Date:         05 Dec 1995 09:46:09 EST
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         "Tom Forhan" <TFORHAN@hr.house.gov>
Subject:      Personal, private thoughts.

     I've been discussing this with a couple of listmembers,
     and thought I might as well let the whole (Vanagon) world
     know what I was thinking.

     The 87 Syncro arrives (DOA) tomorrow night or Thursday morning.
     Once I've got it, what am I gonna do?  It seems there are
     three possibilities.

     First plan: complete disassembly, a million baggies
     and a spreadsheet for inventory: 20 year parts supply, or rotating
     inventory for rebuilds.  The 87 has diff lock, I was thinking
     of installing it on the front diff of the Westie early on, so I would
     have front and rear diff locks, way cool. The engine, with a bit of
     welding on the case, might serve as the basis for building an Ottinger
     2.5, or something similar.

     Second plan. Keep it intact and use it for a transplant test bed. No
     need to do this unless the swap is something that hasn't been worked
     out yet, i.e. an Audi. That project is looking pretty
     complex, though, and the price of the multistage oil pump for the Audi
     dry sump is around two grand, the whole project would easily consume
     much more. Still cheaper than a 911, but if you put that kinda
     money in a wasserboxer, you might get the power and none of the
     conversion headaches. I realize some with more experience than I have
     with the wasserboxer will do anything to get rid of that engine.
     Anyway, upon completion of second plan, implement the first.

     Third plan.  From descriptions over the phone, maybe this bus is
     too pretty to part. The mechanic SAYS it has a good body and interior,
     new clutch that he put in not long ago, new tires, and that it drove
     fine. This plan would have me just get it back on the road, maybe
     rebuilding the engine in larger displacement format, then putting it
     in the Westie. Then put the Westie engine in the 87, and sell it. Put
     extra cash in the bank to buy syncro parts in the future. This is the
     least likely, I suppose, because a bird in the hand is worth two in
     the bush. I know I will have second thoughts about dismantling a rare
     vehicle, no matter what I paid for it.

     Of course, once I've actually seen it, the course of action
     may be more obvious. Your two cents welcomed.

     Tom F.
     90 Syncro Westie
     87 Syncro GL (already loaded on the trailer)
     90 Audi 200 TQW IA Stage I