What does this kit cost?

Helen & Joe Fahy
'87 Westy

----- Original Message -----
From: "Karl M" <thewestyman@MINDSPRING.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Friday, August 16, 2002 2:00 PM
Subject: First South African 2.6 engine conversion done!

>
> Folks, I had the opportunity to complete the very first South African 2.6
> litre five-cylinder conversion available in a customer's '85 Westy, the
> beast is just plain awesome to drive! This kit consists of all brand-new
> parts, basically the exact drivetrain fitted to the vans sold in South
> Africa. The engine management system in Bosch Motronic, an amazing simple
> and smooth operating system. Included is basically everything needed for
the
> conversion, minus a few clamps and bolts here and there. Complete exhaust
> system, all supports and brackets, engine including alternator and AC
> compressor (R-134 type!), wiring and ECU, airbox, clutch, flywheel,
starter,
> etc. The kit is available with or without a brand-new 5-speed
transmission,
> of course with Syncro you would reuse your existing transmission anyway.
It
> also comes with a raised deck panel for engine clearance, HOWEVER I
managed
> to get the engine under the existing lid with minor lowering of the engine
> mountings, so that no cutting of the Westy cabinets or sheetmetal was
> required. I also exchanged the engine lid for one from an early Vanagon,
the
> metal type, which was trimmed a few places underneath and bubbled for an
> extra inch of clearance over the intake manifold and distributor areas.
This
> allows reuse of the stock Westy bed cushion with no changes. The ground
> clearance is still very close to what the waterboxer had. I also added
> Syncro rear springs to handle the slight increase in weight, the rear of
the
> van is now about 3/4 higher than the front, unloaded.
>
> If you've read this far, you might wonder how it performs. Well, let me
tell
> you, I have never driven a Vanagon with this much power and torque. It
zips
> up to cruising speed effortlessly and smoothly, without a surge or
stumble.
> If the need arises to pass on the highway, just push down on the throttle
> and away you go. People look at the you, wondering how on earth a VW van
> could go so fast. I tested it out on a few local hills that I go over
> regularly with my 1.9 TD Syncro Westy, where I always have to shift to
third
> to maintain 40~45 mph (waterboxers even less that I have tested here) the
> 2.6 pulls at 55 in fifth. I am totally impressed with the available torque
> and overall smoothness of the engine. The Tiico pales in comparison in
every
> respect. Upfront cost is a bit more (remember, it does include all fuel
> system components, exhaust, alternator and AC compressor), but the
> conversion is hardly more difficult to assemble than the Tiico.
>
> I have a zip file of photos that I can send if interested, at some point I
> may put them up on a website. There will be a few more kits available for
> shipping soon. Let me know if you have interest in one. I can provide tech
> support should you decide to install the kit yourself. Thanks for reading!
>
> Karl Mullendore
> Westy Ventures
> Gapland, MD 21779
> 301.432.4645 office
> 828.712.5598 mobile office

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