If you're a DIY type of person, then you probably already know two things. Very likely, you know the struggle of getting something to work the way that you want. Hopefully, you also know the sweet satisfaction when it does exactly what you planned.
How quickly and/or easily you're able to overcome the struggle-laden part of this particular dance depends on several factors, not the least of which is the complexity of your project. Rebuilding a single carburetor is one thing, but rebuilding and syncing carbs on a flat 12 seems infinitely more headache-inducing. I digress.
If you've been following along with the YouTube channel Rich Rebuilds and its Turbo Hayabusa Hybrid Volkswagen Rabbit Caddy Pickup build series, then you're already aware that it's an extremely complicated project. Over the past several months, Rich and his team have worked hard to get every bit into place to get the tricked truck working like they've envisioned. We've seen some of it in the videos, but plenty more work has been done off camera to get it into shape.
It's been a long, hard slog, but in this video, we FINALLY get to see (and hear) the little VW Caddy run under turbo Hayabusa power. It sounds pretty great, to be honest. When Rich's buddy is driving it down the block, Rich observes that it sounds like it's right next to him, even though it's probably a quarter of a mile away. It sounds loud in the video, but of course it's not completely clear how loud it is in person.
In any case, while there's still work to be done, it's a whole lot closer to being done than it ever has been before. If you've never seen it before, there's an electric motor under the hood for low-speed maneuvering. Then, the turbo Hayabusa engine is mid-mounted (just behind the cabin in the pickup bed) to provide the combustion power part of this hybrid equation.
A whole lot of modifications went into this build, including (but not limited to):
- a radiator from a Chevrolet C10 with dual 10-inch fans mounted in the truck bed
- a Tesla water pump
- air shocks
- a Pingel auto-shifter (still needs work)
- a steering wheel out of a CityEL
- an intercooler setup, also mounted in the truck bed, including a 3D printed piece to connect the hose to the intercooler
- a power brake pump mounted up front
- Saab 9000 wheels (painted black for a stealthy look)
- a side inlet in the truck bed that feeds the turbo on the Hayabusa engine
- a side outlet exiting further back in the truck bed for the exhaust
In the next video, Rich says the plan is to have the entire project complete and working as planned. We look forward to seeing it when it does.
