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
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
>
>
|