Date: Fri, 22 Jun 2007 11:00:28 -0400
Reply-To: Karl Mullendore <groups@WESTYVENTURES.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Karl Mullendore <groups@WESTYVENTURES.COM>
Subject: Re: More Conversion motor rap.
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Your points are somewhat valid however you can't look at the search and
declare 'no this, no that, significant damage' etc. without calling the
folks. They may even lower the price a bit. I've rebuilt several 200K
engines, the metallurgy used in the TDI makes them last a good long
time, NO cylinder or crank wear: I only needed to replace bearings,
rings, and seals, that takes the $1000-1500 engine to $2000-2500. No,
there's no volume of these available, and mileage tends to be higher on
what's out there primarily due to the reason these cars are so
popular--great mileage and low maintenance for long-distance/commuter
drivers, and those owners tend to hang onto their cars for a long time.
Resale value is high enough on TDI cars that it's usually cost effective
to repair a crash victim rather than junk it, Subaru's are
different--lots of them everywhere, plenty get sent to the junkyard
because its economically better to buy another than fix that mildly
crashed one. Just because I choose to not gouge people for a conversion
based on it's low volume does not make it less 'legitimate'. Maybe I'm
too honest and pay myself too little and that's why I have more work
backlogged than I could do in six months. There are several others
scattered around the country doing TDI's, plenty of people are paying
whatever it takes obviously. But I'm not interested in a Big Business of
conversions, there are better ways to fill my life on this planet.
If volume and profit are what you want, then sure, go with the GM engine
package, anything has to be better than water/oil leakers, and that
looks like a far better option than the long-in-the-tooth SA option.
Karl
John Reddick wrote:
> Come on Karl. 20 engines? Yeah, I just did the search myself. You
> have 20 engines that have already been parted out. No acccessories, no
> computer, no turbo, no wiring harness. The average one had over 150k
> miles. Many had over 200k miles. Probably half had significant damage.
> You probably know TDI conversions better than anyone on this list.
> Take a 150k TDI block, build it up so someone is williing to pay your
> claimed 10k price. How much do you have in that engine now? Probably more
> than a brand new one. Can you still sell it for 10k? As a hobby maybe, but
> not as a legitimate business.
> We do 3 Subarus a month. We would like to do more. There are not 3
> TDI totals per month in the entire country to obtain engines from.
> I know you love your TD's. I love them to. It is just not a viable,
> high volume conversion as the engines are just not available. Nothing will
> change the numbers in the near, or foreseeable, future.
>
> John
> East Coast Vanagon
>
>
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