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syncrodoka
Samba Member
Joined: December 27, 2005
Posts: 12006
Location: Santa Cruz, CA
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 Posted: Sun Nov 15, 2009 12:23 am Post subject: Billet aluminum thermostat housings |
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I was in VanCafe on friday to pick up some parts and I saw a table full of shiny parts. I asked what they were and they handed me a beautiful BILLET thermostat housing that will fit a 2wd or syncro. I am really impressed at the amount of effort they have made to get parts out to market that have gone NLA. The housing is somewhat complex but it looks like a piece of art and the effort that they put into it paid off. If I still had a WBX powered van I would have bought one. I never understood why the OEM 2wd version was a plastic part anyways. 
Just thought I should pass on some info and pics for others.
I never noticed their awesome blue/black cheetah print counter til now  |
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90Doka_Guy
Samba Member
Joined: April 08, 2007
Posts: 548
Location: South Jersey
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| Posted: Sun Nov 15, 2009 1:17 am Post subject: |
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How much does one of those suckers cost???
Shoulda anodized it.
Looks very well done though. Cheers to Van Cafe!
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Tomasz
Samba Member
Joined: September 08, 2005
Posts: 1096
Location: in a van down by the river
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| Posted: Sun Nov 15, 2009 6:19 am Post subject: |
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| Keane wrote: |
How much does one of those suckers cost???
Shoulda anodized it.
Looks very well done though. Cheers to Van Cafe! |
it's on-site now and for $160 for housing only or $190 for housing with sensors and seals which one pretty much has to get as it requires different sensors http://www.van-cafe.com/home/van/smartlist_680/thermostat_housing.html |
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tencentlife
Samba Member
Joined: May 02, 2006
Posts: 10078
Location: Abiquiu, NM, USA
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| Posted: Sun Nov 15, 2009 8:35 am Post subject: |
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It would use the same sensors as a Syncro or 1.9 uses. Seems like the brass Temp2 sensor is more reliable than the 2.1's so maybe that's an improvement.
Nice, and a good price. I wonder who is making that piece.
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mblotz
Samba Member
Joined: February 25, 2004
Posts: 296
Location: D-town, at base of the rocky's
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| Posted: Sun Nov 15, 2009 8:41 am Post subject: |
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| thats so gorgeous i would almost buy one for a paper weight since im WBXerless and have been for a long time. Nice work Van-cafe |
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James 93SLC
Samba Member
Joined: January 21, 2009
Posts: 937
Location: NE Ohio
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| Posted: Sun Nov 15, 2009 9:48 am Post subject: |
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| tencentlife wrote: |
| I wonder who is making that piece. |
Looking at the enlarged picture on their website shows "Billet Metal Craft" engraved on it.
Probably these guys?
Billet Metal Craft
112 Coral St
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
Phone: (831) 421-9601
Website: Information not found (?)
_________________
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91 Vanagon Carat
93 Corrado SLC
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Photos: http://picasaweb.google.com/slc.corrado
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tencentlife "Sometimes a pooka is a problem and sometimes it's just a pooka" |
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insyncro
Banned
Joined: March 07, 2002
Posts: 15086
Location: New York
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| Posted: Sun Nov 15, 2009 10:09 am Post subject: |
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Great upgrade.
I have switched all my 2wd Vanagons over to the cast Syncro housing.
Works great.
Good piece of mind when running the waterboxer.
Many plastic housing have failed on vans I've worked on.
dylan |
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pete000
Samba Member
Joined: July 29, 2004
Posts: 642
Location: Ocala FL
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| Posted: Sun Nov 15, 2009 6:09 pm Post subject: |
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Oh great thanks alot for posting that !
Now I'm going to be 200 bucks lighter come Monday !
_________________
1990 Vanagon RS 2.1
1967 Deluxe 21 window
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H & R Red Springs
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Recaro Power-Heated seats |
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240Gordy
Samba Member
Joined: May 15, 2008
Posts: 2354
Location: Vancouver, BC
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| Posted: Sun Nov 15, 2009 6:14 pm Post subject: |
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num nums
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Tencentlife said,
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ajdenette
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Joined: February 15, 2009
Posts: 768
Location: Hope Valley RI
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tencentlife
Samba Member
Joined: May 02, 2006
Posts: 10078
Location: Abiquiu, NM, USA
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| Posted: Mon Nov 16, 2009 8:19 am Post subject: |
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| ajdenette wrote: |
 now when i build my new engine (eventually) I can replace the very coroded syncro one I have |
Just take a wirewheel to it, she'll look like new in ten minutes.
_________________
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https://intrepidoverland.com/vanistan/
Please don't PM here, I will not reply.
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The Machinist
Samba Member
Joined: November 16, 2009
Posts: 42
Location: Santa Cruz
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| Posted: Mon Nov 16, 2009 1:47 pm Post subject: |
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| James 93SLC wrote: |
| tencentlife wrote: |
| I wonder who is making that piece. |
Looking at the enlarged picture on their website shows "Billet Metal Craft" engraved on it.
Probably these guys?
Billet Metal Craft
112 Coral St
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
Phone: (831) 421-9601
Website: Information not found (?) |
Yep. That's us. I have been a VW head for a long time. My dad had lots of VWs including two Vanagons. This has been a fun project.
My current VW is a Passat, but I feel like I'm getting sucked into the Vanagon world. I really want a Syncro now. |
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wavanagon
Samba Member
Joined: September 17, 2007
Posts: 400
Location: Everett, WA
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| Posted: Mon Nov 16, 2009 2:28 pm Post subject: |
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| tencentlife wrote: |
| Just take a wirewheel to it, she'll look like new in ten minutes. |
I should do that to the one I have sitting on my bench, paint it w/ POR-15, and have it join the clean party in my engine bay
_________________
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tencentlife
Samba Member
Joined: May 02, 2006
Posts: 10078
Location: Abiquiu, NM, USA
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| Posted: Mon Nov 16, 2009 6:04 pm Post subject: |
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Why POR15? Al doesn't rust.
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Please don't PM here, I will not reply.
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chimivee
Samba Member
Joined: September 23, 2009
Posts: 741
Location: Orange, CA
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| Posted: Mon Nov 16, 2009 6:08 pm Post subject: |
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| The Machinist wrote: |
Yep. That's us. I have been a VW head for a long time. My dad had lots of VWs including two Vanagons. This has been a fun project.
My current VW is a Passat, but I feel like I'm getting sucked into the Vanagon world. I really want a Syncro now. |
Nice work. Looking forward to more!
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-James
86 Syncro Westy, etc |
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binger59
Samba Member
Joined: December 09, 2007
Posts: 236
Location: Oswego, NY
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| Posted: Mon Nov 16, 2009 6:28 pm Post subject: |
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The Machinist
that is a nice piece. Are there any more NLA parts that your looking at reproducing. It's also nice to hear your getting a craving.
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Binger
1984 Westy
1986 7 Pass R.I.P. Donor van
2019 Jetta
2014 Passat
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2006 Passat R.I.P.
1998 Jetta R.I.P.
1984 Vanagon R.I.P. |
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ajdenette
Samba Member
Joined: February 15, 2009
Posts: 768
Location: Hope Valley RI
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| Posted: Mon Nov 16, 2009 7:39 pm Post subject: |
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aluminum doesnt rust but it does corode and such as mine has the casting has lost a lot of metal around the bases of where the hoses atatch too not much force would break them or take long to start leaking  i did wire brush them and found what little was left.
_________________
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https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=685635
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https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=732777
1990 Vanagon Syncro Base awaiting body work |
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tencentlife
Samba Member
Joined: May 02, 2006
Posts: 10078
Location: Abiquiu, NM, USA
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| Posted: Mon Nov 16, 2009 7:50 pm Post subject: |
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Yeah, it does get winnowed down under harsh conditions. You can do a lot to it but at a certain point there's not enough left to work with. We don't see a lot of that here where it's dry, but having come from wetter places I'm more than familiar with it.
My POR15 remark was jest; Paint Over Rust. What rust?
_________________
Shop for unique Vanagon accessories at the Vanistan shop:
https://intrepidoverland.com/vanistan/
Please don't PM here, I will not reply.
Experience is kryptonite to doctrine. |
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James 93SLC
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Joined: January 21, 2009
Posts: 937
Location: NE Ohio
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pete000
Samba Member
Joined: July 29, 2004
Posts: 642
Location: Ocala FL
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| Posted: Mon Nov 16, 2009 10:40 pm Post subject: |
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Please machine up a nice fuel rail, that should be a piece of cake for such a top notch machinist !
I can't believe no one makes one yet. Lost of home made solutions, but noting really slick.
I ordered up a thermostat housing kit and a lower tem thermostat today from VC... 
_________________
1990 Vanagon RS 2.1
1967 Deluxe 21 window
--------------------
Koni Shocks
H & R Red Springs
Addco Sway Bars Front-Rear
18 X 7.5 and 18 X 8 OEM Porsche Wheels
Recaro Power-Heated seats |
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