Am I way off the mark on GoWesty?
Okay, I'm way off the mark.

I can't afford anything on that whole site! But don't they turn out some
less-expensive vans - or offer recondition  for customer's vans?
I remember reading they offer several engine conversions (subaru, bostig).
I need to go back and look.

I assume the $125,000 van is a RAD syncro, with a tubular steel swing-out
bike/spare tire rack... Fog lights, gnarly tires, power EVERYTHING... Heavy
duty suspension, Weddle gears, toy box.

The vans for sale at Moteurs Carrera are 1.9 TDIs, but not European
5speeds. Uwe Falkenberg is rebuilding my DK tranny there in Laval Que, it's
been a six year odyssey, but the thing is finally on the bench!

Turns out I have a 4.57 air-cooled tranny. The differential crown pinion
has some deep gashing on (about) six of the splines, each gash is (more or
less) 3/8" - not terribly deep, but in there. The concern is the deepest
one having a real crack - something an Xray would reveal. The question is
whether to put it back together, or get a whole new differential .

(my shaft was also ground down - not the one that ends in the crown pinion,
but the other one (wish i knew the name) Had lots of play in its bearings -
hence jumping out of 4th)

Falkenberg is selling me a used shaft from a diesel for the rebuild. I
think I need a new 2nd gear as well. Tomorrow I approve the parts order.

This tranny is not great. The differential ratio is NICE with my subaru
2.2L. The thing moves respectably. I don't want to go shorter. Falkenberg
reccomends bumping up the back wheels bigger. To drop RPMs by around 250.