Date: Sat, 16 Feb 2013 14:23:11 -0800
Reply-To: Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Subject: Re: More on Westy Prices
In-Reply-To: <132576571.509043.1361032404258.JavaMail.root@sz0063a.westchester.pa.mail.comcast.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8; format=flowed
'It all depends'..
If that paint and bodywork is original and not rusted or dented or
bondo'd over ...that's worth something.
the term 'rebuilt engine' is often a very abused term. Some people will
slap a head gasket on an engine and paint the block and call it rebuilt.
here's real life case about a Vanagon I bought advertised as having a
rebuilt engine.
It was a nice red and whiterare US model Nine Passenger non-walkthrough
Vanagon. The only one I've ever seen or even heard of.
The seller did the engine work himself.
He told me the ECU was holding the injectors open full time ...which was
true.
I asked him if he put new rings in the engine ..he said 'yes.'
I drag it home..
first thing I find out when I go to fire it up ....it's got a broken off
thermostat cover screw ..so it's leaking coolant and it was installed
that way.
Then I get that 'nice leak' fixed and a good used ecu in it .......
It immediately puts coolant into the oil.
This is a 'rebuilt engine' too. Ha ha.
I get the heads off ..
I see the green o-rings on top of the cylinder barrels are ancient and
knew right there it didn't have new pistonrings in it.
Fortunately I didn't pay much for the van.
dang..here's anther 'rebuilt engine' story. This one is a 1.9 waterboxer
being sold by a VW parts store ..yup ..
friend of mine rebuilt it, I supplied all the parts. Normally he'd want
$ 1,800 for it but offered it to me for 1,500.
And 6 months warranty.
I ask..what if there is a problem after 5 months ? Bring it back to us
and we'll fix it.
I ask ..ok, does the 6 months start over then ..no.....you only get the
one more month.
( which is why time or miles warranties mean nothing to me ..it only
means that up until exactly 6 months they will 'sort of' help you get it
fixed. Usually relutantly and as cheap as they can get away with., )
I notice ..on this 'rebuilt engine'.....it has a 1.9 head on one side, a
2.1 head on the other side.. There is nothing to keep dirt or bugs or
whatever out of the cylinders as there are no plugs of any kind inthe
spark plug holes, and it's sitting outside.
Plus the rubber engine mounts were installed incorrectly
sothe engine had direct engine-to-bodycontact ....and several other things.
Still ....'hoping' it was pretty decent anyway I bought it. and put a
1.9 head on the one side that had the 2.1 head.
Due to other technical glitches in the van I put it in I couldn't get it
to run right ..
so I carefully split the cases to look inside..
It had pretty worn out camshaft lobes and cam followers. The crank
wasn't polished ..
but it did look like new main brgs, new rod brgs, maybe even a set of
rebuilt rods, and new rings on honed used barrels.
and this was a "Rebuilt Engine" from a 'real vw parts store' ..
it was really crap.
So without more real information 'rebuilt engine' can mean nothing
.......or maybe it is really a good new rebuilt from someone .That term
is used very loosely at times ..
and really bad work is not all that uncommon.
the seller probablyhas 4,500 into this Westy ..
I didn't notice total miles on the body. All the Westy's I am seeing
these days with say ..175,000 miles on them ..
they all usually need their transmissions rebuilt also.
I think $ 2,500 might beabout right ..if that body is as good as it
looks. Not over $ 2,995 .
Or if the guy has a receipt for some significant figure for the rebuilt
engine ....'mabye' ..and even then there is a significant risk ...unless
it's a Crhis Corkin rebuilt prehaps ..othewiseit's a gamble.
fwiw..... I put in an AVP 2.1 engine into an 85 vanagon as they are
not that far from me, and it's beenworking out just fine.
Please don't part out any Westy's or Syncro's or any decent 85and
later Vanagons unless they are just rusted or crashed to pieces. They
are not replaceble ..and there is no end in sight for their great
utility and viability.
scott
turbovans
9 vanagons ....7 of them for sale.
