Date:         Wed, 26 May 1999 11:28:55 EDT
Reply-To:     KENWILFY@AOL.COM
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         KENWILFY@AOL.COM
Subject:      5-cylinder conversion policy (Van-Again and Vanagon Projekt)
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

Detlev and I have talked it over extensively and have come to a decision
about a policy that we will both follow.  If you buy a 5-cylinder conversion
kit from us you get full customer support, and basically a person you can
call for tips and hints on installing the 5-cylinder into your Vanagon.

If you buy some 5-cylinder conversion pieces from someone else and then want
to buy the rest from us we will not sell you the rest of the kit only a
complete kit.  That way we know what you are getting and can be assured that
there will be no problems.  If you start the conversion (using pieces bought
from someone else) and suddenly realize that it is much more involved than
you first thought (which it is) and call us for help, I am sorry but we will
not help you.

I think this is only fair as Detlev has spent alot of time and money
researching this kit and testing it and installing it, etc and I have spent
alot of time advertising the kit and speaking with shops who are getting
setup to do the installations for us.  We will not do customer support for
someone else.

Finally it all comes down to what I would call false economy.  Yes you can
buy a couple of pieces here and there for a good price but then you wind up
spending countless hours trying to get them to fit together properly, make
your own wiring harness, coolant system, fuel injection setup, etc.  And by
the time you realize that the "cheap" way is the "expensive" way it is too
late.  You have already bought the stuff and you are stuck with either
sinking all of your valuable time and more money into this project (my time
is too valuable for this what about yours?) or giving up and trying to find
someone else to buy the conversion pieces off of you at a loss.  And if you
completed the conversion then what would you have?  A test vehicle that you
would spend the next couple of years working all the bugs out of.

Our 5-cylinder kit is tested, complete, and basically takes all the work out
of the conversion for you.  When you get done you get a reliable vehicle,
with a powerful engine, and a stock looking installation.  And you don't have
to sink in alot of your time, or you can get a good local mech to do the
install for you.
Also our kit with a modified engine carrier fits the motor under the rear
deck lid (no problems with the rear bed) and works on syncros.  If you went
with the stock engine carrier you would have to raise the rear deck height
and it will not work on syncros.  This makes the stock setup a poor choice
for syncros or campers (or both) which we have found 90% of our customers to
be.

Just wanted to let folks know what the scoop was before they got sucked into
buying something that they really can't use/don't want anyway.
Thanks for the time and if you have any more questions on our 5-cylinder
conversion or want to test drive one please p-mail me.
Thanks
Ken Wilford
Van-Again
John 3:16