Here's what I did...

Sent the following to WetWesties because that is primarily a PNW
group and I live in the PNW:

Subject: 1.9 Wasserboxer

Does anyone have a not leaking one left over from a Subie swap? Jim's
Folly, the new to me '84 Adventurewagen, needs one badly. (They name
themselves....)

Jim

To which I received 2 promising replies.  One in Bandon, OR and one
in Couer d'Alene, ID.  One motor, the one in Bandon, belongs to a
Vanagon listmember and I had a feeling for its condition. (A good
feeling.) The other in Idaho I knew nothing about, but it was 500
miles closer. So... I made the deal for the Idaho motor. It was
described as follows:

>  I have one sitting around that needs to be
> employed. New heads, water pump, alternator.... ran good got tired of
> waiting for it to dye so I pulled it and put the suby in this winter.

Got ahold of a friend in Moscow, ID and arranged for him to receive
it.  He looked it over and accepted it.  The following w/e I drove
100 miles, picked it up and brought it home.  It was as described.
Installed it the following w/e and it's been running just fine. $300
motor.  New heads. More or less properly done. (I don't like RTV on
gaskets, but for the rubber head gaskets, I can make an exception.)
It was a deal and I was thrilled.

So....  ask on the list for a motor that's known good, pulled for an
upgrade. (Like what Benny's offering.)  Get it, pop it in and off you
go.  This is a fairly small community and it is unlikely that you're
going to be unpleasantly surprised. We're all here to help one
another.  If you were in my neighborhood, I'd be happy to show you
how to reseal the heads.  It's not difficult. 80k miles? That's
likely all that it needs.

Jim