Well... I am a long-time Vanagon owner, operator, mechanic and shop owner,
and I do not feel that the WBX'er motor is a liability at all.  If, like
most older VW engines, it is properly maintained it will give excellent,
reliable service.

I'm not saying that the many alternative engine choices out there are a
waste of time (and money), on the contrary, I find several of them to be an
excellent replacement for the WBX'er.  Personally, I prefer the diesel
conversions, but the others seem fine as well.

But... I do agree that $80K+ is insane for a syncro westy.  The syncro westy
is very trendy right now, not unlike many other VW's over the years.  And,
in my opinion, they will see the same highs and lows as all the other
collectible VW's.

Cheers,

Jeff

-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM]On Behalf
Of mordo
Sent: Sunday, March 18, 2007 1:47 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Fwd: Expensive Syncro Westie

I don't want to debate the value of the Syncro Westy and the obviously very
fine mods that Go Westy did. Put a DVD, sweet stereo, rebuild the 4X4 gear,
line it in rich Corinthian leather, make the AC cold enough to hang meat
inside, tie-dye the pop top canvas with Phil Lesh's sweat. It's all good and
worth every penny to the those that think it's worth every penny. All I'm
saying is, $82k friggin dollars and he still has a VW wbx four cylinder
engine. That's my salient point.

There are many serious Vanagoners on the list; many are experienced
mechanics. They would probably all agree that the OEM engine is a liability.
So, for my $82k, I want a bigger, better, more reliable engine with better
fuel economy. That's all I'm sayin. To the new owner of said Westy, "Bon
Voyage", I'm sure you're diggin it.

--
mordo
1990 Carat