Get the Kennedy Kit for $500, buy a Jetta parts car with Digifant motor
complete for $200.
Sell the remaining Jetta parts for 3-$400.
Thats where I'm at now.  Probably got about 2-$300 invested in it.
Mig welded a motor carrier, $20 in scrap steel.
Got the exhaust from an old Volvo, cut the pipes and elbows to fit the
Vanagon.  Did I mention how much owning a MIG welder helps?

I'm not done yet, but all the parts are there waiting for me to get to it.
If you are a tighwad like me or Eric, you can get this done for less than a
grand.   Hell, I saw a Vanagon in the junkyard with KEP adapter and rabbit
motor ready to go.  Probably could of got everything for $200.
Even if you have to buy KEP new, still not bad.  The only thing that cost
the big bucks is the adapter kit.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Stan Wilder" <wilden1-1@SBCGLOBAL.NET>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Tuesday, April 06, 2004 3:04 PM
Subject: Re: State of the Art in Engine Swaps is....?

> That's really great!
> Please explain to the other 1400 list members how they can get the same
> deal.
>
> Stan
>
>   -----Original Message-----
>   From: vw4x4@fyi.net [mailto:vw4x4@fyi.net]
>   Sent: Tuesday, April 06, 2004 1:11 PM
>   To: Stan Wilder
>   Cc: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>   Subject: Re: State of the Art in Engine Swaps is....?
>
>
>   Stan...etal,
>        MY complete engine swap cost less than $1000.00.
>                                                   Eric
>
>   Stan Wilder wrote:
>
> If you're going to do an engine swap you need to love your Vanagon
somewhere
> between $3000.00 and $10,000 worth.
> The least expensive is a half life Subaru engine conversion that normally
> runs $3000.00 by the time it's completed.
> I don't know anything about Tiico conversions but I think the complete
setup
> can be $7500.00
> If you've got a 5000 pound + Westy you can consider that it weighs as much
> as a 2004 Full Sized Extended Cab 3/4 Ton Dodge Pickup truck with around
260
> HP.
> Your power isn't going to impress anybody but you.
>
> Stan Wilder
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com]On Behalf
> Of David Brodbeck
> Sent: Tuesday, April 06, 2004 12:26 PM
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Subject: Re: State of the Art in Engine Swaps is....?
>
>
> On Tue, 6 Apr 2004, tomdurkin wrote:
>
>   The Volvo B-230 is exactly what you say, and it can easily
> last 400,000 miles or more with routine maintainance.  I
> believe the other options mentioned in this thread cannot
> make that claim.  I would be very interested in more
> information about this conversion, I can see a intercooled
> B-230FT with 180 hp moving a Vanagon up hill very nicely.
>
> Unfortunately I don't have more information about it; I just know that
> Kennedy Engineering makes (or used to make?) an adapter plate.  You'd be
> on your own for engine mounts, but at least the Volvo mount system is
> pretty simple.  You could probably fab something up using carrier bars,
> similar to what a VW diesel Vanagon uses.  Exhaust shouldn't be too big a
> challenge, just bend some pipe to route from the Volvo manifold around to
> a single muffler in the rear, like the diesels use.  If you can make the
> muffler mounts part of the engine mounts, as VW did for the diesel, or
> mount them to the engine block, you avoid having to use any flex pipes.
>
> I have no idea if the engine would fit under the decklid.
>
> I think the sole advantage a B230 would have over a VW inline 4 is low end
> grunt.  It's the torquiest I-4 I've driven.  It reminds me a lot of a
> 4-cyl boxer engine that way.  When you're moving a heavy van, having a
> torque peak at relatively low RPM is important.
>
>
> David Brodbeck, N8SRE
> '82 Volkswagen Diesel Westfalia
> '86 Volvo 240DL wagon
>