hi Andrew,
I had no idea so many engines were so failure prone.
Where I am most engines go a long, long time.

but........about the NZ is down on diesels thing.........
do tell. They have increased the registration fees on them, or ?
it's an environmental issue ?...........like diesels pollute more, and
that's why they want to discourage them ?

I did 'turbo diesel vanagon' for quite a few years.
then one thing lead to another and I found myself with a wonderful gas turbo
Volvo sedan .........
and ever since then...............I just enjoy the smoothness of gasoline
power, the easy starting, and the cheaper fuel.

I would suspect that even if the gumint does think diesel cars  pollute more
here in the US .............take California for example...........
diesel cars are such a small percentage of the total vehicle population that
they just don't worry about it, like it would cost them too much to deal
with a very tiny proportion of the cars, even if they are a pollution
problem.
yer thoughts ?
welcome to North America, btw.
Scott
turbovans
----- Original Message -----
From: "Andrew Grebneff" <goose1047@GMAIL.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Wednesday, September 10, 2008 8:51 PM
Subject: T3s & RHD Japs in Vancouver Island.. ramblings & rantings

>I was in Vancouver Island for the past 2 weeks, tootling around in a =
> metallic-red 2004 Toyota Sienna. Saw a lot of T3s, none with vanagon.com =
> stickers that I could see. Only 2 or 3 Syncros. All were either doing =
> decent speeds or parked; none appeared to be dead. Saw more on the =
> island than I did in 2 1/2 mnoths in Calgary.
>
> I didn't see any in wrecking yards (looking from the road as we went =
> by), and am still needing those 86+ front suspension parts...
>
> I'm not sure if I will be going back to Vancouver Island to collect =
> fossils & shells, but in case I do, anyone between Calgary and Port =
> Hardy who has front suspension parts for an 86-or-later van can either =
> e-mail me kgrebneff@shaw.ca or phone me at my sister's in Calgary 403- =
> 202-3755. Parts are about nonexistent in Clagary, apart from one wrecker
> who
> wants
> $200 per side..
>
> I saw quite a few used- Japanese-import 4WD Mitsubishi Delicas, no LWB
> 2WDs...
> and they were all 2.7 diesels... pity the poor slobs who buy 'em, as those
> =
> engines are grenades even without turbos... and these are all turbos!
>
> Saw only 2 Toyota Hiaces; one a Super Custom SWB AWD, the other a basic =
> white van. Infinitely superior to the Delica (and larger too), though =
> perhaps not as hard-core offroad... these 2nd-generation Delicas aren't =
> bad in the trackless wastes.
>
> And I saw what I thought I would never see in Canada... some twit had =
> imported a 1970s Bedford CF van-based cab-chassis with a camper body. I
> guess =
> these are close in design to the generic Frod/Generic Motors/Dudge boxes =
> over time, and about as flimsy.
>
> Saw lots of Mercedes Sprinter (with Dodge or Freightliner badges) =
> campers, one old VW LT cab-chassis with camper body, a T4 with camper =
> body and the usual masses of Generic American converted E250s and morons =
> in unstable underbraked pickups, which can't even get out of their own =
> way when empty, towing huge dual/triple-axle living trailers that must =
> be WAY over the pickups' rating and utterly unable to stop or swerve in =
> an emergency... not only that, but the trailer's coupling is above the =
> pickup bed, moving the rollover point of the trailer way up... just a =
> great combination to generate crashes. Super Duty, Powerstroke, HA!! The =
> housebussers have the idea... a stable vehicle which can tow a runabout =
> car (OR EVEN GARAGE ONE OR A PAIR OF BIKES IN THE BACK!). A Toyota =
> Coaster would make a really neat housebus... sufficient performance and =
> economy from its 4.2 SOHC turbodiesel six (otherwise found in =
> LandCruisers) and great looks... plus the driver has a normal door on =
> his right.
>
> Saw a few import RHD BJ90 and BJ100 Cruisers and a few BJ70 Cruiser =
> Prados (made before the Prado was made a full model in its own right), =
> Mitsubishi Outlanders, a Mitsubishi GTO coupe,=20
>
> BTW, anyone know what the FJ Cruiser is based on? Even with that =
> live-axle, it might still be a Camry, as is the Sienna.
>
> Anyone out there have a Toyota Kluger (US name Highlander)? DO NOT expect
> =
> the stability control to save you if you overcook it on a bend... the =
> Aussie ones are better-handling then the US ones (d'oh, just like every =
> other model)... and the tested car's EST did not function properly =
> (wrong settings) and the Kluger rolled big time. A US-market Highlander =
> would lose it far sooner under exactly the same conditions, with its =
> overly-soft suspension.
>
> Meathead pickups, "the bigger the better", yeah sure, to make up for the =
> owners' lack of size... these things are cheap and seen to be macho. =
> What they really are is overpowered underbraked crates with zero =
> handling ability... accidents waiting to haoppen.
>
> Toyota Tacoma... as far as I can see, the Hilux name has been dropped in =
> the US and replaced for marketing "reasons" with the name a. Looks =
> like the Tundra is a widebody Hilux. Toyota has experience =
> with making various models in narrow and wide variants... Estima, Dyna =
> cab-chassis, Camry, Hiace...
>
> Any news on the Subaru dieselboxer? These should be on the road by now. =
> I'd be interested in how reliable these turn out to be long-term, which =
> is VERY difficult to find out. And how well they perform. However, with =
> the NZ chief crime syndicate (gummint) trying to force diesels off the =
> road by boosting distillate fuel prices, increasing registration and =
> massively increasing milage costs (you have to buy "Road User Charges by =
> the kilometer), my diesel days may be in danger. Time maybe to buy an =
> upmarket 1997-2003 AE115 Toyota Carib (Corolla) 4WD wagon (1.6, 1.8 or =
> 2.0 liters) or a similar-year ordinary upmarket Corolla 4WD AE100-series =
> (available with 4A-GE 20-valve and 6-speed) and fit a V6 into it... see =
> if a Camry 3V_ZE will fit the car and the trans/clutch, and get a fresh =
> 3V-ZE to avoid the head-corrosion problems these engines are noted for, =
> which causes leaks into the main-bearings, causing crank failure... =
> sounds familiar??? Maybe a 3.5 from the current Camry (and its Aurion =
> and Lexus ES35 variants) or Estima, supercharged...
>
> ... and don't ask me why Outlook Express has inserted equal signs when I
> was
>
> about to copy the message into gmail to resend (messages rejected by the
> list
> as I initially sent them before my gmail subscription went through).
>
>
> --
> Andrew Grebneff
> Dunedin, New Zealand
> Fossil preparator
> Mollusc, Toyota & VW van nut
> Temporarily in Calgary, AB, Canada