Date:         Fri, 15 Jan 1999 20:55:17 -0500
Reply-To:     vwmark@CONCENTRIC.NET
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Mark Upton <vwmark@CONCENTRIC.NET>
Subject:      Re: Audi Shmaudi lets talk Volvo
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

Not to be a wise guy ,nice speech Ken !Now where is my kit?
-----Original Message-----
From: KENWILFY@AOL.COM <KENWILFY@AOL.COM>
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Date: Friday, January 15, 1999 7:51 PM
Subject: Re: Audi Shmaudi lets talk Volvo


><<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
>