Date:         Wed, 10 Apr 1996 19:08:11 -0400
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         Matt Goike <goikem@state.mi.us>
Subject:      81 rebuild - serious help needed

i'm in serious need of some perspective here, i'll be as brief as possible. 
just got word from trusted mechanic that my heads are shot (dropped
seats).  case good, crankshaft ok.  he recommends a factory rebuilt,
$1889 from ATK (12/12 warranty) in california, but hasn't dealt with them
for some years.  so my options are:

1) buy longblock, factory rebuilt (with warranty) based on feedback from
the list (don't worry david, no GEX)
2) rebuild mine, new heads 
3) rebuild mine, with heads in unknown condition from my brother's
engine (rebuilt by same mechanic 30,000 miles ago) now sitting in garage
far away ($200 shipping for the motor, bro unwilling to disassemble) 
4) ship and install brother's motor as is, hope for the best

so my questions are:
1) which is the recommended approach?
2) any other ideas?
3) (most important) if longblock is recommended, what is a good source?
any experience with ATK?

my current perspective: whatever i do, i'm going to be spending a load of
$$$ i have borrowed against the vehicle, so i'd like a long-lasting solution.
based on this alone, a longblock seems like a logical choice if i can find a
good, warranteed one.  mechanic said this way the crankshaft is turned,
which he wouldn't be doing on a standard rebuild.  if at all possible, i
need to be on the road by the beginning of may.

with much gratitude for any help, matthew (81 adventurewagen)