You are talking apples and oranges here.  If you plan on going into
South America, you are better off with an older vehicle, no one down
there will fix your air bag if it goes off when you go into a pot hole,
nor will they be able to fix the ABS, A/C, fuel injection system,
electronic transmission, power anything, or much of anything at all.
Our new cars are very complicated with lots to go wrong and require
sophisticated mechanics to fix them.  Keep it in the good ole US of A
and buy an extended warranty for as long as you can get it!

If I were going to SA, I would put in a Subaru engine with a modified
oil pan (for ground clearance), or the 2.0 liter Golf/Jetta complete kit
from Tii Trading and be equipped to be my own mechanic.  (The Tii kit
includes a new engine that should be easily serviceable in a major city
anywhere in the world.) Your '85 in this configuration (and a rebuilt
tranny from AA Transaxle) would be an ideal vehicle for this type of
travel.

Have fun!

Scott Semyan wrote:
>
> I am the owner of an '85 Westie that I am happy with but
> as I approach a time when my wife and I will be doing some extended
> traveling in the van, I am concerned about the reliability of the engine and
> transmission. I would love to take the van to Alaska or even on the trip to
> South America but I can't imagine getting there without serious mechanical
> difficulties. The last thing I want is to be stranded on the highway
> somewhere.

--
Stuart MacMillan
Manager, Case Program
800-909-8244 ext. 8208
Fax: 206-269-6360

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