I have been following the new emerging thread about the Eurospec conversion 
and the "waterboxer-to-be or not-to-be" and am surprised at the level of 
problems reported. Particularly the recent hobby car statement. 

To qualify my comments, I have never owned a waterboxer and can only offer my 
sympathy. I had the misfortune (summer of 1988) to rent a vanagon in Germany 
for my family through National Car Rental in Frankfurt. We had planned a 
driving tour of Germany, Austria and Macedonia. Over three weeks, I went 
through three vanagons, each losing head gaskets. When I dumped the last one 
in Berlin, the mechanic pointed to six others in the back of the facility and 
told me that they were a disaster. He said they couldn't handle rental 
service. I didn't try to translate further. When these vehicles were running, 
I was unimpressed with the fuel efficiency compared to the Peugeot 
stationwagon I ended up with. 

I do own a 1982 VW Vanagon Westfalia Diesel delivered new in Weidenbr�ck, 
which I converted to power by a 1990 GTI 8V Digifant engine nearly 4 years 
ago. From what I understand this GTI installation is similar to the Eurospec 
system except for the fact that they used a Motronic engine control system. 
Since I engineered the installation largely myself, with significant help 
from Alistair Bell, I am "intimately" familiar with the details. Now to 
address the comments as per this thread:

1). Incurable electrical problems... NADA None. Didn't have any! Of course, I 
did spend several weeks intently reviewing the Vanagon and Golf/GTi/Jetta 
Bentleys to design a wiring scheme that became a harness. In fact the only 
problems I have had of an electrical nature are either self-inflicted from 
new gauge monitoring I implemented incorrectly (O2 sensor monitor), or from 
my reoccurring starter replacements. (Aside: I note a reoccurring fiction 
here that a solenoid addition will reduce or eliminate the starter problem. 
BS Been there, done that! I have replaced the starter 12 times in the past 17 
years. Went to the solenoid mod seven years ago. No statistically relevant 
change over a well maintained electrical system. Problem seems to be heat. I 
thought originally that this was a diesel curse. Nope. Frequency the same 
after gas conversion, and I still use diesel starters. I now have a heat 
blanket around the starter. BTW, I am using gauge 2 wire from battery to 
solenoid, starter, front fuse junction etc.)

This electrical problem can only be from poor implementation, but the 
situation is so straightforward that I can't understand how such a mistake is 
made. Or ... the Motronic system is more susceptible to gremlins. Unlikely. 
Should be much more robust as compared to Digifant.

2). Loud droning at 3900 rpm. Had this problem as I worked out the exhaust 
system. Part of the problem comes to mechanical vibration resonances from the 
coupling of the exhaust to the engine. Finally solved with thick rubber 
hangers which allowed considerable movement of the exhaust, but which also 
passively decouple the vibration from exhaust to engine. The final level of 
quietude was achieved when I coupled a muffler designed for a Dodge Durango 
to a 18 inch long resonator. Spookily quiet. Now you hear only the clatter of 
the loud (damn) lifter at startup. The intake roar from the p-flow air filter 
was quenched when I closed off the area behind the drivers side air plenum 
with 1/8 inch neoprene. (I mounted the air filter here and use a soft seal 
around the coupling of p-flow to AFM. The base of the neoprene is ducted to 
the rear so no pressure build-up occurs. This was done to ensure only cold 
air to the air intake.

3). Intermittent hesitation/rough idle. The only time I have encountered this 
was with a vacuum leak. The hose going to the vacuum buffer canister for my 
aftermarket speed control split. Too close to the muffler area. I reinstalled 
the heat shield and changed the hose to fuel injection rated hose. Problem 
gone.

To summarize, my Diesel to GTI conversion has been more trouble free than the 
original diesel. Maintenance, reliability, pleasure of driving all meet or 
drastically exceed my experience with the diesel, the vanagon wb and my 72 
Sundance high top loaf. Reliability and maintenance are on a par with my long 
gone but well loved '67 camper. The ability to push the Westfalia to 100 mph 
when necessary, to cruise at 80 mph, enjoy the Air Conditioner with a roughly 
500 mile cruising range (26 gallon fuel capacity including reserve tank), all 
add up to a very non hobby transportation experience. The car is routinely 
used as a daily driver and has been called upon to transport the family from 
SoCal to Canada, Mexico and the east coast. My major system reliability has 
been the starter (as I said) and the transmission (repaired once under 
warranty and 3 times after).

Frankly, the in-line four is such a nice package match I just can't 
understand why VW didn't provide it as the base engine. BTW, all this said, 
if the TDI had been available at current prices, I would have converted to 
that instead. 

Hopes this helps someone,

Frank Grunthaner