A lot of larger engines have torque, but at what RPM is what matters.

A bone-stock TDI makes 149 ft/lb at 1900 rpm.
You can put some aftermarket injectors in it for around $300 and get 190 ft/lb at about 2100 rpm.
You can chip it and get about 230 lb/ft AT THE WHEELS.

The famed SVX is about 170 ft/lb at 4500 rpm.

The TDI whips SVX ass in the MPG and TORQUE department!

http://www.kermatdi.com/servlet/-strse-template/faq/Page?template=stockpower

Chris S.
'84 Westy -> http://www.knology.net/~vw/vws/hershey/
'01 NB TDI -> http://www.knology.net/~vw/Beetle.jpg

1-888-VW-PARTS <- Recommended Expert Vanagon Part Source

----- Original Message ----
From: John Rodgers <inua@CHARTER.NET>
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Sent: Friday, January 11, 2008 1:18:54 AM
Subject: Re: 1985 Vanagon - Ford Focus Engine alternative

Well,

What IS the most torquey engine conversion out there for the V-gons?

Inquiring minds and all that ............

John Rodgers
Chelsea, AL

David Marshall wrote:
> Yeah... almost Friday.
>
> My company car is a 2003 Ford Focus...
> what a piece of smeg engine... makes lots of noise when you step on
 it and
> when you wiiiiiiind it out to the top end of the rev range there is a
 hint
> of decent power then and then red line and you have to shift.  This
> is not the engine I would want to put into a 2500kg westfalia and
 hope to
> get anywhere faster than what it could do with a stock engine.
>
> Torque sells cars and engine conversions, but really torque is what
 is
> needed to get our Vanagons going, so a Diesel engine is what our
 Vanagons
> need.
>
> The V8 gasoline Touareg has 350hp and the V10 Diesel
> Touareg has 313hp - the *Diesel* will win in a 0 to 100km/h sprint as
 it
> has 553ft.lbs or torque at 1800 rpm and the gasser has 324ft.lbs at
 3000
> something in the rpm band.  Tourque is like a drug the more you have
> the more you want.  Once you drive a Vanagon with lots of torque you
> will spend the rest of your life trying to convert the unwashed.
> :-)
>
> David Marshall
>
> http://www.hasenwerk.ca
> http://www.fastforward.ca
>
> Box 4153, Quesnel BC, Canada V2J
> 3J2
>
> On Thu, January 10, 2008 20:22, AAG - Larry Word wrote:
>
>> It's almost Friday - what is the consensus to date of the group
>>
> installing
>
>> 2000 ford focus engine into Vanagons?
>>
>> Any ideas, links, info., articles, etc. would be appreciated!
>>
>> Thanks
>>
>> Larry
>>
>>
>
>
>

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