Mk1 Jetta body swap 1st gen tundra

Yeah you read that right, 1984 Volkswagen Jetta body on a 03 tundra frame.

The project is still in early stages and I’m one of those plan it as you go kinda guys.

we will be taking the tundra firewall and floor pan and grafting it to the Jetta body (firewall is rotten anyway) .

according to measurements we have to shorten the frame 34” to make wheelbase requirements.

 

Sounds... interesting. Maybe you could tell us more about what your objective/goal is?

 

My main goal is to have something that no one else does. I mean, a 4.7v8 4x4 mk1 Jetta is something I’ve never seen

 

I'm excited to see this

 

Today I was messing around at the house and decided to pull the driveshaft, ebrake cables, fuel lines, and as many clips/bolts I could save to use along the journey.

found some rust spots I plan to touch up on the frame and also measured out where I need to cut to make wheelbase requirements.

ive decided to cut where toyota slid the frame together and welded the box section together since they only welded the outside I should be able to cut their welds and slide the frame forward (33.5”) and weld it back at the same place up front. We’ll see how that bridge looks when we get there.

Side note: don’t mind the harness I accidentally cut when we were cutting the cab floor out it’s getting shortened anyway so it’s fine I guess

 

Somehow need to make this work out mathematically too

 

Kind of a bummer because mk1 jettas aren't seen often these days but at least its a 4 door.

 

@Darkness the filler neck hole and rockers are pretty much non existent anymore, there’s also some rot on the front control arms mounts, plus someone tried to RWD swap it and cut the firewall and floor up. So this was the next best option before scrap

 

Shit! I laughed. Best of luck! Definitely watching this one.

 

@TrashcanBand I can’t promise it will happen fast but I CAN promise it will most certainly be done.

 

Can’t rush quality my dude. And this build will have to be quality.

 

Thats good to hear. Game on sir

 

Man, I love old mk1 volkswagens, including the scirocco, rabbit, and of course this jetta. Following this build for sure!!

 

Also let me clarify I have ZERO engineering knowledge and am really bad at math. But I can turn a wrench pretty good and have been for the last 13 years of my life (I’m only 27) so if you guys were expecting a very technically involved and informed post, this isn’t the one for you but if you like backyard nonsense that hopefully will work stick around

 

Nice project, next on the list VW bus pickup on Tundra frame.

 

Nice going man! You're an inspiration to men like us everywhere who drink and stare at sh*t in our yards too long! Should go well with that fine radio flyer power wagon I see back there

 

This area is such a killer for our frames. It's the only place I had to treat with POR15. I wish Toyota had done something different here.

@Rstfree1stgen cool idea. I'm excited to follow along on your swap.

 

@dgtulsaguy you mean this little thing I made up from a taotao 110 and another item destined for the junk yard

tossed on a cheap eBay “motorcycle” fairing and glued in an Autozone headlight. Rips up the neighborhood pretty good as long as you have a screwdriver to jump the starter

 

@FirstGenVol what’s crazy is here in the rust belt this is the cleanest first gen tundra frame to ever be seen this old. Really wish I was out west and this was a normal frame not a freak of nature

 

Well it rained like hell yesterday so I couldn’t mess around much, today I figured I’d tackle getting the crossmembers out that I won’t be using, what a chore that turned out to be. Someone never threw any batteries on the charger for the grinder. So half a battery here half a battery there two hours later I got both of them out! Hoping to get my buddy over here tomorrow to help me cut the frame down and weld it back together!



edit: I finally got two batteries charged which was just enough to get the frame cut and start working on getting the welds off

 

Ok last post for the day we got the frame shortened and welded!

 

Fuck yes OP. Fuck yes.

 

Was going to work on the Jetta yesterday but my buddys jeep had other pans for us this weekend

 

Been so busy with house work and real work I haven’t had time to mess with the Jetta.

finally got my buddy over to brainstorm and figure out the plan of attack.
We started cutting the firewall out just over some beers after work.
Guess there’s more rocker to repair than we thought

 

Did you tell him he is supposed to let go of the clutch pedal?
that thing got polished

 

Following. This will be interesting.

 

@Darkness he just got it with 177k and knew it was going to need a clutch. We didn’t expect the disc to fly apart but he did shift really hard at 6800rpm

 

That's fair. I've had similar happen, when you get a stick shift vehicle sometimes the last owner had lazy feet.

 

The only thing I'm confused by is you're building a trar in the driveway of a suburban neighborhood north of the mason dixon line.

Weld on brother.

 

@Half Assed trust me this neighborhood HATES ME. Im the only house that doesn’t have a quiet and out of the way 50+ year old in it.

even the younger (30s) people with kids don’t have toys or anything. It baffles me how people can live such a bland life.

it’s a good week when the cops only show up once for a friends burnout or a quick quad ride around the block.