Getting a Baja 1000 race buggy together in six months was a major feat in itself. The challenge intensified when an untested engine and fuel setup was prototyped for race conditions. Greasecar Motorsports' goal was to prove that a diesel engine powered by pure vegetable oil could excel in the most extreme off-road race event-the SCORE Baja 1000. Diesel Power was there to capture the action from inside the shop, where this pioneering vehicle was built. Justin Carven, of Greasecar in Holyoke, Massachusetts, came up with the idea to create this project. He enlisted Tony Steingraber, a veteran off-road race vehicle builder, to get everything rolling. Tony's talented team began with a SCORE-legal Class 5 Baja Bug chassis equipped with a chromoly steel rollcage and long-travel suspension. However, the rules for Class 5 dictate that vehicles must run a 1.6L Type 1 gasoline engine-which meant that in order to race in the Baja 1000, the 1.9L TDI-powered Greasecar team had to compete in the run-what-you-brung Sportsman class.
The Diesel Advantage
The Volkswagen 1.9L TDI ALH diesel engine was mounted in the rear of the Buggy just like in earlier Beetles with 1.6L gas engines. The engine is basically stock except for the VNT 17 variable geometry turbo, cyclone style air filter, tuned ECU, and custom air-to-water intercooler. The water-cooled intercooler was more compact and less susceptible to dust contamination compared to a traditional air-to-air intercooler. The engine was rated at 150 hp and 250 lb-ft of torque, which was adequate, considering the Baja Bug only weighs 2,500 pounds.
While the engine was not extensively modified, the fuel system was. In order to compete in the Baja 1000, the team needed to meet all the safety rules. The car has two race-certified fuel tanks, which required top-mounted supply and return lines and an internal bladder. The main one holds 26 gallons of vegetable oil and the other is only 21/2 gallons and contains regular diesel used for warm-up and shut-down sequences. The next components in the grease system were the Greasecar solenoid fuel valves, which controlled whether the engine got diesel or vegetable fuel. Lastly, a Greasecar thermal filter heats the vegetable oil to the temperature of the engine coolant.
Making The Greasecar Race Ready
The car features a Diablo rack and pinion and a 10-inch-diameter ring gear in the transaxle. The front suspension retains the independent torsion axle beams, but instead of a leaf pack, this Bug uses coilover and bypass shocks. The rear suspension uses triple bypass shocks, a rear swing arm, and two springs stacked on top of each other. The top spring is rated for 450 lb-in of pressure while the bottom one is rated for 600 pounds. The BF Goodrich Baja tires (33x10.5x15) fit on 15x4-inch beadlock wheels, which pinch the tires and create a ballooning effect at 20 psi.
 Here is a look at the fuel...  Here is a look at the fuel system, which lets the 1.9L TDI burn vegetable oil. It consists of two race-certified aluminum fuel cells (one holds 26 gallons of vegetable oil and the other holds 2 1/2 gallons of regular diesel). |  This is a mock-up of how the...  This is a mock-up of how the thermal filter is put together. Hot engine coolant is run through the copper coil surrounding the engine's fuel filter. |  Here is the 1.9L TDI that...  Here is the 1.9L TDI that produces 150 hp and 250 lb-ft of torque. |