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0cean
Samba Member
Joined: February 29, 2012
Posts: 1149
Location: California
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 Posted: Tue Feb 23, 2021 5:39 am Post subject: Re: Boxeer, any honest reviews? |
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| djkeev wrote: |
| Abscate wrote: |
| valvecovergasket wrote: |
| mreuter wrote: |
4) If you want to save money and do the install yourself then be prepared to have some issues you have to resolve. Greg will not babysitting you (Sorry Greg, it is the truth)
Myself I found two guys doing the same install and we are in contact and help each other with the install. When issues with the parts of the kit, Boxeer will respond quickly and exchange or send parts who are defective or not working as expected.
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For the price I'd be inclined to expect no issues or defective parts. But I guess everyone's bar may be different
I should say, I have his lounge hinges in our van, and they're wonderful  |
Waving money doesn’t change the supply chain. Expect to pay for each amd every hour someone works on your Bus, including the shinola that hits the bed. If you don’t want that, do it yourself. |
I think he means the basic kit cost of $14,000 plus optional add ons.... like making your Power Steering and Air Conditioning work.
I think he feels at that price point, there shouldn't be problematic work arounds or bad parts. The quality control should be top notch.
Dave |
Every manufacurer will have some issues because nothing is perfect. All automive manufactures have recalls. Yes it shod be good and it is, but expecting perfection?
_________________
I'm not a mechanic, I just play one on the internet
Cluster Rebuild:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=569920&highlight=
Left for Dead the Resurrection Story Build:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=613669
(Number of Different Donor VW Vans Body Parts Used: 12)
(Number of completely different vehicles parts used: 3) |
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mikemtnbike
Samba Member
Joined: March 26, 2015
Posts: 2794
Location: North Carolina
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| Posted: Tue Feb 23, 2021 5:40 am Post subject: Re: Boxeer, any honest reviews? |
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My post was not intended to bash a specific company, sorry if it came across that way. It was intended to point out that nature still abhors a vacuum and that what tends to fill said is entropy.
_________________
1991 Vanagon GL 2.1 AT Westfauxlia. "Frankie" Totaled  https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=764510&highlight=carnage
1995 Eurovan Camper "Marzivan"
2020 GTI SE manual |
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vanis13
Samba Member
Joined: August 15, 2010
Posts: 3088
Location: ABQ NM USA.... Except when not
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| Posted: Tue Feb 23, 2021 6:15 am Post subject: Re: Boxeer, any honest reviews? |
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| 0cean wrote: |
1).....Unless you ..... have exahusted all comunication with Greg, then you shouldent complain.
2).....Greg may be hard to get ahold of, but he has other customers also.
3).......If it been weeks
4).......hand holding was not in the areement.
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Lots of self-determined bench marks make this post dangerous.
1,2,3- call? Email? Text? weeks? Days? Hours? Waiting on his door step when he gets up? Roust him from his bed in the middle of the night? Seeing what a judge says on the matter?
4 - iirc the web page says something like direct install. "I" take that as no hand holding needed but if it does, then what?..... Here customer is a lump of rock, extract the iron and aluminum, car out in that bag of sand in the other box...oh and while you are in there, get done copper from that rock as well.
Your post is similarly abusive and self-conclusion driven as those others w.o direct experience.
Several posts here are from actual experience and interaction.
Interesting how these posts don't exist about 10c/T3/other vendors with "good" reputations.
I've advised and studied start-ups. A good product can't overcome bad image.
_________________
83.5 Westy with Subaru 2.5, 4 spd manual, center seat, COLD A/C on 134a!, Winter camp heated with an Espar B4 gasoline furnace
www.SuperVanagon.com - some stuff I make |
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0cean
Samba Member
Joined: February 29, 2012
Posts: 1149
Location: California
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| Posted: Tue Feb 23, 2021 7:36 am Post subject: Re: Boxeer, any honest reviews? |
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| vanis13 wrote: |
| 0cean wrote: |
1).....Unless you ..... have exahusted all comunication with Greg, then you shouldent complain.
2).....Greg may be hard to get ahold of, but he has other customers also.
3).......If it been weeks
4).......hand holding was not in the areement.
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Lots of self-determined bench marks make this post dangerous.
1,2,3- call? Email? Text? weeks? Days? Hours? Waiting on his door step when he gets up? Roust him from his bed in the middle of the night? Seeing what a judge says on the matter?
4 - iirc the web page says something like direct install. "I" take that as no hand holding needed but if it does, then what?..... Here customer is a lump of rock, extract the iron and aluminum, car out in that bag of sand in the other box...oh and while you are in there, get done copper from that rock as well.
Your post is similarly abusive and self-conclusion driven as those others w.o direct experience.
Several posts here are from actual experience and interaction.
Interesting how these posts don't exist about 10c/T3/other vendors with "good" reputations.
I've advised and studied start-ups. A good product can't overcome bad image. |
Hahahaha... your a funny person... Miss informed due to assumptions and inaccurate information, yet somewhat funny.
_________________
I'm not a mechanic, I just play one on the internet
Cluster Rebuild:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=569920&highlight=
Left for Dead the Resurrection Story Build:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=613669
(Number of Different Donor VW Vans Body Parts Used: 12)
(Number of completely different vehicles parts used: 3) |
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hdenter
Samba Member
Joined: October 14, 2008
Posts: 2753
Location: San Luis Obispo, CA
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| Posted: Tue Feb 23, 2021 8:59 am Post subject: Re: Boxeer, any honest reviews? |
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Being a vendor( or any kind of business owner) requires wearing many hats. There's the creative/observant hat that sees a need and thinks of a solution. There's the designing hat that's needed to come up with a solid well built solution. Then there is a need to produce that solution to a consistently high standard. Marketing comes in so that you can sell enough of that solution to make it worthwhile to do it. Then there is customer service to keep people coming back to you and to help spread confidence in what you are doing. There are plenty of other hats to wear if you need to start hiring people. Being a great designer and engineer doesn't automatically make you a patient person. Not everyone has the discipline to make sure each part is made exactly right no matter how minor it is to an assembly. There is a vendor in our hobby who is quite successful who's personal concept of customer service leaves a lot to be desired IMHO. However, most of you would never know it because he hires people that accel at that. Maybe Greg doesn't know how to wear all the hats. Maybe he doesn't have the time or discipline to wear them every day. Maybe you'll call him up and hit it off and he takes great care of you. Maybe he senses something that you'll be a pain to work with and blows you off. Who knows what's going on. Do your due diligence, crunch your numbers, call him up and see how he makes you feel. If you feel good, go forward. Otherwise find a different vendor.
Hans
_________________
'79 triple white convertible bug
'84 sunroof vanagon
'85 weekender |
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ausbran
Samba Member
Joined: January 19, 2020
Posts: 53
Location: Hood River, Oregon
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| Posted: Tue Feb 23, 2021 9:07 am Post subject: Re: Boxeer, any honest reviews? |
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| skills@eurocarsplus wrote: |
| Sodo wrote: |
It would be interesting if he had a large staff and large output,
but maybe we just have to wait and see.
Or accept it if he wants to be a guy in the woods raising a young family.
This is just a guess, and a hopeful guess at that. |
it would be suicide to build a business on such a narrow market...supplying swaps to power 1 platform doesn't make any sense.
i broke out of the dealership world to go off on my own. daily driver repairs is where it's at, especially for euro marques. i do the occasional swap now and then and i'm a 1 man show.
i try to be responsive to everyone, yes it's hard but it's something you have to do. getting pounded by inquiries for subaru conversions has made me change my policy...i will email etc but when they want phone time it gets charged. the way i see it if you won't pay an hours labor (which gets applied to your build if you move forward) for a full hour+ conversation then you weren't willing to drop 20k+ on a custom build.
this weeds out the bottom feeders, tire kickers and data collectors. here is is 2am+ east coast time and i'm just finishing my day. am i stupid for doing what i do or do i just want to work like no one else so i can live like no one else?
there is such a thing as 'growing pains' when you're a 1 man show. do i hire, or not? i have been to the point where i have been busy enough to hire but people management isn't my thing. it hard to keep it all balanced no doubt there
the way i see this thread is like this: "hey i'm over here wanting info and waving money for your service, do you want to take my money or not" if the guy can walk away from a 20k sale (probably 4-6k profit) then more power to him |
Yes, thank you for further demonstrating the intellectual and operational differences between your business and Boxeer's. Maybe we should rename this thread to "Swap with Eurocarparts instead". You're showing your true colors here.
This thread is a bunch of disrespectful speculation started by an OP that signed up for an account the same day and hasn't responded since. |
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MarkWard
Samba Member
Joined: February 09, 2005
Posts: 17106
Location: Retired South Florida
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| Posted: Tue Feb 23, 2021 9:23 am Post subject: Re: Boxeer, any honest reviews? |
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This thread is a bunch of disrespectful speculation started by an OP that signed up for an account the same day and hasn't responded since. |
I noticed the same. 
Bottom line, any conversion is going to require some ownership by the owner. The more involved the owner is in the conversion, the better off that person will be that day when the engine looses power on a trip or worse, won't start after stopping for fuel. Documentation is key, especially if its going to end up at shop to resolve. Assuming you can find a shop willing. Rant over.
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ausbran
Samba Member
Joined: January 19, 2020
Posts: 53
Location: Hood River, Oregon
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SurfaceRust
Samba Member
Joined: January 24, 2016
Posts: 160
Location: Los Angeles
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| Posted: Tue Feb 23, 2021 10:37 am Post subject: Re: Boxeer, any honest reviews? |
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Soooo.....
You guys think the engines are any good? |
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skills@eurocarsplus
Samba Peckerhead
Joined: January 01, 2007
Posts: 16853
Location: sticksville, ct.
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| Posted: Tue Feb 23, 2021 11:02 am Post subject: Re: Boxeer, any honest reviews? |
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| ausbran wrote: |
You're showing your true colors here... |
what, that i give a shit about quality and customer service? this thread isn't about me...never was. i was just outlining how hard it can be to be a 1 man show...and it's even harder when you pigeonhole yourself into one thing.
if that makes me an asshole, so be it. what are you going to do, take away my birthday?  i've had people all over the US and Canada ship me projects so i must be doing something right...and have a waiting list for swaps etc...
point i'm trying to make is if a place is unresponsive why in the world would you bother with them? it's a bad omen.... if they are lacking communication before you give them money how well will it work when you give a deposit?
sorry... i work 1.5-2x longer and harder than almost anyone does. i guess i come to expect the same from others and that for sure is my fault for having that expectation.
i have no idea what the guys business model is and if it's a full time gig or just a "professional hobby"
sorry my commentary painted a bad picture in your mind not really
_________________
| gprudenciop wrote: |
my reason for switching to subaru is my german car was turning chinese so i said fuck it and went japanese....... |
| Jake Raby wrote: |
| Thanks for the correction. I used to be a nice guy, then I ruined it by exposing myself to the public. |
| Brian wrote: |
| Also the fact that people are agreeing with Skills, it's a turn of events for samba history |
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ausbran
Samba Member
Joined: January 19, 2020
Posts: 53
Location: Hood River, Oregon
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| Posted: Tue Feb 23, 2021 11:06 am Post subject: Re: Boxeer, any honest reviews? |
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| skills@eurocarsplus wrote: |
| i have no idea what the guys business model is and if it's a full time gig or just a "professional hobby" |
The irony is overwhelming.. |
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0cean
Samba Member
Joined: February 29, 2012
Posts: 1149
Location: California
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| Posted: Tue Feb 23, 2021 11:17 am Post subject: Re: Boxeer, any honest reviews? |
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| SurfaceRust wrote: |
Soooo.....
You guys think the engines are any good? |
I would say so, and they are the best option out there at the moment. Its a proven VW engines after all. Do i get points from the keep it VW crowd?
_________________
I'm not a mechanic, I just play one on the internet
Cluster Rebuild:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=569920&highlight=
Left for Dead the Resurrection Story Build:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=613669
(Number of Different Donor VW Vans Body Parts Used: 12)
(Number of completely different vehicles parts used: 3) |
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Zeitgeist 13
Samba Member
Joined: March 05, 2009
Posts: 12114
Location: Port Manteau
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| Posted: Tue Feb 23, 2021 11:28 am Post subject: Re: Boxeer, any honest reviews? |
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| Meh... |
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hans j
Samba Member
Joined: May 06, 2006
Posts: 2714
Location: Salt Lake City UT
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| Posted: Tue Feb 23, 2021 12:17 pm Post subject: Re: Boxeer, any honest reviews? |
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The engine has proven to fail miserably in stock cars when there is fuel contamination. Resulting in the need to replace all anything the fuel touches due to metal debris in it. The CP4 pump in any engine (not just VW) has the same issues.
To make it last a long time, you have to run the spec 507 oil and ultra low sulfur diesel. If you plan on traveling out of the country, you might want to check on your fuel suppliers before you head out.
Other than that, the engine makes me good money repairing them, so I like them for that. But I installed an ALH in my van...
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1986 Canadian Syncro Westy TDI - 1989 Syncro Single Cab - 2001 Audi S4 - 1981 VW Caddy ABA - 1980 VW Caddy EV - 1973 VW T-181 |
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Zeitgeist 13
Samba Member
Joined: March 05, 2009
Posts: 12114
Location: Port Manteau
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| Posted: Tue Feb 23, 2021 12:58 pm Post subject: Re: Boxeer, any honest reviews? |
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It's pretty hard to improve on the reliability and power delivery of an ALH.
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Casey--
'89 Bluestar ALH w/12mm Waldo pump, PP764 and GT2052
'01 Weekender --> full camper
y u rune klassik? |
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khughes
Samba Member
Joined: July 13, 2013
Posts: 747
Location: Phoenix AZ
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| Posted: Tue Feb 23, 2021 1:43 pm Post subject: Re: Boxeer, any honest reviews? |
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| 0cean wrote: |
| SurfaceRust wrote: |
Soooo.....
You guys think the engines are any good? |
I would say so, and they are the best option out there at the moment. Its a proven VW engines after all. Do i get points from the keep it VW crowd? |
Well, I don't know exactly what engine they use, but unless you're speaking of common rail only, they are not the only choice:
http://www.foreignautosupply.com/engine-and-drive-...n-program/
And the FAS *is* a bolt up, plug in few wires and rock conversion. Truly turnkey like all their conversions, using a 1.9L TDi Pumpe Duse with drive by wire. So "best option" is an opinion between choices.
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'86 Westy FAS GenV Turbo (Marvin) |
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MarkWard
Samba Member
Joined: February 09, 2005
Posts: 17106
Location: Retired South Florida
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| Posted: Tue Feb 23, 2021 3:53 pm Post subject: Re: Boxeer, any honest reviews? |
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The PD engines had some cam wear and fuel pump wear issues. There are solutions for the cam oiling and there are aftermarket cams that are chrome plated. Happy with our ALH plus the PD hadn't been invented when I started the conversion.
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GreggK
Samba Member
Joined: May 17, 2008
Posts: 897
Location: Colorado/Philidelphia
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| Posted: Tue Feb 23, 2021 4:20 pm Post subject: Re: Boxeer, any honest reviews? |
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Before I purchased my FAS diesel kit, I had a few conversations with Jon. I asked about the CAM issues and he had said something about them not using the engine codes that had issues and something about the 50degree slant would also have a positive effect in eliminating the issues. I don't recall his exact words but it was something along those lines. I think it was also you Mark, who gave me the initial heads up about FAS when I first started asking questions about the diesel install. Thanks again, I cant love mine more.
_________________
'86 2wd Poptop transplant
FAS TDi engine swap. Peloquin LSD
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=692188&highlight=slow+but+steady |
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CessnaJon
Samba Member
Joined: August 15, 2008
Posts: 677
Location: Senoia,GA
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| Posted: Tue Feb 23, 2021 6:09 pm Post subject: Re: Boxeer, any honest reviews? |
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I have a 2015 Passat TDI and a 2015 Golf TDI with 80k and 90k miles, respectively. This is the same engine the Boxeer is based off of.
Zero problems, 55 MPG, incredible power. Love these engines. I would consider a Boxeer if I thought my Westy transaxle could hold up to the torque.
I bought Greg’s Westy lounge hinges. They are extremely well made and work great. One day I’d love to attend his get together at the syncro ranch in Nashville.
That’s all the information I can confirm.
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1973 Westy (shared birthday)
1990 Westy Multivan
2015 Passat TDI 6sp
2015 Sportwagon TDI 6sp
LR-JET, Gulfstream 159 |
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tjet 
Samba Member
Joined: June 10, 2014
Posts: 3533
Location: CA & NM
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| Posted: Tue Feb 23, 2021 7:39 pm Post subject: Re: Boxeer, any honest reviews? |
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| MarkWard wrote: |
| The PD engines had some cam wear and fuel pump wear issues. There are solutions for the cam oiling and there are aftermarket cams that are chrome plated. Happy with our ALH plus the PD hadn't been invented when I started the conversion. |
Yeah most of the PD issues have been sorted. My friend has one in his mk5. Bigger turbo, Malone tune, etc. Really nice.
In contrast, the only mods I've done to the ALH in my mk4 jetta was install the robust 100k mile TB kit, and reprogram the ecu egr function to eliminate the coking in the intake. I have 400,000 miles on it. I'm thinking about this kit for maximum mpg. It will work fine with my Sachs PD 120 clutch
https://kermatdi.com/i-2560-eco-tdi-kit-max-mpg.html |
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