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Date:         Mon, 10 Mar 2008 20:41:21 -0400
Reply-To:     Ken Wilford <kenwilfy@COMCAST.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Ken Wilford <kenwilfy@COMCAST.NET>
Subject:      Re: body work vs. mechanical work
Comments: To: Rob <becida@comcast.net>
In-Reply-To:  <47D5AE35.7060609@comcast.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed

Rob, I am glad you got such an awesome deal however I had heard that the early 90s Subarus had problems with head gaskets blowing so that they aren't what most folks like to use. I did a cursory search online for 2.5l engine out of a 99 Forrester. These look like they are going for between $2000-2500 for an engine with less than 100k miles. That is just the engine not the wiring harness, ECU, and other items you may need. If we plug the $2500 figure into your numbers then we are looking at around $4500 which is (I think) a little less than what most people who are doing this conversion with a later model, low mileage engine are spending. It is awesome that you got all of your donor parts for $185 but I don't think it is reasonable to expect other folks to be able to get this good of a deal, especially if they are looking at a newer engine (hey a 91 engine is the same age as my waterboxer, it has known head gasket issues, why am I doing this conversion again?) If you are doing a conversion with a newer engine (I think most folks would want to go this way) then it is going to cost more.

I am not anti-subaru conversion. I just think that people should expect a conversion to cost more than staying stock. If they go into the project with that expectation and then it costs less then that is sweet. But if they go into the project with the idea that they are going to be able to do the whole thing for less than $2500 I think that they are going to be disappointed.

Just my opinion. I can be wrong but again I would rather people go into a project estimating high and having extra money left over than going in with a dream and giving up in the middle because they are broke.

I have a little experience with engine conversions. 3- Tiicos, 1- 5 cylinder Audi, and 1- ABA Jetta engine with diesel parts and home made wiring harness. If I do a Subaru and a Zetec I will complete my collection :-)

Ken Wilford John 3:16 www.vanagain.com

Rob wrote: > At 3/10/2008 02:55 PM, Kenneth Wilford wrote: >> Andrew, >> I have never heard of anyone doing a conversion for less than just >> replacing the waterboxer with a rebuilt one. > > Here is what it cost to put a '91 Subaru 2.2 into my 1987 Vanagon > after the VW engine put a rod thru the case. This is from a post I > sent to the Subaruvanagon list after I was done. > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~` > $2109.87 was the total spent (near as I can tell) including shipping > and taxes. > > The header, mount, wiring guide, throttle kit, PS hose, Shiels thermo > housing, adapter/flywheel, was $1137.94 > > When you include a new radiator (my helper over torqued the bleed bolt > and cracked it), oil psi gauges, clutch & cat converter I spent > $500.42 at BusDepot. > These things were not necessarily part of the conversion, just things > that needed to be done. > > $164.08 at the Subaru dealer (on-line). This was a new timing belt and > assorted seals & o-rings. > > The donor ended up costing $185. > > I have $122.23 in misc receipts from assorted FLAPS & hardware stores > including the hoses & hardware. > > > > > > Rob > becida@comcast.net > >


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