you
juan
Hi Vegifolks,
Looking to go fossil free at some point as well. Just curious, what are you getting for horsepower and torque with the conversion?
Thanks,
Craig
Do you live in California? If so , how did the conversion affect your ability to register the car as a Diesel instead of a gas car. How about the smog certificate? Thanks, Kieran
To answer Kiernan’s question, in California you are not required to get a smog certificate for diesels. They’re exempt. I have a veg-oil/bio-diesel VW too and mentioned that it ran on veg oil, bio-diesel, or regular diesel when I registered it. The DMV said I didn’t need to get the smog certificate because it was classified as a diesel. Just one more way a green mobile can save you money.
I’m in Mendocino county by the way, but I’m pretty sure that the diesel exemption is state wide. A veg-oil or bio-diesel rig should have lower emissions anyway so even if you had to test it, it shouldn’t be a problem.
Sorry about the delay in answering, but although megan is correct in that diesels are smog exempt, if you convert a gas vehicle to diesel, you have to get it approved by a “referee” at the DMV. I’m going to make an appointment with the local ref, who is supposedly pretty tough. If that doesn’t work, I heard that the referee in Santa Cruz is very biodiesel friendly.
To answer Craig’s question, we’ve been pretty happy with the power – she goes 45-50mph up the steeper grades, but we can cruise at 65-70mph with no problem. I was able to take tow a 5 X 8 steel-sided trailer full of pompous grass to the dump without too much problem as well!
Hi there,
We’ve got an ‘89 Vanagon Carat, and have begun using acetone for better mileage on the regular gas, and we’re going to become “greasers” at some point in the future.
We’ve heard from a friend (Roy Harvey) who runs the local Greasers club (www.grease4fuel.com), that he had issues with not pre-warming the grease first. We’re wondering if there were additives or anything like acetone that could be used to thin or condition the “grease” so it wouldn’t take special modifications and a special tank to run veggie.
Any suggestions?
Bob Ruby II Dianne Keast and baby Sparrow
I certainly wish you good luck in becoming Greasers! As far as additives go, I’ve read that you can add kerosene or blend it with regular diesel or biodiesel. Although you can run VO directly in many engines in warmer temps, if you’re in for the long haul, everything I’ve seen so far requires preheating of the oil. Most systems like greasecar and frybrid are two-tank systems where you start and stop the vehicle on diesel or biodiesel while the coolant heats up the oil so you can switch over. Elsbett in Germany makes a single tank system that replaces your fuel injectors and adds an electric heating element and supposedly works very well.
Have fun!
Clint
Hey just found your site and think what your doing is wonderful and healthy. I just got a 1982 Diesel Vanagon Camper/1.6 and am running biodiesel 100 but want to convert to a mix with SVO-(2 tanks). I want to run the SVO after the vehicle warms while starting on BioD- isnt that how it works?. Anyhow, What are the best kits/or set ups for this set up of both svo/biod? Thank you- you are where I hope to get to one day. Kick ass strong vegfalia power. See ya on the road.
Thanks, Josh
Thanks for the kudos Josh! There is indeed plenty of kick ass strong vegfalia power, enough to go around! You are correct in how the VO systems work, most systems are 2-tank, where you start the engine from your main tank with diesel or biodiesel, then once the engine is hot the coolant heats the VO. When you get up near 160 degrees, you switch over to VO, then purge the lines before shutting the engine down. The Vegfalia has a Greasecar system with an auxiliary Vegtherm 12V electric in-line heater and the digital controller upgrade. It’s been working well and the computer controller is great, giving me a digital readout of engine temp, VO temp, fuel levels, and allowing control over the system. Overall I’m happy with the system except for a few minor issues: 1. Although the tank is custom made to fit under the rear seat, you have to remove the rear heater to install it – Frybrid sells a round tank that might fit in the spare tire area under the car as an alternative. 2. The wiring harness included wasn’t long enough for a Westy and I had to extend most of the wires. 3. I purchased the external filler kit which doesn’t have the clearance to fit under the Westy seat. 4. The computer controller needs more customization and a way to cycle through data. Currently, I have to switch the servos to the main tank to monitor engine temp and back to VO to monitor oil temp. It would be nice to have a temp gauge in the VO tank itself as well.
The other alternative, especially if you’re in a warmer climate, is a single tank system, through a complete engine kit sold by elsbett in Germany, or the Lovecraft Biofuels conversion done in L.A.. I’ve heard that they work pretty well, but don’t have any personal experience. I personally like that I now have 2 fuel tanks in the Westy and now have over a 550 mile range with both tanks full!
Good luck!
Cool to find a local people veggie site. I have a 1.6L 82 Vanagon Camper Diesel running 100BioD and want to add the svo set up but so many suggestions, kits, ideas. Where to start? Anyway Well wave when we pass on the road like all VW owners do. Great for all those making the efoort to run on the food insttead of earths destructional juice.
Josh D