Thanks, Dahn, very helpful info.� Couple more questions on the new engine...

1.� Did GoWesty do the remove/install work?� If so, how many days did that take?� Any major hiccups involved?� I live 250 miles away and would camp over while doing the job.
2.� Wondering "how" expensive...I imagine that the new engine was the major cost, but what other work was done at the same time?� Hoses?� Cooling system?� What were the costs for those kinds of things?� Approximate price breakdown for parts and labor?� Did you opt for transmission work (3-4 slider hub) at the same time?

I'm back and forth as to which way to go, Subie 2.2 or GoWesty 2.3.� For the same reasons as you mentioned, I'm leaning towards the 2.3.� California is really a bummer on the smog thing....very strict rules, not like the "rest" of the country at all.� I want to do this engine thing ONCE...don't want to keep revisiting the issue, always tweaking and messing around, that's my biggest concern with a Subie conversion, although the "modern" design and power are sure tempting.� 

Rich 
85 Vanagon
San Diego

--- On Fri, 2/19/10, dahn van <bootlvr@HOTMAIL.COM> wrote:

From: dahn van <bootlvr@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Hijacked thread..Your 2.3 GoWesty
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Date: Friday, February 19, 2010, 8:17 AM

We LOVE the 2.3.� It has about 14k on it now. Yes the conversion was expensive, but the price seems to worth it.� We don't want to be the fastest on the highway; vanagons just aren't designed for that; we can now easily keep up with traffic in the mountains and not be a danger.
Around town acceleration is great, fuel economy is about the same (the only downside), etc.
I would recommend watching Gowesty's newsletter as they occasionally have specials so you may be able to save a few hundred $$$ if you buy at the right time.
We chose the Gowesty upgrade rather than a rebuild of the 1.9 or trying to put in a subaru or tiico as the price seemd the same or more and we didn't want to have to deal with odd issues in the future by having a hy-brid drivetrain.
One other thing I wish... that we had been able to find a different engine-controlling system.� I would still like to upgrade the whole electronics/fuel management package with something current rather than 1985 technology.� This might give us better fuel economy and do away with the quirks of the digijet system.� I have posted and inquired as to whther or not anyone has or is looking into current engine management systems for their flat-four but have heard nothing, even from Gowesty.

Hope that helps, Dahn 
Date: Mon, 15 Feb 2010 18:05:11 -0800
From: rjkinpb@sbcglobal.net
Subject: Hijacked thread..Your 2.3 GoWesty
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM; bootlvr@HOTMAIL.COM

Not to hijack your thread, but every time I see a reference to a GoWesty 2.3 I need to ask:� How do you like it, and would you go that route again? 

Rich
85 Vanagon w/ 180,000 original engine....gonna need something in about 20K or so....
San Diego

--- On Mon, 2/15/10, dahn van <bootlvr@HOTMAIL.COM> wrote:

From: dahn van <bootlvr@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: Pop-top inside 'velvet' - anyone replace?
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Date: Monday, February 15, 2010, 5:37 PM

So... I have mildew marks on the gold 'velvet' that covers the inside of the Westy Poptop on my '85.� I've tried killing the mildew with Lysol which seemed to work pretty well but I can't get rid of
 the nasty-looking dark splotches.� I've tried fabric spray with bleach, spray carpet & upholstery cleaner, and simple green with a brush.� Nothing works... and I don't want to scrub too hard and rub off the 'velvet'.

Has anyone experimented with fabric paint, or gluing another layer of fabric over the old stuff?� 
I want to tackle this before or with the spring project of replacing the canvas.

Dahn
'Betty'� 85 2.3 Gowesty
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