I was going to comment that 4yrs is a long time to drive a 40HP almost
5000lb shoebox-shaped camper van....Even a Harley makes more power than
that.   I had the amazing experience of riding up a 3700' pass that we
often ride our bikes up...I had the amazing experience of a diesel westie,
totally stock with 3 bike riders inside, driving up that very pass and
being overtaken by my S.O. on her bicycle....
   The original diesel vans were very very underpowered...The gas inline is
the identical block to the diesel, castings are the same anyhow, so they
bolt right in pretty much..   That was a popular upgrade, to swap out the
diesel motor for a gas one.

On Mon, Sep 29, 2014 at 9:21 PM, walkingboss <walkingboss@communicomm.com>
wrote:

> Yes it was an early one, only had 91 K on the clock. Timing belt let go,
> and
> got it all block. head and all. The owner said he would not spend a dime
> fixing it, Him and his wife both hated it with a passion. (diesels had a
> lot
> of stigma in the U.S. at that time) Said you could outrun it on foot for
> the
> first 1/4 mile. He lived in Arkansas and said he would end up in first gear
> going up almost any hill, (notice I did not say mountain). Any way its
> still
> in the family (my Son) got 300 K on it now and they still go every summer.
> We use it for a test mule a lot, head lights, LED, interior roof mounted
> window unit AC, in the luggage area above the driver, cold air hose
> attached
> to the screen flap when parked. Us Louisiana boys gots to have dat AC!
>
> Howard
>
>
>  What's really amazing is that within 4 years new it already had an engine
>> transplant .
>> Must have been one of the earliest transplants out there .
>>
>