Date: Sun, 24 Sep 2006 12:14:43 -0700
Reply-To: mad madeline <mac10wv@YAHOO.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: mad madeline <mac10wv@YAHOO.COM>
Subject: Re: New engine thoughts
In-Reply-To: <0c9401c6e008$521bc670$1919a8c0@cspfr>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
If I were at the point you are at...
I'd sketch out a 10 year plan. During the next 10 years how much will you pay out fixing the old van vs. purchasing an 89-91 van. What do you loose and what do you gain over the 10 years? How much value will be left in either case? Its an easier exercise to do with vanagons because we keep em cause they don't make em any more. If it were a sedan, the task is harder because the newer technolog is always so enticing! I would carefully consider putting money into a vehicle that has a lot of rust... it will always come back. For that reason alone I'd consider upgrading to a newer van that is rust free. But, other people don't mind the rust issue... its just my bias. But your van may only have some cosmetic rust... they all get some rust after all these years. Just my thoughts. Madeline
BJ Feddish <bfeddish@NETREACH.NET> wrote:
The engine in my 83.5 Westy is getting a little tired. It was rebuilt by a
drunken Hungarian 8 years and 70K miles ago*. I'm tossing lots of ideas
around. First, to keep this van I also need to fix the rust and get it
repainted. That's not out of the question. Here are some options:
Rebuilt 1.9 from Boston Bob?
Rebuilt 2.1 (is that better?)
Subaru engine?
Tiico engine?
911 Turbo (OK, just dreaming)
It seems that the 1.9 replacement would be the least expensive and
complicated. Would I be better of putting an 86 or later engine in for
easier parts availability? How about those that have the Subaru engine in
there? I really can't see spending $7000 on putting a used junkyard engine
in there. How about those Tiico's? They look pretty expensive and the parts
are hard to find. Are these alternatives really worth twice the price of a
rebuild? I've perused the archives and found lots of negatives about the
Tiico's. I've also found people that said they spent $7K on a Subaru swap
and regret it. I've also run into people that said they found a $300 Legacy
engine and put it in for $1200.
Maybe it's time to get an '89 or later that's clean or am I just swapping
old problems for new ones.
Thoughts, ideas, etc. Let me know what you have done and if you are happy
with your decision. You can just email me personally. I know this topic
get's beaten to death all the time but I'm quick with the delete key for
topics that don't interest me at the time. :)
Thanks,
Bryan
* My original VW mechanic was outstanding for years until he got old,
divorced, etc. and was drunk 100% of the time during his final years at the
shop. He was gone so often he used to let me bring the van in and use his
lift and his tools when he was out for the day. I'd be the only person there
and people would come into the shop and I'd be covered with grease and
they'd start telling me their car problems. Though I had the urge to
install a new Langstrom 7 inch Flux Capacitor muffler bearing for $500 I
ended up telling them I was not a real mechanic. But that's another story...
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