Date: Tue, 11 Mar 2008 14:59:59 -0700
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: -Now Engine Conversion - doing your own soobie wire harness
In-Reply-To: <ccafde090803111440m2adc392cnc39d75f56b5a404d@mail.gmail.com>
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Right on.
It's all about leveraging ones time and money.
I just paid someone to set my new computer.
I knew I could do it, but that they could do it faster better, and be there
if I have any problems, so it was wiser for me to have them do it - so, as
you say, sometimes it's far more effecieint to pay someone who's expert at
what they do, than to do it yourself.
However, when 'work' or 'a task' like an engine conversion becomes ones
'art'...that they do for the sheer joy of doing a factory-neat, or better,
job - then that's a different deal.
As for not having something to do like if waiting for a part or a delivery-
that never happens to me. I have so many projects, and so many goals,
including goals not yet tackled...I've never been bored or stuck not being
able to do something due to waiting for someone else in my life.
Yep, would be nice to see one of Richards dedicated bell housings for Subaru
in a vanagon.
That's 'doing it right' for sure. Especially keeping the Subaru flywheel,
clutch and starter - that's proper engineering.
I don't think a really nice Subaru conversion is all that 'easy' ...there
might not be anything really difficult about them, but I find to get every
tiny bracket just perfect, and nothing mounted in front of something else,
and all standard fasteners, with good access to everything , and everything
routed cleaning, and nothing can rub on something else, and so forth....that
does take a while to get really nice.
I can spend an hour on just one custom bracket, but it's also very rewarding
art work to me to do it that way too.
Like how people can install a radio, oil pressure gauge or tach, and just
droop the wires wherever - I just can't get that. The only way I can stand
to do it is 'factory or better' . like race car standards. Like really
solid and ....yes..*easy to work on* .....i see lots of shortcuts regarding
that factor. Really, I see far more bogus work than elegant work,
And that's not to not give credit to some really excellent and elegant
well-done conversion work I've seen on the internet here and there. There is
some really great work happening for sure.
-----Original Message-----
From: BenT Syncro [mailto:syncro@gmail.com]
Sent: Tuesday, March 11, 2008 2:41 PM
To: Scott Daniel - Shazam
Cc: vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com
Subject: Re: -Now Engine Conversion - doing your own soobie wire harness
On 3/11/08, Scott Daniel - Shazam <scottdaniel@turbovans.com> wrote:
What I'm getting at is how can you say this ? :
You've seen one Subie
conversion, you've seen them all.
"Beam me up, Scotty."
It is what you say in Da Republik of Amurka, jest (yes, spelling nazis, that
was on purpose) an "expression". Of course, there are conversions which are
best described as engineering abortions. My 84 GL with the 2.2 EJT looks
fabulous on top. From the bottom is another story. Most Subie conversions
mount and fit the same way. Nothing exciting there anymore. My point is once
you've seen how well it fits, the rest is just fluff. They all pretty much
sort of install, right? Nevermind that so-and-so's wiring looks like a
refugee from the Spaghetti Factory or worse from Lucas, the Prince of
Darkness. Most of the Subie conversions I've seen are nice but the luster
has gone. Once you've seen one, you've seen them all. I would like to see
one of those ones with custom bellhousings such as he once vendor Richard
Jones is selling in the UK. I can;t say I've ever seen one of those
conversions.
My other point was it is not as easy to do the conversion as many who have
posted would suggest. Despite enjoying working on my cars, I know for a fact
that it is often less expensive to farm out the work. I value my time. I'm
sure most of us do. Time is money. That 309D was a good example. I would
have spent all that time just flying out to Oregano =) before even laying my
eyes on that Mini Bus. You on, the otherhand, could have gotten the thing
running before I could even clear airport security! I know what time is
worth. Whenever I work on a project I evaluate how long it would take me vs.
what it would cost to get someone else to do the work. Don't get me wrong,
there are times when my time is not as worth as much. For example, I have
sit around today to receive a very large high value shipment. I don't have
anything workwise which I can effectively do while waiting. However, my 88
Doka has a bad power window motor. I'm working on it now as you'll see in my
next posting. Unfortunately, I do not think I can ever find any enough of
these "special days". So no matter how much pleasure I might derived from
performing my own conversion, my time is too valuable during all those other
times to do the work myself.
Ya' see what I mean?
=)
BenT
