In a message dated 5/10/00 10:59:38 PM Mountain Daylight Time, Larry Hamm
writes:

> Rusty Johnson (that's me, by the way -- I'm following up my original post)
wrote:
>  >
>  > Instead of sourcing the mechanicals to Toyota, how about Fuji Heavy
>  > Industries (Subaru) instead?  That way you'd get a boxer engine -- SVX
> Flat-6
>  > maybe? -- and Syncro (sort of) automatically!
>
>  Rusty,
>  That's what I'm doing, but with the Legacy 2.2L and Syncro drive
>  train/suspension. The SVX engine is a bit hard to come by, pricey when
>  you find it, and would require some beefing of the drivetrain.
>  Larry
>

    If my van were water-cooled, I'd do that swap too (Legacy 2.2L), if given
the slightest excuse -- like needing an oil change <g>.  It would be simpler
to start over with a wasserboxer or diesel model, however.  Good point on the
SVX powerplant -- it would be a bit too strong for the transmission, and a
lot harder to fit into the engine bay.  I only mentioned it in the context of
a hypothetical powertrain to be designed expressly for the Vanagon by Subaru,
not a real-world replacement option.  It wouldn't surprise me if it's been
done, though.

Rusty J.
Ogden, UT
'80 Westy -- Slow Motion Fahrvergnugen...