Date:         Wed, 29 Dec 1999 20:15:05 -0800
Reply-To:     "J.Fleming" <jflemin1@TAMPABAY.RR.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         "J.Fleming" <jflemin1@TAMPABAY.RR.COM>
Subject:      Re: Idaho Vanaru?
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

To each their own, I say.  But the fact is in almost 5000 miles and two
years, my Subaru engine has only seen a shop once.  A mechanic was happy to
replace the timing belt as a precautionary measure (I thought it may have
gotten contaminated when it was in the boneyard).  He was impressed by the
professional nature of the job.  I also had a Subaru mechanic put a code
reader on the engine for $10.00 when I first got it going.  No problem there
either.

And after all not seeing a mechanic is the point.  My 1.9 made regular
visits to the mechanic along with tempermental tampering with surging idle
switches, O2 sensor faults, special harness upgrades, etc. & etc.  I can't
say I completely miss knowing every little square inch while spending hours
under the rear of my Westy, but I found plenty of other things to do, like
actually camping and travelling with it.

The only time my Westy will see a VW mechanic is for non-engine items that I
don't have time for.

I understand us being overly concerned with mechanics and being prepared for
the inevitable as evidenced by traveling mechanic lists, friends on the
road, and nifty tools to monitor every single signal coming into and out of
the ECU.  However, the fact is I am now free of that aspect of Vanagon
ownership.

John Fleming
85 Westaru  180K

----- Original Message -----
 From: Brent Christensen <bpchristensen1@HOME.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Wednesday, December 29, 1999 7:57 AM
Subject: Re: Idaho Vanaru?


> Not to start a contentious thread, but I have to throw my opinion into the
> ring...  (That's part of what the list is for, right?)
>
> With all due respect to the list members that have done the Subaru
> conversion, I can't imagine the Subaru transplant to be the *best*
> alternative.  The way I see it, it is hard enough finding a shop that
knows
> how to properly care for a Vanagon - why complicate things by installing
an
> engine & fuel management system that your Vanagon shop is almost
guaranteed
> to know little about.  Intuitively, the 5 cyl Audi or GTi conversions seem
> to make a lot more sense (or even a TDI).
>
> I have no authority to make this statement, other than intuition and
> opinion, but in a couple years when Klaus is ready for his third engine, I
> am pretty confident it will be a 5-cyl Audi (or VR-6!)  :-)
>
> Brent Christensen
> '89 GL Syncro Westy "Klaus"
> Santa Barbara, CA
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM]On Behalf
> Of Ron Bloomquist
> Sent: Wednesday, December 29, 1999 7:17 AM
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Subject: Idaho Vanaru?
>
>
> Hi all,
>
> Is there anyone on this list, living in Idaho, who has done the
> Vanagon/Subaru
> conversion?  I have a friend in Idaho on the verge of doing one who would
> like to see an example.
>
> P-mail me.
>
> Thanks,
> Ron Bloomquist
> ROADCOW
> VANARU
>