On Sat, Jan 2, 2010 at 7:33 AM, Ken Wyatt <57skibum@gmail.com> wrote:

> A friend of mine here is Salt Lake City has a tree UN-damaged, �semi-moss
> covered 82 westfalia camper that has a bad oil leak.
....

>.....�It would be a good project van for the right
> person. Its an 81 or 82 aircooled and is white. �He also isn't trying hard
> to sell it but at this point I'd bet he'd take between $500 and $1000 but I
> haven't asked him how much exactly. � I can provide his number if anyone is
> interested. �Contact me off list and I'll work my channels.
>
> I thought about buying it to fix up but first need to get mine back on the
> road as my engine sits in a trailer awaiting money and a decision on who
> to pay the money to. � Mine needs work or a rebuild as #2 and #3 cylinders
> are running 90 PSI compression and #1 and #4 are 120 .
>

.....

> I'd really like to go big and change it out completely to a reliable subie
> or Bostig Vetec but that seems ominous to do to an aircooled system. �Anyone
> ever install a complete water cooled system into an air cooled vanagon?
> Thoughts???

I changed my '81 air cooled to water cooled.

It isn't rocket science. But. The even just the cost of the needed
parts may change your mind. A new VW front heater core is NLA. There
are new "one off" units available, but with all due respect to those
providing these, they are not inexpensive. Yes you could go with used
parts but why? So new rad, heater core, long pipes (unless you get
lucky and find good used like I did   ;) and you've now easily
exceeded the purchase price of mossy/white Westy.    :)   OTOH, the
good news is that doing this swap provides one with a near new cooling
system. This is a great feeling! Oh yah and. Pretty sure this would be
limited to the '80 MY, but the early air cooled had a heater box
(under dash) that *very* likely won't accept a heater core. So you'd
be looking at installing a used WBX heater box. (in hindsight I would
have gone this route instead of altering my '81 box)

Unless it's a rust free vehicle, or is free and was otherwise well
maintained, IMO, it's not worth swapping over to water cooled. In my
case, I was already into my Westy for $ in new parts behind the dash,
so going the extra yard swapping over was worth it. Especially since
the big costs for cooling system parts only ended up being heater core
+ rad @ ~ $500 Cnd.

Neil.

-- 
Neil Nicholson '81 VanaJetta 2.0 "Jaco"

http://tubaneil.googlepages.com/

http://groups.google.com/group/vanagons-with-vw-inline-4-cylinder-gas-engines