Date:         Sat, 4 Dec 2004 09:45:15 -0500
Reply-To:     Dennis Haynes <dhaynes@OPTONLINE.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Dennis Haynes <dhaynes@OPTONLINE.NET>
Subject:      Re: Fox engine in Vanagon
Comments: To: Oxroad@AOL.COM
In-Reply-To:  <dd.1b0fd1f7.2ee2ec97@aol.com>
Content-type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

The Fox is actually a great little cheap to keep car. I have an '88 I
picked up off an older woman with only 14,470 miles on it last spring.
It now has almost 25,000. This engine will probably go over 200K with
ease in this application. The Fox engine is a bit torquey at low RPM but
it is worthless near 4,000 RPM and beyond. This is due mostly to the
restricted exhaust, unique cam, and small air plate in the fuel
distributor. I think this engine is a poor choice for the Vanagon unless
you at least make some gearing changes.

Since you will still need adapters, mounts, exhaust etc., I suggest
selling the car for as much as possible and using that money towards the
engine kit of your choice.

Dennis

-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf
Of Jeff Oxroad
Sent: Saturday, December 04, 2004 5:34 AM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Fox engine in Vanagon

I've got my little 93 VW Fox with the 1.8L in-line four cylinder with
80K.
(It's a CA emissions Fox for the record.)

I just looked up the blue book of the Fox in excellent condition and it
lists
for, I think $1200, maybe $1500 retail. (I kind of blocked out the
number
because it was so painfully low.)

The engine runs great, although has idled a little rough for my taste
(vibration) since I got the Fox at 50K three years ago. So I'm thinking
when I'm
ready to upgrade the Fox in about 6 months for another daily driver what
about
swapping the Fox engine into my Vanagon.

Is the Fox engine markedly different than the Jetta engine. I think
they're
both 1.8 liter (?) If they're different any ideas why I wouldn't want
the Fox
engine?

Sure I'd like to put a Subaru engine in there, but you see the Fox swap
would
be cheaper, save me the hassle of selling the Fox and the sadness of
collecting a mere $1500 for it, if that. Truth is most of the Fox
components don't
seem to want to go much beyond 100K. And maybe the engine feels the same
way-so
not worth swapping.

Seems I read Ben T has a Fox engine in a bus--maybe (?)

I'm just kicking around the idea at this point, but any comments
welcome.


Best,
Jeff
83.5 Westfalia
LA,CA