Diesel PT Cruiser

[Culdee]

Has anyone in North America modified their PT by replacing the gas engine with a diesel engine? If they have I would like to hear from them. I had a VW turbo diesel and most of my driving is on the expressway. A deisel in a PT would be ideal

[CREWZIN]

Culdee,

I take it you do know Chrysler does make a Diesel PT for the overseas market? Not sure of their reasoning why they didn't make one for the USA but it might have been because the Diesel never did seem to catch on in the North American market. Diesel was cheap for awhile, an I'm not sure where you live (didn't fill in your profile) but Diesel fuel now is running about $.50 more per gallon than gasoline, and that's bad enough.

[Culdee]

Thank you for the quick reply. I live in Cincinnati, Ohio. I have been driving a VW trurbo diesel. I drove the car for nearly 200,000 miles with no major rpairs other than a clutch replacement. The car average about 52 mpg. I am a definite fan of diesel cars. The crusier is built for turbo diesel engine. Today I can buy diesel on I-75 for about $4.00 / gallon. Regular gasoline is about $3.90

The diesel VW at say 50 mpg will cost $0.08 / mile

The PT gasoline engine averge about 27 mpg will cost about $0.14 / mile

Look to me that the cost / mile with diesel is less than the cost / mile with gasoline.

I also was able to run vegtable and waste cooking oil in the VW diesel. Don't think I could get far it I tired that with the gasoline engine. I am a chemsit and undertand diesels very well.

I want to believe somenone in the US has made this conversion to a diesel. I understand that the a few people have installed Hemi engines in Crusiers. So there must be some one with a more practical mind that has made the diesel swap

Again thanks for your reply. I really do like my PT Crusier. Very roomy and comfortable

[CREWZIN]

OK, keep looking around. You might want to try a Google search as anyone that would do that kind of conversion would surely want other to know.

I'm on several PT forums (not quite all of them) and nobody has talked about doing that kind of conversion. Yes, there's been quite a few V8 gas engine swaps and for awhile there was even a company doing that kind of swap but I believe it was in the $6-8,000 range and weren't very many interested. The site isn't around anymore.

[crusierdad76]

odd question but if they made them for across the pond is it possible to import one??? or would it just be so expensive it would no way be worth the hassle

[CREWZIN]

A few years ago it might have been worth it but they are much more restrictive in importing cars now. You might try finding an auto importer and ask there for more information.

[Culdee]

Nothing odd about the question. Having driven a diesel VW for a number of years and seeing how difficult it is to find a good used one at a resonable price one can see the value of diesel. For runing on the expressway the diesel is far superior to a gas engine. The VW gave a cnsistent 50+ mpg on the highway. The lowend torque is such that pulling away is smooth, unlie most 4 cyclinder gas engines. VW has just come bsack in the American market with a new green diesel. They are reported to have sold out the first years allotment. I tried to purchase a diesel PT Cruseir from Chrysler and wqas told they would not supply it in North America. One only needs to read the reviews from Europe to see how much the diesel Crusier is liked.

[crusierdad76]

When i was ready to get a different car my choices were the PT and the VW bug with the TDI engine and man they are proud of them bad boys the MPG's are great but to get a 2006 like my PT it would have been in the low $20,000 maybe the high teens but it would have been up there in miles I was ready to do the VW thing the place i got my PT at was supposed to have 3 PT's and 2 VW's but when i got there what i liked best was my black 06 the red bug had almost 200,000 miles on it and diesel or not that was just to many for me

The other PT's were a woodie with a lot of pealing and a faded out bule one they were supposed to have that pretty blue in a 05 whit a stick and only 18,000 mmiles but it was gone

[Culdee]

I prefer the PT Crusier for the design, BUT I REALLY wanted the TDI. If Chrysler would have made the PT Deisel available I would have bought that immediately. But calls to Detroit made no difference. Chrysler, being typical Detroit, did not care to sell the customer what the customer wanted. Rather her is want you want. Well I now have the PT and like it very much. Just wish I could retro fit it with a deisel engine

[crusierdad76]

I'm sure you could put a desiel in a PT but man would it be a pain the computers and the new motor mounts but like already said they put a V8 Hemi in some most likely a tube chassie but hey they get them in there