A light vehicle plus a high-revving bike engine equals oodles of fun.
YouTuber Rich Rebuildsis swapping the engine of a first-gen Volkswagen Caddy, otherwise known as the Mk1 VW Golf-related Rabbit Pickup, for a Suzuki Hayabusa four-banger. While unconventional, the build argues that the high-revving motorcycle power plant makes more sense in a small pickup than a large V8 in a small car.
If you aren't in the know, the Hayabusa's engine has a relatively small displacement of just 1.3 liters. It's been known to make upwards of 400 horsepower if paired with a turbo, and as a result, it has made it to incredible cars like the Radical SR1 XXR. The two Suzuki-made bike motors were also welded together to power the Ariel Atom 500 V8, one of the highest-revving cars ever.
On top of the engine swap, Rich plans to change the Caddy from front-wheel to rear-wheel drive. Now there's nothing wrong with FWD per se – cars like the Honda Civic Type R do just fine – but the more power you make on an FWD setup, the more pronounced (and dangerous) torque steer will be.
In commencing the swap, the YouTuber and his team had to cut up the Caddy's bed. This is to make room for the Hayabusa engine, which will sit in the middle of the mini-truck. He and his team also removed the pickup's front and rear axles. The latter will be replaced with a rear axle from a Ford Ranger and then paired with a driveshaft for an RWD conversion.
Rich Rebuilds/YouTube Rich Rebuilds/YouTube Rich Rebuilds/YouTube
The Gen 1 Hayabusa motor was neither new nor stock. It was donated by a mechanic friend who was previously using it to power a cool two-seater open-wheel race car. It has aftermarket pistons, high-pressure valves, heavy-duty valve springs, a lockup clutch, and a 50mm turbo. According to Rich, it makes 400 horsepower as is. That's more than 200 hp over the original 173 hp the Gen 1 Hayabusa made.
The video shows that the VW Caddy Hayabusa build has a long way to go. The Rich Rebuilds team still needs to figure out how to mount the engine and how it will line up with the rear differential. They also need to figure out gear shifting as well.
Fortunately, there have been similar builds before, including one where a Toyota V12 was stuck behind the cockpit.
Rich Rebuilds/YouTube Rich Rebuilds/YouTube Rich Rebuilds/YouTube
Keyword: Volkswagen Rabbit Pickup Getting Mid-Mounted Turbo Hayabusa Engine