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Tue Sep 07, 2010 1:37 pm

I have a Subaru mechanic friend who is doing the conversion on my 86 Syncro, and I am trying to shop for a kit. He has a ton of available Subaru donor parts, so I'm looking for a kit that uses as many Subaru parts as opposed to VW parts as possible. KEP is the one place I've found, but they seem overly expensive for what he'd quoted me as the kit price for the last conversion he did (he's having trouble digging up the paperwork to remember where the kit came from last time). Where should I be looking?

Tue Sep 07, 2010 2:25 pm

http://www.smallcar.com/

They have a really nice bellhousing instead of the adapter plate. Uses the stock VW engine mounts/bar. The cast aluminum oil pan is nice too.

Join the subaruvanagon Yahoo forum as well. Lots of good info there.

Tue Sep 07, 2010 4:44 pm

:) The Small Car stuff gives a better look, (for me anyway), but I just did mine this spring and ended up going with mostly Kennedy stuff due to the cost (Kennedy was cheaper).
Charles

Tue Sep 07, 2010 5:52 pm

Same here! I went with Kennedy due to the price. All of the items I purchased from Kennedy were of high quality.

Tue Sep 07, 2010 6:04 pm

People recommend these guys too for the adapter plate/flywheel.
http://www.outfrontmotorsports.com/clutch_flywheel.htm

Tue Sep 07, 2010 6:39 pm

I'm currently looking into the KEP kit and spoke with the owner briefly on the phone. It sounded like his kit is pretty much all you need. He said that if you know how to follow instructions and know how to use a soldering iron it should all be no problem. I have an engine lined up for $700 plus the cost for the kit (about $1,500 with the selected options) and I am very close to get this party started. But I would like some input from people that have used the KEP kit. Was there anything that didn't work, stuff that you had to buy extra to make things work....? Any comments would be greatly appreaciated!

Tue Sep 07, 2010 6:46 pm

KEP doesn't make a syncro exhaust if that is what you need.
There are more elegant solutions for many of the parts that they sell like the engine crossbar and exhaust for instance. Check the subaruvanagon yahoo group for more than enough information- http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/subaruvanagon/
The only parts that they sell that I would buy from them are the wiring diagram(it helped me with my 2 conversions) and the adapter plate, but that is my personal opinion of course.
Good luck.

Tue Sep 07, 2010 7:56 pm

x2 on outfront motorsports.

i live 10 minutes from their shop. they don't mess around. i've seen their 2.5 engines that produce 1000 horse power. first class shop. i have their adopter plate for my 2.2

Tue Sep 07, 2010 7:59 pm

Hans at Vanaru.com should be able to help.

He sells kits (turnkey) or parts/ partial kits depending on what you need.

He works with different builders and used the best parts from each. And build his own as well when he can't find something good enough.

JP

Tue Sep 07, 2010 8:27 pm

I did the 90 2.2 into a 90 gl/kep. the cooling system is up to you. the wires are also. their template places the ecu at the right
rear tail light
and says to seal the ecu case with tape. everyone here wires it to the
factory underseat location of the vw ecu instead. I don't know what outfront gets for their plate/flywheel combo, but they are
great quality.
kep supplies the bell housing cross member, which is superior to the vw
crossmember. it unclutters the exhaust corridor at the back of the engine.

you will need small cars vehicle speed sensor as well

I had to fab my entire cooling system, which is tom shiels version 5.

and after youre done and running, the ring and pinion should be taller,
like 456 or 413. 4.56/1 will give you 100-200 lower rpm and is the better
app due to a lack of torque for anything taller.