Date: Fri, 15 Jan 1999 19:42:35 EST
Reply-To: KENWILFY@AOL.COM
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: KENWILFY@AOL.COM
Subject: Re: Audi Shmaudi lets talk Volvo
Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII
<<Reliable they may be... but I know one of the reasons that people replace
the engines with the Audi is to increase the horsepower (since the engine is
shot you may as well.. :) The '78 244 Volvo I worked on had a B21 in it I
believe and was only rated at 99 hp if memory serves correct... the Audis
are just as reliable from what I can see and the lower hp unit (2.1) is 115
hp... the 2.3 is 130... if I had the choice I know which I'd pick...>>
Not to mention you would have to find someone to make an adapter plate,
flywheel, wiring harness, coolant hoses, probably raise the deck lid, engine
support, motor mounts, and ten other things that you probably haven't thought
of yet. I have.
Although my 5-cylinder kit has been criticized by some folks for being pricey
you have to consider what is going into it. The whole conversion has been
thought out and tested. For $2700 you get everything you need to put the
motor in but the motor.
I really don't think this is a high price when you consider the time and
effort that this is saving you. We test all the components (wiring harness,
etc) so that it will be right when you get it. No experimenting, necessary.
Engine conversions are not cheap anyway you slice them. If you get the bare
bones stuff and try to work the rest out your self you are going to spend alot
of time (my time is worth money how about yours), you are going to spend a
bunch of money getting the additional parts made that you need, and then you
are going to have an "experimental" van that you will have to keep close to
home while you get the bugs out (just letting the special parts you bought
gather dust in your garage because you figure out that you have bitten off
more than you can chew with this conversion).
To me, having a bolt-up installation with all the experimenting and headaches
taken out, is worth something. Don't fall for false economy.
However I am always trying to get new parts sources for our kit to make it
better and cheaper. Hopefully both of these will happen as we do more and
more conversions.
Thanks
Ken Wilford
www.VanAgain.com
John 3:16
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