Entirely doable.
Best is to have a water-cooled donor vanagon .
that way you'll have the whole dash area- heater box with heater core, fan,
controls, etc.
and the radiator and it's fan and all that stuff...main coolant pipes etc.
It's better to cut a front lower grill opening in your van's body
too......etc..

lot of work, but people do it.
I have most that stuff, including entire donor unrusted van bodies with lots
of that stuff still in them.
located in southern Oregon.

if you don't mind the time and 'building the whole' thing ..
go for it. I would find it a very rewarding project myself.

really ...it's mostly nut and bolt work, not much fabrication.
I'd suggest an 83 or later, just for the radiator that's the common better
one ( better than the 82 DV metal radiator ) .
for main coolant pipes..
I like good used metal ones over used plastic ones,
and of course you can buy new stainless steel after market ones ..
though those can cost as much as an entire dead donor vanagon body/chassis.
If it's at all logistically practical for you,  I have several donor
vanagons to choose from.

Scott
www.turbovans.com
southern Oregon just off I-5
----- Original Message -----
From: "Joe Luther" <jluther@ALFONS-HAAR.US>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Saturday, February 05, 2011 5:35 AM
Subject: Silly question on AC vs WC Vanagons

> Since my Vanagon is air cooled, am I toast on eventually converting it to
> a
> water cooled engine such as an ABA 2.0 or a TDI?  Not that I would want to
> do this but the body and interior are so nice I would hate to give up on
> it
> if the 2.0 AC parts supply becomes an issue.
>
> TIA
>
> Joe