Date: Thu, 17 Jan 2008 18:21:29 -0800
Reply-To: Scott Daniel - Shazam <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Scott Daniel - Shazam <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Subject: Re: New VW/Chrysler Minivan Update
In-Reply-To: <ac1f198b0801170814q7065b079m36d709aed6a6789a@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Hi Jim,
Is that what is was/is ? ...........bamboo pattern - I couldn't tell. OK.
Re 'my support' ..........you can call it that - I call it an
acknowledgement, but in this case, more than that a bit.
I don't think you really got what I was getting at.
I'm sure your Zetec conversions are 'very good' or 'quite good' and so
forth. I'm sure they're quite fine at least. There's even a material choice
for one component, if I have it right, I don't approve even. I'm sure
they're pretty great. I can tell you sure try to make them really good. I
don't even think inline for is 'it'...........but that's fine.
But that's not what I am acknowledging. - the conversion.
What I am 'giving an award to' is your APPROACH.........your macro
approach, if that's the right use of that word.
It appears to me that you thought......... take these subaru
conversions.........they're patched together really. Modifying the stock
harness. A header from this vendor, an adapter from that one ..........sure
one company sells pretty much of a kit, but there are several subaru engines
to choose from, no one does a harness from scratch, the ecu's are usually
stock................it's really 'a patch job' .......relatively hokey with
many variations and different people doing it different ways, and all
ADAPTED .....with mixed results too.
Ok, so you said - screw that. I want one standard engine that's modern,
rugged, super available, and cheap. Then, I'm going to make one production
kit that supports this engine really well ( not physically supports it - the
systems that support it, make it work ) . I'm going to be able to re-map the
ecu. I'm going to make the harness fresh just for the application, I'm going
to do it right, and I'm going to sort the whole thing out, productioinize
it, and when I sell you kit, there is nothing to figure out, hack, patch,
re-wire etc.
Like a manufactured 'system' ..
Nobody else does that. Thinking of various vanagon engine conversions
.......for example......I sure don't count this one company that's not a
subaru or a waterboxer. . If their kit works well fine, but the attitude of
the company..........good bye. I don't care if they make 350 hp and get 35
mph.........forget them. They are just bad news in my experience - one
small bad personal one. . And I hear occasionally the installations aren't
perfect etc - you think if your 'Wyoming thing' happened to one of these it
would get handled the way you did ? or there'd be a replacement engine in a
local junkyard ?........if anyone wants to tell me they're ok, I'm all ears,
but my one personal experience with the company was insulting and upsetting.
Plus ........it's NOT US sourced stuff etc. . Don't' want to slam anyone
really...........
But you are saying ..... I want it standard, I want it bullet proof, I want
a kit that is 'no hassle' , I want it tunable, I want an idiot proof simple
install, I want a very available inexpensive common, well made engine, I
want be able to have a turbo on it if desired, I want a real, and new
harness, Etc. etc. ......... a much bigger overall view.
An All New Dimension.
Not much patched or adapted, And ALL from one source/vendor.
I would know, I study vanagon engine conversions hard, I dare say. And
subaru conversions, by comparison. are patch work and adaptation of the
car's engine's systems. I do love them though.
Oh yeah..........when I finally DO see on - a Zetec .........it BETTER be
good ! !!............just playing, but if you put that much effort and
intention into a much more 'bigger view' approach, I hope there's not
something mounted so it's unreasonably hard to work on, for example. I
sure hope it's elegant, and well done.
That's the main point I wanted to make, about your 'much bigger picture' and
'very standard' approach. I've only heard of just this one engine so far,
the 2.0 inline focus Four. for example.
So people know where I am coming from, or my experience............I worked
on my tricycle before I went to kindergarten. I modified it even. I still
remember the one red square head bolt that held in the handle bars and fork.
I flipped them over, so it came out long and low. Yes- a tricycle conversion
! I worked on my bike forever, got my first car at 20, worked on that
forever. I have been working on cars almost steadily since 1964. I have
raced in Baja in the first off road race there in 1967, in my own
self-prepped 305 cubic inch V-8 six forward gears 56 Chevy sedan. I have
raced motorcycles - TT dirt track racing, I've raced cars a little. I've
worked on avionics and electrical systems on F-106 supersonic interceptors
in the air force, I've built racing motorcycles from the frame up, I've
worked on almost every kind of car there is. Heck I made a clock radio when
I was 12 by running a wire from an old fashioned wind up alarm clock to my
transistor radio.............my point is, I have worked on and built some
shit baby, for a long time and I'm just picky. I can not stand a washer on
the floor of my shop, or a cigarette butt on the ground within 500 feet of
it. So obviously, I 'think' I know how to do things pretty elegantly, and
made strongly etc. In aircraft and racing.....anything out of place,
anything that can vibrate, or not filter properly etc.......all of that can
bite you badly. ( and the stuff I see on some conversion work is a real
joke ) Take a Cessna - extremely 'pure' in design and layout. There is
nothing, but nothing on a small airplane that does not serve a real purpose.
And they are inspected and maintained impeccably. They don't use an extra
ounce of material for a part on an airplane, for example.
Anyway...........those are the standards I shoot for - just elegant, and
bullet proof...........
And I'm hoping...........expecting actually..............that your kit, the
whole system, and the Results are 'right there.' Shame that one guy has
his Zetec parked for the winter. He wrote me a note.
But mainly, I wanted to acknowledge your whole approach. Everyone else is
just dicking around in comparison, if I have an accurate impression of what
you are doing. Sorry to slam that one company , unnamed. ...........I really
believe in being kind and helpful to each other, all of use.
Scott
-----Original Message-----
From: jakiba@bostig.com [mailto:jakiba@bostig.com] On Behalf Of Jim Akiba
Sent: Thursday, January 17, 2008 8:14 AM
To: Scott Daniel - Shazam
Cc: vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com
Subject: Re: New VW/Chrysler Minivan Update
I appreciate the support Scott, I only ask you reserve judgment until
you see/drive one in person, even though your current conclusion is
positive for us. BTW what marks are you referring too on the pic?
The pattern in the woven bamboo maybe? ha
Jim
On 1/16/08, Scott Daniel - Shazam <scottdaniel@turbovans.com> wrote:
> It's cute, what are those marks all over it - Bostig logo's ?
>
> Jim, I want to know if you got what I said about you.......
> I said you were an Innovator,
> That you bring vanagon engine conversions to a whole new level, that you
are
> upping the game considerably,
> And that now that you've come along, and what you are doing ..........
> 'All Before is Now Obsolete.'
>
> I don't give high grades easily, and I've never said that before about
> anyone.
> Scott
> turbovans
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of
> Jim Akiba
> Sent: Wednesday, January 16, 2008 4:23 PM
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Subject: Re: New VW/Chrysler Minivan Update
>
> Or you can take a peek at my styling concept that I threw together
> after I read your posted link..
>
> http://www.bostig.com/files/VWrattan.jpg
>
>
> oh no wait... it's ROUTan.. whoops
>
> Jim Akiba
>
>
>
> On 1/16/08, Todd <dermultivan@hotmail.com> wrote:
> > The train-wreck that is the Chrysler/VW van steams every closer! Looks
> like we'll get a peak at the styling next month.
> >
> >
>
http://www.autoweek.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080116/FREE/883228565/1
> 528/newsletter01
> >
> > Todd
> > 91 Orly Weekender
> >
>
>
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