Date:         Wed, 26 Mar 2008 19:14:54 -0800
Reply-To:     Don Hanson <dhanson@GORGE.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Don Hanson <dhanson@GORGE.NET>
Subject:      Was: Neil's Motor...now..More Neil's motor..sort of
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="Windows-1252"

 Not sure if this came over to the whole list after I posted to Neil,  but
here's some sources for all kinds of cool fabricating parts.  I built my own
racecar from a 90 Porsche 928 GT and had to find all kinds of weird items to
make that "dentist's wife's car" into a 575 rear wheel horse power monster
capable of trouncing Vipers, Vettes, Ferraris and Porsche factory built 996
Cup cars..

 Check out www.racerpartswholesale.com and also do a google for Pegasus
Racing as well as  look at www.cachassisworks.com   that one has all kinds
of stuff that the Subie and the Syncro-heads might find interesting.

  As far as the 50degree inline gas conversion being OK,....I have over
35,000 miles on mine in just a year and a half and it's been darn good to
me.  Some might say otherwise, but I'd guess the 1.8 liter  gas motor swap
could be done in maybe one day, if you had all the stuff at hand.  It's all
stuff that is readily available and cheap, the parts work together without
all kinds of re-programming or re-calibrating and you can get it all on the
Samba or from our Vanagon vendors.
    My local German Auto Wrecker in nearby Gresham, Oregon  has three little
1.8liter motors, all under $800 last time I looked.  I'm somewhat looking at
trying to find a 1.8 Turbo on Ebay or somewhere, just to have around to mess
with.  If my 'Rabbit' motor ('92 Cabriolet with Digifant injection) ever
poops out.....I have also found sources for aftermarket forced-induction
kits for the 1.8liter 8 and 16 valve motors that are pretty highly regarded
by the import tuner crowd...Around $3k, complete for those...That might
ballpark into similar HP to the Subi-gons that people speak so highly
of..Shoot, if you blow up a 1.8 liter, just go get another for a few hundred
bucks and stick it in in a few hours....about  as expensive as filling your
Diesel pickup with fuel 3or 4 times or your motor home twice!..
  Sure, my 1.8 liter is not gonna pass a Ferrari..but only the longest
steepest windiest grades bring me under about 60 and only if I have a load
aboard..It's probably a little quicker than a regular stock WBX and from
what I read, more dependable (so far)...
  Anyhow...if you need stuff for making modifications to your rig, check the
sources above.(not affiliated with any of them other than as a satisfied
customer a few years back)
  Don Hanson