Date:         Fri, 3 Sep 2004 00:10:13 -0400
Reply-To:     John Reddick <SVYOLO@YAHOO.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         John Reddick <SVYOLO@YAHOO.COM>
Subject:      Re: Subaru power in Pa.

I have an 87 2wd Westy that I bought with a blown engine 5 years
ago.  I put in a rebuilt 2.1 WBX and drove it about 80K miles.  Around the
USA a couple of times, the Arctic Ocean in Alaska, a little bit of
Mehico.  I loved every minute of it.
     My 4 speed tranny is getting pretty noisy.  I started looking into
engine conversions for the last year or so.  I figured if I was going to
rebuild the tranny, I might as well regear it for a different motor.
     After a lot of deliberation, I happened to find a low mileage Subaru
SVX motor and all the necessary goodies at a local junkyard (Gundies in
Bellingham WA).
     I prepped the motor with new seals and timing belt, bought conversion
parts from Smallcar performance and Kennedy Engineering, and went to work.
     I now have a couple of hundred miles on it.  I still need to clean up
the wiring and plumbing and make it neat and tidy - but I have seen the
light.
     I have no complaints about the WBX except for lack of power.  I had
minimal problems with mine.  All that being said, 230 + HP has completely
transformed my van.
     I used to love to drive my van on long trips.  Now I like to drive it
around town, or just get in it and drive it.  It really is that much fun.
     I still need to rebuild the tranny, but I am having so much fun
driving it around I can't bring myself to take it out of service for a
week.
     The SVX engines are available pretty cheap, are non-interference
engines, and are not much harder to install than the 2.2 subie.  It does
cost a bit more because you need a stronger clutch, and the headers and
mounts cost 100 bucks more each.  Other than that the cost is the same.
And you get another 100 horsepower.
      My van is not for sale.  Maybe ever.

      John
      87 Westy SVX