Date:         Thu, 29 May 2008 00:10:40 -0400
Reply-To:     Ian Allan <ian.allan@BMTS.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Ian Allan <ian.allan@BMTS.COM>
Subject:      Bostig Conversion Unabashed (long)
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=WINDOWS-1252; delsp=yes; format=flowed

I intend to post this on the Samba and the Vanagon List. If you watch  

both I apologize for the redundancy.

I recently completed a Bostig Zetec conversion of my 1985 Westfalia 4  

speed using their version 1 kit.

Today I took my Westy on a 300 mile round trip from my home in rural  
Ontario to Toronto and back. I used country roads, two and three lane  

highways, two expressways and the city streets in Toronto. The van  
was fantastic. It was quiet, nimble and handled all the different  
traffic requirements with lots of zip and power to spare. Fuel  
economy was 12 l/100km or just short of 24 miles per imperial gallon.  

The Zetec engine with its increase in power gives the Vanagon an  
entirely different personality and feel. Imagine thinking about  
passing that truck in front of you and then actually passing it on an  

upgrade!

Last fall I decided that I was going to repower my 85. I also have a  
94 Eurovan Westfalia 5 cyl., 5 speed but I just cannot get  
comfortable with that interior layout. The Eurovan is a strong runner  

with more than adequate highway power but it lacks the charm and  
spaciousness of the Vanagon. I wanted to end up with a Vanagon Westy  
that I could drive with confidence wherever I chose. Reliability (or  
perceived reliability), serviceability and improved highway  
performance were the main goals. I was willing to pay. I didn’t want  

to hotrod a rusty old camper, I wanted a solid, reliable machine. My  
wish list included the engine, transmission, cooling system (rad and  
tubes), half shafts and brakes.

I liked the idea of a Subaru boxer and at the same time was  
captivated by the Bostig package. In the end my decision was decided  
by the ease of communication with Bostig. I am sure that Hans at  
Vanaru and my countryman Ben (for whom I have great respect) offer a  
fine Subaru alternative but my connection with Jim Akiba and his  
quick and complete replies to my questions gave me the comfort level  
that I needed to take the plunge. BTW, to me the bottom line in this  
re-power debate was correctly expressed by Benoit earlier this year  
when he said the real issue is to modernize the great Vanagon design.  

And not to get stuck with the WBX architecture. Give the van  
something to work with, horsepower. Cheers Ben!

I was originally ready to buy a Bostig drop-in when Akiba suggested  
the kit. Jim told me that if you do the kit you will understand what  
you have. How right he was. In retrospect getting the engine and  
dressing it was maybe 30%-40% of the project. Installing the engine,  
the cooling and the wiring in the Vanagon is the majority of the  
work. BTW, when you bolt the kit into the Vanagon there are eight  
bolts to line up. The assembly went in perfectly, without even the  
use of a pry bar! You would have to do that installation stuff anyway  

in the event that you bought a drop-in. My 5000 km. salvage engine  
cost me $1100.00 c/w alternator, power steering pump, throttle body  
air box and AFM. I paid Bostig a little over $4000.00 for the kit. I  
live in Canada so there were some shipping costs and considerations  
and maybe the salvage engine costs are a little higher but that’s life.

In my case I also bought a rebuilt 4 speed from (Turbo) Daryl at AA  
Transaxle about $1100.00n I think, stainless cooling tubes from Terry  

K about $450.00 and a rad from Bus Depot (Terry’s favorite list  
vendor) for roughly $150.00. A couple of rebuilt half shafts will set  

me back maybe $275.00 for the pair and I think that the rear brake  
stuff will run around $100.00. So for less than $7500.00 I get a rust  

free Vanagon with a complete new drive train, good brakes and cooling  

system good for another twenty years. That is hard to beat!

You could do the performance enhancements for 5K, plus the drive  
train/cooling hardware/brakes for 7.5K and probably with a body job,  
new paint and tires for 10k.

The real deal with Bostig so far as I am concerned is the support.  
Brady and Jim answer every email and usually within a few hours. If  
you call Bostig the chances are Jim or Brady will answer the phone.  
Early on Jim said to me some of these guys (the conversion owners)  
don’t change their own oil! Ahem, ha ha ha I thought “when is the  

last time I changed my own oil?” I couldn’t get the date. In the end  
it was nice to revisit some old skills, to develop some new ones, to  
take some responsibility and to know that there is a whole community  
of support on the other end of this internet connection. One thing  
that I have learned so far about this VW community is that you don’t  

have spend a lot of time worrying about getting screwed. VW people  
don’t do that to each other.

Thanks Jim, thanks Brady. Your precision kit made my day.

And BTW the Bostig Vanagon was the hit of the Wiarton Cruise Night  
among the big Detroit iron. I think they liked the Ford insignia on  
the cam coverJ