Date:         Sun, 15 Jul 2007 08:00:09 -0700
Reply-To:     Don Hanson <dhanson@GORGE.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Don Hanson <dhanson@GORGE.NET>
Subject:      Why convert..Subie engine..etc, etc. (from  Digest) Long.
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From a relative new comer to Vanagonisim:
   When I began researching the options in preparation for buying into a
Van,  I think I tried to be objective about my own priorities.  I have been
a 'car-camper' my whole life.  One of my first memories is summering with my
school teacher parents in the Sierras from the back of a '48 Ford Woodie
station wagon...I've had a very wide spectrum of vehicles (and combos) and
done extended camping trips in them all.  From a VW Beetle to a 36' Bounder
towing a Nissan p.u. with a boat on that..
  When the cost of diesel rose dramatically, I began looking for an
alternative to my 4x4 Powerstroke Ford with the Alaskan Camper.(.which is
still in the family to tow horse trailers to shows, dirt bikes, tool trailer
to the jobsite, etc..)  Using a large heavy camper truck to get around daily
simply became too expensive..When I began to spend over $100 to fill the
tanks, usually more than once per week..I decided I needed another less
consumptive vehicle for my 'main ride'.  I've done that with the Vanagon,
going from a very rough cost per mile estimate of..300 miles in the truck
for about a hundred bucks of fuel to 300 in the van for about $40..
   I tried a Beetle for a couple of months, but I needed more room, the
traditional VW ac boxer motor was not especially efficient at 21mpg,  and so
the Vanagon-idea came to me.  I began lurking on the list, checking the
Samba and Ebay, talking to owners of Vanagons, looking at the Yahoo
Subie/conversion list, etc etc.
    The first thing that became obvious from my reading was the waterboxer
motor had some issues.  Now I don't know this for a fact, having never owned
one, but as an "outsider" with a fresh slate and no emotional baggage for
any one particular type of motor-van combo..I concluded, from the
information I found, that the waterboxer motor was not the best choice,
given a choice.  Which I was..given the choice. I was looking to find
whatever I thought would do the best job for me.
    I first considered finding a Vanagon with a blown WBX motor and doing a
conversion myself.  There are plenty of those available...blown WBX vans.  I
decided I didn't want that much of a project. I started looking at/for
completed conversions
   Looking on the Samba and on Ebay, there were/are some ready done
conversions available, but quite overpriced, in my humble opinion, and
beyond my budget.  It seems that the Subie conversion is popular, but the
professionally done ones are expensive.  Those done by their owners, I
gather that unless everything goes just exactly right, the "convertors" end
up having a lot of time involved and hence they seem to want a bunch of
money.
   .The Zytec and the Tiicos looked pretty interesting, but again..their
owners place too much value on them for me.
  I occasionally saw inline 4 gas transplants listed and began checking on
some of them.  They seemed quite reasonable in cost though not very
plentiful and not so trendy as a Subie  power conversion..  The HP and gas
consumption figures I found looked ok, but there isn't much net discussion
of the combo..
  Then one came up on the Samba within a few hours of my place, so I went to
check it out and came home in it for ~$3000.  Nice chassis, good running
gear, good body, an empty passenger van..
  Exactly right for me.  If I ever blow the motor, I may go the Subie-route,
but the 1.8l VW inline 4 is very plentiful and widely available. I see them
at about $300 at wrecking yards and you don't have to mess with wiring
harness' and cross-pollinating between makes of ECUs and engine
diagnostics..
   The one I have in my 84 topless 'westy' it probably has about 130hp with
the mild aftermarket camshaft and the better exhaust system I have
installed.  It goes along ok, keeps up with the traffic and gets decent
mileage..23-25.5mpg.  Pretty easy to work on, too..lots of room in the
engine bay and most of the systems are still vanagon stuff.
  So, why convert?  If I owned a stock-motored van, the first time it blew a
headgasket it'd be a "no-brainer" for me...A 'modern' motor without known
design flaws for much less money and more dependability...?
  Don Hanson