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Date:         Tue, 17 Dec 2002 09:35:56 -0600
Reply-To:     Stan Wilder <wilden1@JUNO.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Stan Wilder <wilden1@JUNO.COM>
Subject:      Re: Mercedes 5cyl 300TD in vanagon?
Comments: To: thewestyman@MINDSPRING.COM
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

I love to see some spirited conversation on the list. The subject of engine conversions is always interesting to me. In my driving routines I normally drive 6 miles round trip to the Grocery, 10 miles round trip to visit my Brother, 20 mile round trip to get computer supplies and 260 miles round trip when I go camping, all total every year about 14,000 miles. An extra investment of $2000.00 / $4000.00 and an extra 10/15 mph on the highway just doesn't light my fire. Through luck or skill I managed to get 140,000 miles out of my last Air Cooled engine. I expect to do as well with my most recent engine. If I lived in an area with mountains or unlimited highway speed limits I'd still be driving my stock hardware. For those contemplating an engine conversion I say "Just Do It", its your van, your money and your time. Send us pictures when you're done and we'll all go "OOH! and AAH!" The motivation for engine conversions bewilders me. It is a fact that many responsible drivers of Vanagons get well over 150 K out of Waser Boxers and over 100K out of an Air Cooled engine. If you bought a second hand Vanagon (we all did) and the engine sucks (they all did) get yourself a quality rebuilt engine (most of us do) and in ten years when it dies install the latest hydrogen cell engine in it.

Stan Wilder 300,000 miles + on an 83 Air Cooled Westfalia

On Tue, 17 Dec 2002 09:41:29 -0800 Westyman <thewestyman@MINDSPRING.COM> writes: > Well, jeez, why are YOU here, if the bloody Toyota is such a FINE > machine? > Those famous words, 'It'll blow any *** away'. Get a clue, VW has > wee 1.9 > pumpduse that will do 300 lbs/ft AND 30 mpg in the van. Will the > Toyoda fit? > I doubt, much less, it isn't available in the USA. Not likely ever, > unless > US oil gluttons change their evil ways. > > Furthermore, why would anyone in the in their right mind WANT a > Toyoda > engine in a VW? They certainly don't have the reliability thing > sewed up, as > many might think. Talk to any Toyota technician (one of my best > friends is > one). My opinion. > > Karl > > > -----Original Message----- > >Righto! Why all the blather about higher and higher HP little > whizbang > >engines, when what a VANAGON needs is high TORQUE, at lower rpm's. > Think > >diesel, direct-injected diesels. VW has the best torque-monsters > going, > > Wrong. Toyota has a THREE-liter TDi four, and has made it since the > early 90s. From the Hiace van and Hilux Surf SSR. It'll blow any VW > TDi away big time. It'll also blow away any VW transmission... > Price > secondhand is generally equivalent to $1750-2250US. > > >VW is at least thinking of the future and renewable fuel. Gimme 150 > hp and > >250+ ft/lbs at 1900 rpm. Subaru, can you match that, while > achieving 50 mpg > >(compact car) or 30~35 mpg van? I think not. > > I still refuse to believe claims that ANY diesel van can do 30mpg, > and even more, that this is little US gallons! > > They are racing diesel cars against gas in Europe. BMW and Gold 2.0 > turbodiesels making 400hp... I wonder how reliable these are, and > what modifications they have. I guess they spin to 7000+rpm too. > Hmmm... maybe I should apply these tricks to my diesel Corolla! > -- > Andrew Grebneff > 165 Evans St, Dunedin 9001, New Zealand > <andrew.grebneff@stonebow.otago.ac.nz> > ell, Macintosh, VW/Toyota van nut > >

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