Thanks to everyone for their responses.

There were some great suggestions in there - I'll definitely use the
down time to have my injectors rebuilt. The PO had a new ECU put in
within the last 5 years, so I hopefully will be OK on that one.

Not that I don't appreciate everyone's responses, but I specifically
listed the reasons in my original post why I want to stay with the
waterboxer. I looked into it, and the only restriction for collectors
plates up here, and their dirt cheap insurance is that I can never drive
it to work. No biggie, as our Westy is a holiday machine, and the entire
purpose of us owning is it is to take us away from work. I'll only be
denied a claim if I'm in an accident if I'm on my way to or from work.
I'm sure that I'd be quite happy with a TDI (as my mechanic wants me to
get) or a Zetec, or Subie, but I want to stay with a stock (ish) WBX. I
lucked into this machine that even had the stock radio when I bought it
this summer, and I'm so close to getting collector plates, that I don't
want to stray from stock now.

Back to an original question - does anyone have experience (good, bad,
or indifferent) with ceramic coated heads?

And to Ken - is your 2.2l P&L kit the exact same as GW's? I get that
they're both 96mm pistons, but I've read concerns that GW's pistons are
the only ones with the wrist pins (?) in the right place, and that
others are off by a mm or two, lowering the CR. I don't want to get a
larger piston at a great price if it drops my compression - will your
pistons give me the stock (or better) CR?

Thanks again!

Greg
87 Westy Syncro 'Bastian'
Now with a working fridge!