TheSamba.com :: View topic - Bostig Installation Wins Kitchener Ontario VW Club Award.

Mon Jul 14, 2008 7:29 pm

Hi:

I took my 85 Bostig powered Westfalia to The Kitchener-Waterloo and Area Bug Club's Bug Out 2008 held near Kitchener Ontario Sunday. 166 vehicles were displayed in at least 16 classes ranging for early Bugs, all sorts of buses, rails, to military Iltis etc, etc, etc.

I had a steady stream of interested VW owners who were impressed with the fit and the clean practical installation.

My van snagged one of two Special Merit awards that were given out along with the usual Best in Class awards. The award was recognition of the high quality of the Bostig kit and the clean installation.

Just to point out that there is nothing exceptional at all with my work. What caught peoples eye was the fit of the of the engine in the space and the cleanliness and appearance of the simplified engine compartment. The Bostig kit won the award.

On the humerous side: The event was about 130 miles from my home at a service club park in a small community near Kitchener. I had a bit of difficulty finding the site. As I was making a U turn a friendly fellow in a nice Ghia pulled up and asked me if I was looking for the show. I nodded yes and he said follow me. I swung around behind him and he absolutely stood on it, exhaust on the hum. So I stood on it too. I could see him looking in the rear view for the next mile or so no doubt wondering why the Vanagon was still so close.

At the event my van was sandwiched between a mint yellow 80 aircooled Westy and an 84 that looked as if it had never been outside. Mine featured a selection of squashed bugs on the front end from the trip down, no Armour All and no particular preparation. Yet as word got out more and more people came to inspect the Bostig in the back of my Westy. Eventually the owners of the show quality cars next door had to come and see what the attraction was.

For me this was all good fun. I don't usually go to these types of events but was coerced in this case by an airhead friend that was a past president of the organization. Anyway it was a great day and I met some very neat and sincere people.

Mon Jul 14, 2008 7:39 pm

wiartonallan wrote: Hi:

For me this was all good fun. I don't usually go to these types of events but was coerced in this case by an airhead friend that was a past president of the organization

not such an airhead is he?

Mon Jul 14, 2008 7:47 pm

240Gordy wrote: wiartonallan wrote: Hi:

For me this was all good fun. I don't usually go to these types of events but was coerced in this case by an airhead friend that was a past president of the organization

not such an airhead is he?

Airhead as in aircooled affectionado. Actually a very smart man.

Ian

Tue Jul 15, 2008 7:23 am

and yet we don't have any images of this supposed award winning engine installation ?

Mr wiartonallan, do you have something you would like th share with the class?

lets see some pics..

and VWs shows are where VWs belong.. trophies are nice, but it's nicer to have other's admire, check out and gather inspiration and ideas from your fruitful labors.. you are afterall not driving your *****'s minivan..

Dan

Tue Jul 15, 2008 8:59 am

I don't understand the animosity towards the Bostig set-up.

"supposed award winning engine installation ?

Wiartonalian posted that he did, in fact, win an award. Not suppossed.

"images"

The Bostig guy posted recently, that he is trying to get the new web site up to reflect the new version conversion. (I too would like to see this but will just have to wait).
Wiartonalian didn't say which version he has but the Bostig site - www.bostig.com - still has pics and video of the earlier version. There have also been others posting here who have included pics of their Bostig conversion, VWLOVR comes to mind.

I am not sure if the Bostig is for me, but it is a very nice looking set-up and I greatly admire their efforts in thinking out of the box.

Tue Jul 15, 2008 9:26 am

Learn to pick up on "supposed" sarcasm. Dan is being encouraging and for your 3rd post you're just coming off like a dick. Relax.

Tue Jul 15, 2008 9:37 am

FloydRTurbo, I see by your post count you're new here. You'll quickly become acclimated to our particular dry sense of humor and good-natured sarcasm.

We have no doubt that the OP has a lovely Bostig install, we are just "encouraging" him to provide some photos of said install.

I know the Bostig guys are working on their site, and I roundly cheer them for not only that, but for coming on here and discussing their work with the unwashed zealouts on this forum.

At the same time, as someone who will use my 1.9 as a coffee table when it dies, and, thus, will need a Zetec/Subie/ABA/v12 or the like to go back in there, I like to hear (and see) real world users out there and how their particular install went, and how it turned out. :D

Tue Jul 15, 2008 10:26 am

I have way too many pictures of my van. I guess I am compensating cuz my girlfriend is camera shy. surprised there are no pics of this award winning set-up.

same goes for Bostig. how hard is it to take a picture of all the parts of a kit laid out on the shop floor and type a list of them and post it on the site?

doesn't have to be fancy, doesn't have to (please no) use Flash.

Tue Jul 15, 2008 1:07 pm

240Gordy wrote: same goes for Bostig. how hard is it to take a picture of all the parts of a kit laid out on the shop floor and type a list of them and post it on the site?

doesn't have to be fancy, doesn't have to (please no) use Flash.

It's not that hard to do it, but the the v2 is still in development, and the BOM is in flux, so it would have to be done again anyhow. Also the primary concern is still supporting the current customers, not to sell new conversions yet. We will shift gears once everyone in the install groups is up and running(and we'll have to since managing cash flow in such a small business is like whitewater rafting without a life vest), then you can bet there will be plenty of eye candy...

I'll take your request for no flash seriously... although I have to contend it is 2008, and while most people abuse flash for fill instead of having good content, it is a VERY useful technology especially when it comes to video, since it has proliferated to the vast majority of machines. I don't want to start a web tech flamewar here ha but I fully understand your request and agree with you in this case... I was up until 3 last night working on the new site, in the next week or so I'm going to be looking for folks that want to help provide some feedback on the site, but it's not even ready for that just yet. (actually if any boston/local vanagon guys out there are also good copywriters or editors, let me know)

When I heard from Ian about the awards, it felt pretty good. Ian's is a v1.0 BTW. The only award we've won officially I think was when John Wessels gave me the "Mustang Ranch" award at SDM07 for being the biggest online wh*re perhaps? Ha.. that's fine, it just means we are building a presence in the community, which is the whole point. We support the community, and in return the community supports us. If we don't do a good job, we go away. If we do a good job, we grow. So far, it's been growth, maybe not as fast as really well managed startup ha, but there is a lot of learning that has to go on at each step of the way. I have some things I aspire to, being a great businessman is NOT one of them for better or for worse.

BTW this email is my way of procrastinating from working on the site.. thanks for that... now back to my iced coffee and the regularly scheduled hair pulling.

Jim Akiba

Tue Jul 15, 2008 1:17 pm

Here is some stuff to tide you guys over though:
(v1.0 master parts list, now discontinued)
http://www.bostig.com/files/Bostig_Core_Master_Partslist_r2.pdf

v2.0 IAMS shots:
http://www.bostig.com/files/V2-IAMS-blackbg.jpg
http://www.bostig.com/files/V2-IAMS-whitebg.jpg
http://www.bostig.com/files/rev2_cradle.jpg

Tue Jul 15, 2008 1:26 pm

yeah certainly didn't mean any harm or foul.. just hoping to see some more vanagon pr0n.. that thing our wives/girlfrieds/husbands/significant others just don't understand how we can talk and look at VW vanagon images to all hours of the night..

:lol:

Tue Jul 15, 2008 8:43 pm

danfromsyr wrote: and yet we don't have any images of this supposed award winning engine installation ?

Mr wiartonallan, do you have something you would like th share with the class?

lets see some pics..

and VWs shows are where VWs belong.. trophies are nice, but it's nicer to have other's admire, check out and gather inspiration and ideas from your fruitful labors.. you are afterall not driving your *****'s minivan..

Dan

Dan: I'll try to get you some pix. At home I have a dialup connection, not the best for pix. I can post from work when/if I have time. What is with the "supposed" crack?

:roll:

Tue Jul 15, 2008 9:51 pm

Good thing i was not there.... :-)
http://www.benplace.com/subaru/vanaru55.jpg

Ben

Wed Jul 16, 2008 4:04 am

I will have to agree with Wairtonniian on the BOSTIG swap. I went yesterday to look at one that is 99%done,throttle cable left, & it was VERY impressive. He ordered their KIT, not engine,and the install was clean -looked like a factory job for a 1st timer. Everything but timing belt was the easiest i have seen -on any vehicle-to get to. Good ground clearance & engine cover. Was invited back to do a test drive & cant wait. If the run/drive factor is as good as it looks, i personally like it ove r the suby for clean & simplicity. My 2-cts.

Wed Jul 16, 2008 4:46 pm

danfromsyr wrote: and yet we don't have any images of this supposed award winning engine installation ?

Mr wiartonallan, do you have something you would like th share with the class?

lets see some pics..

and VWs shows are where VWs belong.. trophies are nice, but it's nicer to have other's admire, check out and gather inspiration and ideas from your fruitful labors.. you are afterall not driving your *****'s minivan..

Dan

Dan: I was sharing the fact that a VW Club at their VW show had been impressed enough with the fit and functionality of the Bostig kit that they gave a Special Merit Award in recognizition that the kit offers a clean, modern alternative to repower WBX vans. The Bostig kit was new to them.

I have attached a couple of images. I hope this helps.

[/img]

Wed Jul 16, 2008 4:49 pm

ftp2leta wrote: Good thing i was not there.... :-)
http://www.benplace.com/subaru/vanaru55.jpg

Ben

Ben: I too bad that you were not there. I'd like to meet you and see your Subie. Busses of the Corn maybe?

Wed Jul 16, 2008 5:38 pm

wiartonallan wrote: ftp2leta wrote: Good thing i was not there.... :-)
http://www.benplace.com/subaru/vanaru55.jpg

Ben

Ben: I too bad that you were not there. I'd like to meet you and see your Subie. Busses of the Corn maybe?

Maybe, maybe... nice conversion, very nice.

Here is another westy that will run for a long long time....

I'm alwys happy to see a converted Westy, any engine make.

I hope you will be happy with this one.

In fall, i will start my STI project.

Cheers, Ben

Wed Jul 16, 2008 6:53 pm

boy that is a clean looking install, hows the MPG so far ?

Wed Jul 16, 2008 8:07 pm

Wassup with the boy racer K&N filter? :lol: I assume that is a Bostig part...

:wink: A real airbox, pulling cool air from the side vent and not barking every time the throttle is applied would please the gas-heads more...and the residents of every community you drive through.

Wed Jul 16, 2008 8:11 pm

syncrowestytd wrote: Wassup with the boy racer K&N filter? :lol: I assume that is a Bostig part...

:wink: A real airbox, pulling cool air from the side vent and not barking every time the throttle is applied would please the gas-heads more...and the residents of every community you drive through.

Yeah, but then he wouldn't have won the award...... :?

.