Date: Wed, 19 Sep 2012 17:46:13 -0700
Reply-To: Stuart MacMillan <stuartmacm@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Stuart MacMillan <stuartmacm@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: How To Choose YOUR Engine Conversion
In-Reply-To: <505a220b.6457420a.3e90.6de6@mx.google.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
Good points! For me my time is my life, and I don't want to spend it
leaning over the engine compartment in my Vanagon. Life's too short to
spend messing with a complicated conversion.
Forums are for problems, and very useful. I think many folks have
unrealistic expectations (including overestimating their abilities) when
they tackle a conversion, and get so angry they become irrational when it
doesn't go as easily or cheaply as they expected.
I've spent 35 years trying to keep my VW van engines running ('68, '78, '84
and now an '85), and I really don't want to do that anymore.
I'm impressed with what the Bostig folks have done, but they are a
shoe-string operation, and I have to wonder how long they can keep going.
The good part of "shoestring" is they have low overhead, and that's what it
takes to survive, along with the passion and dedication they have. Check
out their shop tour video: http://tinyurl.com/72l7d2s You've gotta admire
what these guys have accomplished!
I hope I win the lottery while they are still around. In the meantime I'll
look for a used engine in better shape than mine. Probably one from someone
who is doing a conversion since I live about a mile from a professional
Bostig conversion shop!
Stuart
-----Original Message-----
From: Rob [mailto:vwrobb@gmail.com]
Sent: Wednesday, September 19, 2012 12:28 PM
To: Stuart MacMillan; vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Re: How To Choose YOUR Engine Conversion
If you don't like something you don't like it, I can understand that but
I've never understood the rest that goes on when someone dislikes a
conversion. It's almost religious.
One person is having a code 42 problem & that's prominent in a decision when
there are hundreds if not thousands of Subaru conversions done with help
from the list. Conversions where it just starts and drives .....
So many people forget that you generally go to a list with a problem.
It's rare that you stop to say you have 88,563 happy miles in 4 yrs on your
conversion, you did it with help from the list and it almost cost you less
than a rebuilt 2.1 would have from Bus Depot, almost.
(I just looked, $2300 from BD & my last conversion was just under $3k. I
ignored shipping & core charges).
The the only part that matters in this whole conversion talk is what YOU
feel. You look at what is out there, is it worth it to YOU to change it?
The stock VW motors were good enough for me for a lot of years in a lot of
buses. Today, this Subaru 2.2 is good enough for me. Maybe my next VW will
need an I-4 from a Jetta? I'll deal with that then.
It's just a car....
Rob
vwrobb@gmail.com
still in western WA state
At 9/19/2012 11:23 AM, Stuart MacMillan wrote:
>Follow the Subaruvanagon list for a couple of months if you want to
>talk yourself out of that conversion. Seems no one has solved the
>mysterious "code 42" problem, among hundreds of others. Forums are the
>blind leading the blind. For me, only a professional conversion with a
>Subie would make sense. Also $12 or more.
