Hi,

I am in that boat.  I have a lot of interest, but little money.  I have a 90
Carat that runs great, but it has 130k miles, uses a quart of oil between
changes, and drips a couple of tablespoons of coolant a day.  I can't see
putting much money in an old engine that really had an ignorant DPO.
Therefore, I really want a new engine -- and I would prefer to do it at my
convenience, and not when the heads blow and strand me somewhere.  However,
I do not have the time, tools, and talent to do it myself.  Sooooo the
Eurospec kit is $5k, (+ the cruise, PS, & AC adapters! ) + about $1200
labor.  Ken's kit with the engine is $4500 (although what about the PS, AC,
and cruise?)  & I don't know about the labor, because I would want it
installed lower so that I could keep the rear deck height stock.  (how much
was your '86 engine?)  Oh yeah, while I am at it, my transmission could use
a rebuild.  I would really want Todd to regear 4th gear so I didn't have to
spin 4000 rpm for 70 mph!  That's another $1500 I suppose.  So I am up to
about $7200!!!  Hopefully, I could sell my Waterboxer, and its Digifant
system (which works perfectly) to help reclaim some of the investment -- but
this isn't guaranteed.

What I really want is a TDI Diesel -- I read Bj�rn's letters and Marten's
web page on how to do this.  However, I can't afford a research and
development project.  If I paid someone to do it all for me, that would be
too expensive.  And besides, where would I get a TDI engine in North
Carolina, USA anyway?  I then mull over the possibility of a rebuilt audi 5
cyl. turbodiesel with Ken's kit, but I do not know if this is possible
either.

At this point I remind myself that all of the plumbing, the suspension, and
everything else is aging.  The insurance company would never cover my
expenses if I totalled it on the way home from the rebuild garage; and $7200
makes a great downpayment on a brand new Grand Caravan.  :-(  If only VW
would bring over the Eurovan with the TDI and a 5 speed -- at a reasonable
price!

{sigh}  Yes, I really do think about this every day.

Michael Townsend

-----Original Message-----
From: JordanVw@AOL.COM <JordanVw@AOL.COM>
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Date: Tuesday, January 12, 1999 5:13 AM
Subject: how much interest IS there in the 5cyl conversion???

>im just curious as to how much interest there actually is in the audi 5cyl
>swap into the vanagon.  Ken Wilford has offered a kit upwards in the amount
of
>$2700 (ouch) or thereabouts for a kit that is being prepared in CA by
"mister
>"D"  ;<)
>how many of you listmembers  can actually afford this kit?  plus the
>installation fee? the $2700 didnt include the engine..
>BTW i posted a '86 up intercooled turbo 5cyl engine and had absolutely no
>response on it.. the '86 up 5cyl turbo engine is the most ideal engine for
the
>conversion...(NO ITS NOT A DIESEL - the 5cyl diesel was given the boot from
>the US market in '83)
>so , people...as Ken would say..."what's the skinny"  on this????   is
there
>interest, but the conversion is just way out of financial reach for 99% of
>us??
>
>chris
>(who looks like he will just slap on another set of head gaskets till he
wins
>the lottery ;<)