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Date:         Sun, 12 Jan 2014 09:53:43 -0600
Reply-To:     Tom Hargrave <thargrav@HIWAAY.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Tom Hargrave <thargrav@HIWAAY.NET>
Subject:      Re: Engine woes - what to do? Cars with more possiblities!
Comments: To: J Stewart <fonman4277@COMCAST.NET>
In-Reply-To:  <854592330.477376.1389539133504.JavaMail.root@sz0063a.westchester.pa.mail.comcast.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8"

I've owned 18 Mercedes and I have yet to buy one for status. But I've also owned 30+ other cars.

I started delivering pizzas in Mercedes over 20 years ago. It's the only used car I could find that would hold up to 50,000 miles / year at a reasonable cost per mile. My delivery cars usually had 150,000+ miles on the clock when I started driving them and nothing else I tried including Chevy, Ford, GM or Toyota would go the distance past 300,000 miles! But Mercedes would.

I have not delivered pizzas in over 10 years but this is THE reason I drive a Mercedes today. My E320 has 250,000 miles on the clock.

Thanks, Tom Hargrave www.kegkits.com www.stir-plate.com www.towercooler.com www.grow-sun.com www.raspberryproject.com

Did you try to call & I did not answer? I apologize but I never answer numbers I don’t recognize because I’m tired of sales people trying to sell me life insurance, health insurance, Obama insurance, merchant services, very expensive money and the latest, greatest “guaranteed to make millions” investment.

-----Original Message----- From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM] On Behalf Of J Stewart Sent: Sunday, January 12, 2014 9:06 AM To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM Subject: Re: Engine woes - what to do? Cars with more possiblities!

I'd have to disagree, the whole reason for having a Jag or a Mercedes is the status, to be seen driving one. I bet 90% of Jag owners couldn't care less what was under the hood. If you could have the style and the luxury and the status without the mechanical woes why wouldn't you? Think Vanagon with a Suby engine... Jeff Stewart ----- Original Message ----- > Yes, but note the resale value for a Jag with a chevy engine. > The whole reason for having a Jag or a Mercedes is the engine. > Removing that, kills the resale value. > Todd > On 12/25/2013 11:52 AM, Scott Daniel wrote: > > for example the popular Chevy V-8 in the Jaguar XJ6 Possibly > > hundreds of those have been done. Possibly more than that even. > > Very likely there are kits for that conversion. > > > > I've seen a Mercedes sedan ..the popular 300D body style from about > > 1984, with a .. > > A carbureted Chev V-8 and chevy auto trans dropped into. They guy > > nagged me to buy it even ..for $ 2,000 or so, well less than what he > > had into it. Had a large goofy wing on the trunk too. If I didn't > > already own 20 vehicles ........... > > > > > > I believe the 'small block' chevy V-8 engine, first introduced in > > 1955 > > with 265 cubic inches displacement.. > > and with variations and other versions with larger displacements, > > was produced into 2000's and may still yet be in production.. > > > > I think no basic engine design on earth has had so many examples > > produced.. > > in the 10's of millions of them. > > And that engine is generally the most common hot rod or conversion > > engine ever, certainly in North America, and around the world, GM of > > Australia for example. I'm sure they know that engine well ther. > > > > Merry ! > > Scott > > > > > > > > On 12/25/2013 11:40 AM, Dennis Haynes wrote: > >> Yes! Any car with a conventional front engine driving the rear > >> wheels via drive shaft and solid rear axle. On all of these use > >> most any engine-transmission assembly your wish and even change the > >> rear axle! > >> > >> Dennis > >> > >> -----Original Message----- > >> From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On > >> Behalf Of Jim Felder > >> Sent: Tuesday, December 24, 2013 3:08 PM > >> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM > >> Subject: Re: Engine woes - what to do? > >> > >> Does anyone know of a car that has more engine swap possibilities > >> than a Vanagon? > >> > >> Jim > >> > >> > >> On Tue, Dec 24, 2013 at 6:28 AM, Jack R <jack007@comcast.net> > >> wrote: > >> > >>> I know a couple volks who are very pleased with their Bostig > >>> conversion. > >>> http://www.bostig.com/ > >>> > >>> In my case, I came very close to putting in a 2.5l 5 cly TDI > >>> (owned the motor, and was ready to proceed), but the cost to beef > >>> up the trans due to the torque of a diesel among many other > >>> things, resulted in converting my > >>> 84 > >>> Wolfie to a 2.1L out of a 91 in tip top shape. Very pleased in > >>> all. > >>> As I use my Westie for a few weekends of Michigan Camping, and put > >>> about 5,000 miles on it a year, the ROI from the costly conversion > >>> to get more MPG or performance is not there for me. > >>> > >>> Each conversion is a unique decision, and Scott makes some valid > >>> points on your current situation. > >>> > >>> Good luck with whatever you do... I'll speak for everyone on this > >>> list, we ALL hate to see any Vanagon leave circulation!! > >>> > >>> Jack R. > >>> 84 Westy Wolfie with a 2.1L (owned since 87, and restored to > >>> original > >>> splendor) > >>> > >>> -----Original Message----- > >>> From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On > >>> Behalf Of Scott Daniel > >>> Sent: Tuesday, December 24, 2013 7:14 AM > >>> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM > >>> Subject: Re: Engine woes - what to do? > >>> > >>> I'll have to second this. Inline 4 gasser didn't pop into my mind > >>> as a solution out of the poster's current delema .. > >>> but yeah .. > >>> simple , cheap, durable, easily repalced, all VW , good fuel > >>> economy, decent power .. > >>> there is a lot to like in a VW-based I4 gasser conversion. > >>> > >>> ...if I ever find time to my to play with my 3 actually.... > >>> ..mutter > >>> mutter. > >>> > >>> > >>> On 12/23/2013 4:07 PM, Don Hanson wrote: > >>>> I'll chime in for the inline VW swap as probably the simplest and > >>>> most economical way to go. Like Jim, I really like the power, the > >>>> fuel economy and the overall simplicity of having a VW motor on > >>>> VW parts in my VW van. I did keep the Digifant 1.8 liter head and > >>>> all the wires do plug right in, pretty much. It bolts right in > >>>> using VW diesel parts that are available and proven...the diesel > >>>> VW engine is the same block as the gasser, so all the parts for > >>>> mounting it are factory stock. ABA blocks are also identical. My > >>>> motor cost me about $600 to build from a $300 Jetta ABA and I > >>>> sold off the extra parts to almost make a profit. > >>>> You can find almost unlimited inline VW motors for under $500 all > >>>> over everywhere. The only downside is there is no one source of > >>>> information on this particular swap, not that it needs a lot of > >>>> explaining. Inline parts are dirt cheap, they are simple to work > >>>> on and quite robust. I was a VW rookie when I got mine already > >>>> converted, but the fellow who did the conversion was a carpenter > >>>> and not a mechanic. I've since done a lot of swapping around and > >>>> messing with it, mainly to learn and because they are so cheap > >>>> and simple....They are easy to mess with....I never HAD to work > >>>> on mine much, but I chose to go to the ABA 2.0 liter block after > >>>> reading about it and finding one for $300...Took me 2 days, about > >>>> to swap all > >> the > >>>> stuff over and re-install it into my van. I have a spare motor > >>>> now, too...should I ever need one. > >>>> > >>>> On Mon, Dec 23, 2013 at 1:09 PM, Todd Last > >>>> <rubatoguy@comcast.net> > >>> wrote: > >>>>> After almost 230,00 miles my '88 Vanagon is displaying symptoms > >>>>> of a > >>> head > >>> leak - I have not yet confirmed this or done a recent compression > >>> test, but plan to do so. I have concluded that one of the worst > >>> things you can do to your van is not use it. Bad things happen > >>> when they > >> are left sitting! > >>>>> In any case I am looking at my options, and started out thinking > >>>>> about > >>> replacing the heads, then thought if I was going to do that, I > >>> might as well put in new piston rings too, and well, once you do > >>> that you might as well go a step farther and do an engine rebuild. > >>> Of course, once you get there, the question becomes, stock, > >>> modified (like > >>> GoWesty) or engine swap. In looking at these options, it looks > >>> like a cost of $5,000 or more. From what I have seen, Subaru > >>> conversions can reach over $10K. Yikes! > >>>>> I was wondering if I could get opinions on the best course of > >>>>> action in > >>> this situation, not wanting to spend tens of thousands of dollars. > >>> Would list memebers give me their 2 cents worth and if possible, > >>> what > >>> the aproximate costs for the various solutions range from? I'm not > >>> sure if it makes more sence to just install new heads and hope for > >>> the > >>> best, or go full bore and swap the engine. > >>>>> What does the voice of experience say? Anyone out there have > >>>>> opinions on > >>> the GoWesty performance engines vs. a Subaru transplant? > >>>>> Thanks, > >>>>> Todd > >>>>> '88 Westy > >>>>> > >

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