Some of you may not like this, but well **** it, its my opinion and experience. I recently got to extensively test drive my mate hybrid fabia.

 

In all honesty i have thought about hybrid'ing my fabia - i maybe would have but I've got a second car and it gets to the point of diminishing returns.

 

I love my fabia its a great car overall for the 'price' (you'll find the is the most attractive reason for getting a fabia VRS for folk on here) - there's nothing much that will touch it overall for the price taking into consideration mpg, running costs, looks, modifying scope from stock, insurance, nippy'ness. When remapped its just and so quicker than subtly modified say Saxo VTS's of the old hot hatch era - that's quite an achievement.

 

If you put a hybrid turbo on your going need extra components: FMIC, clutch, PD160 intake pipe, exhaust to get the best performance out of your setup (who wouldn't?) your talking in the region of 2-2.5k (best case) if you want a reliable setup, this is say a helix clutch not some of the crap ones because then it becomes a chore to drive.

 

You 'may' get headlift so invest in say ARP bolts - I know my mate had at 225BHP. When i was thinking of hybrid'ing mine (wanted around 220BHP) I was going to do all the work myself and i think it was just under 2.5k when i totted it up.

 

Recently I'd been in a Hybrid fabia and was happy to do so and they are quick and surprise a lot of cars - i did like it esp power uptop, then you get some petrol car that is around the same amount of power and it pips you up top. It hasn't got **** tyres but struggled to put the power down even though it was dry and you find it can't handle the power too well without spinning the tyres or depositing you in the hedge on a corner/roundabout with roll/grip - you get done by a petrol car that is designed to do that. To add insult to injury my other mates remapped E90 330d destroyed us (and its just an se)   :( - this is a 2006 second hand car that you can buy for not a lot more that can actually handle the power for not much more than second hand fabia in good knick with a full hybrid setup.

 

I'm all for modifying cars, i love it actually (and i make money from it as a side job) but it comes to the point where it gets very expensive to get smallish gains and you push the car out of its designed envelope - there's always 'room left on the table' but that hybrid even with a good map to me it handles just 'okay' and spun wheels which didnt allow you to get the power down and make the most of it - a quaife would sort that but still its another 1k or more. The problem with the Fabia is the 'base' your starting from. My mate has all the mods that i have below to begin with.

 

If you must, just get a good remap, stick Ap coilovers on, EGR delete, RARB and call it a day - i stopped at that.

 

I'm not taking anything away from hybrid owners at all some people do it regardless of money it costs and i can't knock them for that, I just see a lot of post recently and thought I'd tell you what you already know haha.

 

Cheers

I may have read the stats for the wrong car but a standard 330d SE is 231bhp which is more than "most" hybrid fabias lol. Add a remap on top of that then no wonder you didnt stand a chance lol.

Absolutely, heavy ass cars though my point was they are cheap now.

 

SE's look a bit crap though.

if your going to hybrid a fabia i personally think your better off starting with the ibiza as you get alot more as standard .... bigger intercooler etc ......

but if you want a fast useable car it has to be four wheel drive if you put a few quid under the bonnet of a similar age subaru it would be alot more practical , useable and fun

Hybrids are rubbish, end of. All the people I have spoken to who have had one have said to avoid then and even the company who mapped my car said don't bother with them.

Tbh I kind of agree in a way. I have a GTB1756 - (similar to a hybrid in terms of peak power). The power in 1st, 2nd and 3rd is unusable presently with the roads being cold & damp. Also it's cost me loads.

That said I absolutely love it and wouldn't part with it!

Absolutely, heavy ass cars though my point was they are cheap now.

SE's look a bit crap though.

No they don't

I also got my a55 handed to me on a plate by a mapped 330d. I thought id hit reverse

Tom, don't agree with that but I take it that is a sarcastic comment lol.

Haha Jase I know you have a 320 :p

Tom, don't agree with that but I take it that is a sarcastic comment lol.

Haha Jase I know you have a 320 :p

no sarcy there Mate, was told by my mapper to stay away from hybrids as there a waste of money, and a couple of guys who have had then on a Vag forum I'm on have said they are rubbish and to stay away from them, so I will be lol

I know I umm and arr about whether to go to stage and beyond, but, I agree with you. I am comfortably at stage one now. I think my car goes, rides and loos how it should have from factory.

 

When the craving for more power comes i'll be wanting to be driving that can use the power.

 

Dreams of PD engined S14a  

no sarcy there Mate, was told by my mapper to stay away from hybrids as there a waste of money, and a couple of guys who have had then on a Vag forum I'm on have said they are rubbish and to stay away from them, so I will be lol

 

Who is your mapper? Are they basing their comments on another turbo set up for a similar over all price?

Who is your mapper? Are they basing their comments on another turbo set up for a similar over all price?

big fish tuning in stokesly, he wasn't comparing them to another turbo, he just said he wouldn't bother with them as they are very hit and miss, some make good power and some don't. I'm happy with my 150 turbo at the minute, if I was going for more power id do it properly and get a GTB2260vk, not based on the price's, just don't think hybrids are worth what people pay for them.

Spot on, can't see the point in going any further than a stage 1 map in a fabia because you'll never get anymore power down with fwd

Spot on, can't see the point in going any further than a stage 1 map in a fabia because you'll never get anymore power down with fwd

It's not all about Grand Prix racing starts. The amount of pull you get in gear is unreal, the speedo just keeps climbing and climbing even through 4th and 5th gear.

Must admit I think jays is spot on. First gear in mine isn't worth a w*nk and in this weather 2nd is hit and miss as to whether you get traction. It's a hell of a lot of money to go stage 2 properly and with the price of the car then the mods I'd personally get something else that's already faster. At most if my turbo goes and I can get a cheap pd150 one I will do that but as it stands I'm done with my performance mods

Agree with dan here

It's not all about Grand Prix racing starts. The amount of pull you get in gear is unreal, the speedo just keeps climbing and climbing even through 4th and 5th gear.

Exactly the point, for a spirited drive every so often, stage 1 is enough

Especially since the difference between stage 1 and stage 2 is minimum of a grand. I'm happy with how mine is, I personally can't justify all that money for not that much gain when I've got kids and a house etc. Would like to have a go in one just to see though

big fish tuning in stokesly, he wasn't comparing them to another turbo, he just said he wouldn't bother with them as they are very hit and miss, some make good power and some don't. I'm happy with my 150 turbo at the minute, if I was going for more power id do it properly and get a GTB2260vk, not based on the price's, just don't think hybrids are worth what people pay for them.

 

I think part of the problem is the engines not the turbos. The cars are getting to the age, miles and price where they fall into the hands of people who dont look after them. This results over time in the engine getting a hard time, later on in a owner or twos time they fall into the hands of someone who would like to extract more power. They get all the parts, hybrid turbo etc and then get upset when their car only makes 200bhp. Give the engine a bit of tlc and you'll be back on track, I know of 3 separate pd130's this has been the case with and after the engine work they resulted in the power expected. Unless the turbos are being bought at back street garages or via eBay they should be built to a certain spec and standard so there should be no "hit and miss" with them, buy a decent turbo and look after it and get good results. Getting on for 3 years now running a hybrid 150 turbo at circa 220bhp on a conservative map. I could squeeze a little more but I'm happy with it as it for now. The GTB turbos look good but I'm yet to see one that produces power lower down the rev range, I rather 220bhp across the rev range than an extra 50bhp but for just 2000-2500rpm. Unit 18 have done lots of hybrid 150 turbos (mainly using their own spec turbo) and have had very little issues, maybe this is because they will do a bit more that chuck and turbo and bodged together intercooler on the car then say its a crap turbo when they cant achieve the results? Who knows! 

 

The thing is, as many have said, its a good few ££££ to go from mapped to hybrid, unless you're a die hard Fabia & diesel fan then there is better routes to get more power.

 

Just my 2p worth from my experience over the past 5 years or so, not having a dig at you Tom or anyone else. 

Danham they might pull through all gears but at the end of the day its a diesel and will only pull all the way to 5k. If you want something that pulls by a petrol civic or similar they do actually pull through the gears and performed straight out the box

Danham they might pull through all gears but at the end of the day its a diesel and will only pull all the way to 5k. If you want something that pulls by a petrol civic or similar they do actually pull through the gears and performed straight out the box

But that would go completely against my point of owning a derv. The Fabia pulls whether is at 2000rpm or 5000rpm. The civil probably doesn't even get going until your well over 5000 rpm and has pretty much no torque.

I have thought about changing cars but realised it's got to be worth changing for and obviously be quicker.

FYI I actually have a hybrid pd150 fitted on mine along with the supporting mods and can confirm I am extremely happy. Also running a £900 clutch which is just as good.

What civic or similar car can return 45mpg average while running over 200bhp and cost £130 odd a year to tax?

That is the biggy that makes the Fabia, its all round abilities. 

I think part of the problem is the engines not the turbos. The cars are getting to the age, miles and price where they fall into the hands of people who dont look after them. This results over time in the engine getting a hard time, later on in a owner or twos time they fall into the hands of someone who would like to extract more power. They get all the parts, hybrid turbo etc and then get upset when their car only makes 200bhp. Give the engine a bit of tlc and you'll be back on track, I know of 3 separate pd130's this has been the case with and after the engine work they resulted in the power expected. Unless the turbos are being bought at back street garages or via eBay they should be built to a certain spec and standard so there should be no "hit and miss" with them, buy a decent turbo and look after it and get good results. Getting on for 3 years now running a hybrid 150 turbo at circa 220bhp on a conservative map. I could squeeze a little more but I'm happy with it as it for now. The GTB turbos look good but I'm yet to see one that produces power lower down the rev range, I rather 220bhp across the rev range than an extra 50bhp but for just 2000-2500rpm. Unit 18 have done lots of hybrid 150 turbos (mainly using their own spec turbo) and have had very little issues, maybe this is because they will do a bit more that chuck and turbo and bodged together intercooler on the car then say its a crap turbo when they cant achieve the results? Who knows!

The thing is, as many have said, its a good few ££££ to go from mapped to hybrid, unless you're a die hard Fabia & diesel fan then there is better routes to get more power.

Just my 2p worth from my experience over the past 5 years or so, not having a dig at you Tom or anyone else.

I'm sure we've had a conversation like this before Matt, haha. Like I say, I'm more than happy at the minute with my 150 and that's not running full boost yet because I don't have an intercooler, should be close to 200bhp on the next map with intercooler then if ill be throwing money at it after that it will be a gtb turbo. I plan to keep the car a few more years untill I can insure a 4wd petrol turbo for a good price, said since I bought it I want more than 200bhp out of it before I get rid so let the challenge begin

Yeah I prob sound like a broken record 4wd petrol is in my sights too long term, lots of power lots of grip! 

Yeah I prob sound like a broken record 4wd petrol is in my sights too long term, lots of power lots of grip!

we'll do it together haha