Date: Fri, 15 Dec 2000 22:58:24 +1000
Reply-To: Simon Glen <simonglen@BIGPOND.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Simon Glen <simonglen@BIGPOND.COM>
Subject: Re: Subaru Transplant
Content-type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
Dear Steve,
I notice that you praise the Subaru flat four because it will "easily go
250,000 or more miles before you have to start thinking rebuild".
Let me quote to you the experience of one South African commercial operator
of a 1991 VW T3 "Volksiebus" (or "Vanagon" to Americans) with 2.1 litre
Wasserboxer motor with Digifant injection (the same MV series engine used
for US market Vanagons):
"The Volksiebus, purchased by Harrows Import and Export in 1991, traverses
almost daily from Johannesburg to Francistown in Botswana and back and has
clocked up an incredible 883,850 kilometres [552,406 miles]. Despite towing
a trailer and carrying loads of up to 3 tonnes, it has never broken down and
still has the same engine. In fact, the only thing Harrows have just had to
replace is the clutch. ... Walter, the Harrows driver who has clocked up
most of those kilometres, says that because he treats his 'baby' well, it
treats him well." - Johannesburg 'Rand Daily Mail' October 1997.
The distance by road between Johannesburg in South Africa and Francistown in
the neighbouring country Botswana is approximately 480 miles, over 100 miles
of which is unsealed corrugated gravel road. Moreover, Johannesburg is
5,000 feet above sea level and Francistown is on the edge of the Kalahari
Desert.
This newspaper report was in 1997 and I do not know how many more miles this
VW Wasserboxer motor has done since but it does show that not all these
engines are "19th Century Wasserleakers" ! And, high mileages from VW
Wasserboxer engines are not uncommon.
Simon Glen, Toowoomba, Australia.
1969 VW 411 four-door sedan and 1992 VW T3 Transporter Syncro panel van.
----------
>From: "Steven L. Goldstein" <dgsggold@GTE.NET>
>To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>Subject: Subaru Transplant
>Date: Fri, 15 Dec 2000 5:43 PM
>
> Well, got our '90 Carat back the other day with a brand new Heart
> Transplant. A Subaru Legacy 2.2 135hp Heart. This Wolfsburg Carat, we
> bought new in 1990, never really lived. Now she's alive! What a match made
> in heaven. The German Vanagon design matched with the superior Japanese
> engineering. No more 19th Century Wasserleaker! I was very lucky to find
> an installer who did his own Westy conversion and is into perfection as
> part of his personality. Anyone who owns a wornout Vanagon and is
> considering a Transplant, I highly recommend the Suby Legacy '90-95 2.2
> engine transplant. These engines easily go 250,000 or more miles before you
> have to start thinking rebuild. I just met a Legacy owner who has 344,000
> miles on his Outback. I'm telling you guys, looking at this engine in her
> new home, looks like from the factory. That Suby engine with the automatic
> tranny is a dream to drive. You can barely feel the tranny shift. If you
> live in Southern California I will be glad to turn you on to my installer.
> He is an Electrical Engineer by trade, but he loves his hobby. He's
> very reasonable and into doing things right the first time! Steve
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