VANAJEROS Broken and Discouraged

[candyman]

We are leaving from Montana to brasil on xmas day. If it helps in anyway, we can bring you down parts and ship from brasil. PM me
Good luck

[dobryan]

[soissisc]

A bay window fellow bought his engine brand new from the dealer at a very reasonable price. Maybe something like this could be an option.

His thread is here.

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5...;start=180

Best of luck!
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Mark

68 Westy
92 Jetta (oh it is retired)
99 Eurovan
05 NBC
06 Audi A3
72 Westy (I am going to fix it up)

[Jake de Villiers]

[ThankYouJerry]

Update please. Don't leave us hanging. Hope it's working out!
_________________
1990 Multivan - "Ohana"
1.8T, Auto w/3.27 R&P + Peloquin TBD

[dangerbus]

hi guys

sorry, i havent checked in on you for a while...weve been offline in mexico.

instead of trying to battle customs and import another subi engine, have you tried reaching our to the local vw club in Quito? I bet those guys could find you an original engine and a mechanic excited to do the project!

i know bodeswell went to a meetup with the club there and had a great time...they might have some contacts.
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driving our bus through mexico/central america-
the blog: www.thedangerz.com
trip forum: www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=530204

[IdahoDoug]

I'm just guessing, but with only 2 posts from a month ago there is a Vanagon with a "for sale as is" sign in the window down there in Ecuador. Hope I'm wrong, but they joined Samba, did 2 posts, then never visited again.
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1987 2WD Wolfsburg Vanagon Weekender "Mango", two fully locked 80 Series LandCruisers. 2017 Subaru Outback boxer. 1990 Audi 90 Quattro 20V with rear locking differential, 1990 burgundy parts Vanagon. 1984 Porsche 944, 1988 Toyota Supra 5 speed targa, 2002 BMW 325iX, 1982 Toyota Sunrader

[Slimvest]

http://expeditionportal.com/vanajeros-of-high-hopes-and-busted-engines/
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'87 GL w/ Reimo top

[ThankYouJerry]

The end of the story??? .... or NOT???... "I am selling because I've been bit by the Syncro bug ".....


http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=1887251

1985 Wolfsburg Westy SUBARU 2.5 Vanajeros Price: 25k
I'm selling my beloved 1985 Westy. I am the second owner, bought it a little over 2 years ago from an older gentleman in northern Minnesota. He used it as summer getaway van for trips to Colorado, and kept it garaged all winter. He was the first owner.

I bought it for a trip down to South America (vanajeros.com) and did a lot of work on it in preparation for the adventure. I knew the original 1.9 engine would have to be updated, and after a lot of research, decided on a Subaru 2.5 out of a 2003 Outback, mounted with Rocky Mountain Westy's kit paired with a harness done by Tom Shiels (the harness guru).

Unfortunately, we blew a piston in Ecuador and cracked the block due to a combination of dirty gas, low oil, and Andean mountain passes. Big bummer.

After five months of problem solving we sourcing a new block and piston assembly (2008) and valves from Washington, we had the heads professionally remanufactured with the new valves and had it professionally pieced all together. When doing this, we also installed a new clutch, new timing belt, tensioner and idlers, new water pump, new head gaskets and seals. All this work was done about 7k miles ago (we shipped the van home).

Before the drive down we had installed (six months of use):

1.5" Lift Springs

FOX Suspension

Bigger Break Kit (Front) and new rear pads

New Master Cylinder

5 16" GW Rims w BFGoodrich All Terrains (back two need to be replaced soon)

Heavy Duty Porche Axles and CV Boots

GW Bumpers w Spare Tire Carrier and Swing Away System

New Fuel Lines and Tank

New Cooling System (Rad, SS Pipes, and hoses)

New Steering Rack

2 AUX Batteries (100 amp deep cycle and 45 amp deep cycle)

1500 Watt Inverter

Solar Hookup

High Power Headlight Relay and H4 bulbs

GW 3 Window Tent w Snap on GW Rainfly

2 sets of Poptop Struts (removable, for when the rocket box is removed or empty)

Yakima Roof Rack (three bar)

Yakima Skybox Pro 18 (big, but in Minnesota)

Windows professionally tinted in Arizona (helps with heat and security)

Pioneer Stereo w mini amp, 6" speakers up front and 4" in back

New Front window Seals

Sliding Door Screen, Rear Hatch Screen, Front Window Screens

Bigshot Shifter

Fiama Awning

--

***I am having the interior completely reupholstered by SewFine, should be done in a week or two.***

The body is straight with a very minor indent on the rear passenger pillar. There is some seam rust but it has developed only in the last year and shouldn't be too hard to take care of. I would do it, but haven't because I had been planning on doing a full respray and figured it would make sense to have it all done at the same time. The paint is original and the clear coat has been peeling in some areas.

The underside has no rust whatsoever.

With the new engine and long list of upgrades, this van is adventure ready. I am selling because I've been bit by the Syncro bug

Please don't hesitate to call, email or text me with any questions. I will post more photos tomorrow, and again when the interior is done.

The van is in Bozeman. Clean title.

-Aidan
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1990 Multivan - "Ohana"
1.8T, Auto w/3.27 R&P + Peloquin TBD

[benandmj]

Sounds to me like they got a Syncro.
_________________
85 Westfalia Weekender
91 Syncro Westy

[AidanLK]

Hey! Sorry for not updating this. Man, its been a whirlwind since I created this thread.

So, with the help from PeaceVans in Seattle, we did end up shipping a short block down to Ecuador. The guy I bought the original 2.5 from had a brand new, shiny 2008 short block and told me it'd work with our 03 heads.

Shipping took about a month, and then another few weeks to clear customs, but after a good test of patience, we had everything we needed to get rolling...or so we thought.

Unfortunately the guy I bought the short block from was mistaken, and the 08 block had different style pistons that did not work with our heads. So, we had Peace Vans get ahold of the correct pistons and rods, shipped them down, and got to work.

We rebuilt the heads with new valves and cracked the block open to replace the pistons and rods.

After a total of five months, a good deal of learning about our engine, and a few frustrating moments, Sandy was rolling once again.

Unfortunately, I had spent all the money I had saved for the rest of the trip so when we saw a job posting for Backpacker Magazine offering a gig for two people to spend a year living out of a car traveling from national park to national park, creating videos and taking pictures, we didn't hesitate to apply.

Somehow, out of over nine thousand applicants, they chose us. So, after two weeks of enjoying the fresh engine, we loaded Sandy on a boat and headed home.

For the past seven months, we've been exploring the beauty we left behind when we headed south. The national parks are an amazing treasure that we have in the United States, and we're incredibly lucky to be paid to visit them!

That being said, the project is partnered with Subaru, which is fine, but it means that we have to live/travel out of an outback, and not our beloved van.

Time away from the van has made me even more sure that the Vanagon is the raddest vehicle ever made and that I want to spend as much time as I can living in one. So, with that, I'd been thinking about converting to a hightop, and adding a full west kitchen to our weekender. I also really wanted to throw a syncro transmission in.

Well, things kept adding up and the syncro itch wasn't subsiding. I've always been bad at saving money, so theres no surprise that as soon as I started having a little income, I got thinking about going full syncro.

Last weekend I made the trip up to Whistler and fell in love with Mark Dipple's triple knob TDI joker, and made a deposit.

Unfortunately, I'm not rolling in the dough enough to be a two van kind of guy, so I have to put Sandy up for sale (hence the for sale post).

Anyone going to sfyncrofest this year? I'll need some syncro lessons

[Merian]

maybe you can bend the ear of your sponsor, Subaru, to build a camper van as VW seems to have abdicated

[WestyBob]

[Sodo]

[benandmj]

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=1858364
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85 Westfalia Weekender
91 Syncro Westy

[AidanLK]

[quote="WestyBob"
OP: too bad Subaru didn't let you run around with your rig and "powered by Subaru" stickers all over it.[/quote]

Right?! I think that telling them we had a Subaru in the van was partly what got us the job

[AidanLK]