Ken,

I admire your customers for sticking with a VW engine for their conversion
choice!

-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com]On Behalf
Of KENWILFY@aol.com
Sent: Friday, July 21, 2000 9:58 AM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Re: IMO: engine Converting = Ignorance of what is out there...

I think the most telling thing about whether the conversion option is a good
one or not is what VW itself did in South Africa.  Here in the US they were
basically hounded by problems with the waterboxer even to the point of folks
banning together and winning a class action law suit against them (see
vanagon.com for details) because of the poor design/high failure of the head
gaskets on this engine.
So when they started making Vanagons in SA (which on the whole is a much
harsher environment than the US) they ditched the boxer and started putting
in the in-line 4 and 5 cylinder engines.  So I really wouldn't get to upset
with people "descrating" their vans by only doing something that the VW
factory does now as stock (I think this is more like a retrofit), and what
VW
dealers in SA do to all the waterboxer Vanagons that come in with problems
(change the motor to an in-line 4).

Finally, I deal with Vanagons every day, and, sadly, almost every van I get
here needs some type of major repair (head gaskets, blown engine, etc).
Some
of this is caused by abuse, but most is simply the poor design of the engine
rearing it's ugly head.  I have a van here now with only 60k miles on the
original engine with head gaskets leaking so bad they are peeing all over
the
place just sitting there.  I have another van here that has only around 65k
miles that just blew it's second engine and now is awaiting a in-line 4
conversion.  I think it is sad to find perfectly good Vanagons in the junk
yard, and I really think that anyone, who, by whatever means, keeps this
from
happening, is doing a good thing.  They are preserving our Vans for the next
person to enjoy.

Sorry about the rant but it is Friday.

Thanks,
Ken Wilford
http://www.vanagain.com
John 3:16

New Phone (856)-327-4936
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