1.5 Tsi evo engine swap?

AHV415

Active Member
Mar 20, 2021
7
2
I've had my car since March this year and while I do enjoy it, I see many mk3 cupras around and I'm tempted to get one but at the same time they do come abit pricey. Is it possible to do a engine swap from a mk3 1.5 tsi engine to a mk3 cupra in particular and if so are there any extras or difficulties I should be aware of. Apologies if this has been asked already, still a newbie
 

xyz

Full Member
Feb 28, 2004
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This could be fraught with a number of issues. If you have DSG, then you’ll most likely need the correct gearbox for the Cupra engine. Then there’s the issue of whether your current chassis will handle the extra power - as in handling - the Cupra chassis is set up to be sporty in line with the engine it has. Brakes will need upgrading then you’ll have to think of a possible issue of the ECU working with your car, will you need to upgrade the running gear on your current car as the rear axle and front hub assemblies might be different. I’m no expert but from watching some videos etc, there is lots to consider. It’s not like twenty or thirty years ago where you could just drop a lump in a car - various parts of the car talk with other parts so lots to consider. You’d need to speak to a specialist tuner I think. It’s probably doable just like people I’ve seen dropping RS3 five pots into Goof Rs but you have to weigh up the costs, labour, time etc against just buying a Cupra.


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AHV415

Active Member
Mar 20, 2021
7
2
This could be fraught with a number of issues. If you have DSG, then you’ll most likely need the correct gearbox for the Cupra engine. Then there’s the issue of whether your current chassis will handle the extra power - as in handling - the Cupra chassis is set up to be sporty in line with the engine it has. Brakes will need upgrading then you’ll have to think of a possible issue of the ECU working with your car, will you need to upgrade the running gear on your current car as the rear axle and front hub assemblies might be different. I’m no expert but from watching some videos etc, there is lots to consider. It’s not like twenty or thirty years ago where you could just drop a lump in a car - various parts of the car talk with other parts so lots to consider. You’d need to speak to a specialist tuner I think. It’s probably doable just like people I’ve seen dropping RS3 five pots into Goof Rs but you have to weigh up the costs, labour, time etc against just buying a Cupra.


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Thank you for the informative response. Yeah I knew it would be more than just a quick swap of the engine due to how cars are manufactured nowadays. Its been on my mind for a while so thought I'd get someone's opinion on it and thankfully you responded. Guess il have to look around if any specialist near me is capable of carrying out the work and if not, just save up more for a cupra. Thank you once again
 
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xyz

Full Member
Feb 28, 2004
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oxford
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Thank you for the informative response. Yeah I knew it would be more than just a quick swap of the engine due to how cars are manufactured nowadays. Its been on my mind for a while so thought I'd get someone's opinion on it and thankfully you responded. Guess il have to look around if any specialist near me is capable of carrying out the work and if not, just save up more for a cupra. Thank you once again

No probs mate. Just consider what your car might be worth. The used car market is FUBAR at the moment. Prices are high but so are trade in values. My Golf R was worth £15k last year. I sold it four weeks ago for just over £18.5k. I bought a BMW with £10k of extras on it for £47k. A similar age and mileage car with £8k of extras is now £51k - and that’s just in a little over four weeks. Look at places like Autotrader for cars similar to yours and see what prices are like. Also, We Buy Any Car and Motorway are offering good prices for cars at the moment so don’t rule them out. What car and spec have you got?


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AHV415

Active Member
Mar 20, 2021
7
2
I've got a Seat Leon Fr 1.5 Tsi Evo, on a 69 plate. It's my 2nd car so kinda new to the car scene as they say. Just hit 40k mileage yesterday. I've seen them fluctuating between £12 - 14k when I last looked but maybe it's changed now or probably around the same
 
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dronners

Active Member
Aug 18, 2014
23
18
by the time everythings said and done it’ll probably cost you the same as just selling and buying a cupra. an engine alone will be about £2-3k
 
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SRGTD

Active Member
May 26, 2014
2,420
1,300
Theres 2 sayings that apply here

1) don’t throw good money after bad.
2) don’t build what you can buy
Good advice.

There’s also the insurance implications of doing this. The end result would be a heavily modified car in the eyes of an insurance company. Some insurers would be unlikely to quote, and those that do would be likely to want a fairly significant premium - probably quite a bit more than it would cost to insure a genuine Cupra.
 
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RUM4MO

Active Member
Jun 4, 2008
7,823
1,000
South Scotland
I'd think that once you have paid someone to source and complete the conversion, you will still only end up with a odd ball car that might even be worth a lot less than it currently has on the open market - and when it comes time to sell it, as you will do eventually, who would want to buy an odd ball car that comes with some many issues like insurance and trying to work out which parts to replace failed/worn parts with later in life - I think that you should dismiss that project right away every way you look at it.
 
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Yern

Active Member
Apr 25, 2019
626
311
I've got a Seat Leon Fr 1.5 Tsi Evo, on a 69 plate. It's my 2nd car so kinda new to the car scene as they say. Just hit 40k mileage yesterday. I've seen them fluctuating between £12 - 14k when I last looked but maybe it's changed now or probably around the same
Mines got 14K miles and worth around £12.5K trade in, keeping it for the moment but still looking (just in case).
 

BoomerBoom

Active Member
Jun 1, 2018
702
252
Even if you had a complete cupra as a donor car I doubt you could get this to work, just converting the electrics alone would be worth more than the car is worth - buy a cupra instead.
 
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DAN@ADRIAN FLUX

Active Member
Forum Sponsor
Sep 27, 2016
303
72
Hi.
If you had an issues with insurance at all for this type of conversion then please feel free to drop me a line.
Regards,
Dan.
 
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