DIY or pay someone for a pro swap?

[Californio]

Blind installer? The one who did Daizee's.

[Williamtaylor33]

Bostig- so easy a caveman can do it.
_________________
89 Bostig powered syncro westy

[240Gordy]

this is where the cavemen get back on their bikes and ditch the hot dates . . .
_________________
Tencentlife said,
"So, now that you know what you're doing, go to town."
2010 GOLF TRENDLINE 2.5
1985 GL now with more! a 2.1L
H&R SPORT(RED) Springs FRONT , SLAM SPECIALTIES RE6 AIRBAGS REAR

[Chris Country]

I've got to say that I recommended Bostig to my girlfriend's best friend who had never turned a wrench in her life, she had a million questions for those guys and they gave her all the help she needed to the bitter end.
I'm 3/4 of the way done with my swap and have been very impressed with their system so far. Plus, the new motor cradle, billet Throttle body,and billet T-stat housing are sooo sweet. They seem to have refined the latest release even further.
Chris

[bostig]

Wait, the end was bitter?

Jim

[Chris Country]

The end wasn't bitter for her and let me just say that you guys are sure a patient lot.

[syncrodoka]

[bostig]

We've had quite a few women customers, including a blackhawk helicopter pilot, one of only 50 female combat aviators in the army.

[syncrodoka]

I would be more than happy to turn wrenches with a cavewoman.

[dredward]

[bostig]

Some good points. It being hard or easy definitely matters, because if you can't finish the conversion and make use of it, it's a complete waste of time with no value. It can completely exclude one from a given option. I think like most, you completely underestimate how many people fail at converting on their own, it's not something people brag about in forums so there is really no way most people would even be aware of the reality. As far as satisfying, since that's subjective, again the choice will vary and this is where the setting of expectations is vital(on things you can't take away from a test drive). I still think too many people ignore repair (it's ease, cost, etc) as a vector while doing research. I completely agree about test drives. Since it's possible, why not do it? Billet parts do matter if they make install more successful and easier through consistency or function. The ooo shiny factor doesn't really matter, but it doesn't hurt either, as long as you aren't paying for bling in isolation.

Jim

[Chris Country]

All good points and time will tell with my overall satisfaction. A couple things that won me over...1)My brother has a Focus with the Zetec motor and has driven the living daylights out of that thing in stop and go traffic for the past 7-8 years. He now has 100,000 trouble free miles on the motor. 2)I got my new crate engine for $900. $1200 w/shipping to Colorado. Hard to beat.
I'm not expecting to do power wheelies around town but it'll be hard not to be pleased after running my tired 80hp 1.9 wasserboxer at 7,000 elevation.
Cheers, Chris

[mtnwater]

To get this thread back on track...I'll share my experience. I've done both.

Pro conversion

I read about bomb-proof subaru 2.2 conversions and took the time to research and drive a syncro westy at elevation with a 2.2. And I was convinced. Compared with the wbx in my syncro AW, the converted syncro westy I drove seemed like a dream. I made my appointment, shipped my van to the best subaru conversion shop in California, and paid the tall dollars. Rebuilt 2.2, all the bells and conversion whistles.

Less than five miles away from the shop my wife commented that the van seemed louder than before. And it was. A month or two into ownership, I noticed the motor had a slight growl/vibration off idle. Back to the shop (which is approx. 9 hours from home, not super convenient). The shop did everything they could to figure it out...no dice. They also swapped the exhaust in an attempt to quiet it down. In the end, the shop handed my cash for a plane ticket so they could take the time to put a new engine in. That'll fix it eh?

Picked up the van, it was still loud, and still had the off idle issue. It wasn't a big deal, but I was bummed. I ended up putting $1k into a different header and muffler trying to quiet it down. All the 2.2's are super quiet, right?? Why wasn't mine? Still don't know. And why that slight grumble off idle? Still don't know.

About a year later I was in canada on a long road trip when the headgaskets went south and started releasing gas into the cooling system. Made it home and started making other plans.

Do it yourself
Sold the subaru conversion and all associated parts and invested the proceeds in a bostig kit. I was intrigued by the simplicity and had dreams of forced induction bliss. I completed the conversion myself without incident, and learned a ton about my van in the process. I now have a level of comfort with the various systems that I simply didn't have before. The process and support was fantastic - every nut, bolt, washer, and part was accounted for. Harness was plug and play.

I'm a shadetree mechanic on my best day, and I found the process straightforward. I think I called Brady twice. I'm baffled by the folks who seem frustrated by the install. Not sure how it can get much easier.

The end product is a pleasure to drive. Slightly less power than the 2.2, but oh so quiet and smooth. Still shocked at how quiet it is. Ground clearance is fine, and will only get better when I invest in the high clearance pan. I haven't had any issues in 20k miles. I'm getting 18 mpg, consistently. Stock tires and gearing. The turbo has taken longer than I'd hoped, but I'm confident it'll come. Jim and Brady's dedication to getting it right is inspiring, and when/if the turbo is released, I suspect it'll be on par with the conversion itself. Which is to say - user friendly, functional, and reliable.

Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. I thought I could just buy my fish...but in the end I'm happier catching them for myself.

FWIW - I find no fault with the shop that did my conversion - those guys were simply amazing and went waaay above any reasonable expectation of service. But there are so many variables that simply paying someone to do a conversion doesn't guarantee it'll meet your needs.

YMMV

p.s. - Pro converted subaru 2.2 with rebuilt motor: $10k.
Self converted Bostig zetec: $5k.

[SeattleDownhill]

Who has done the Vanaru conversion kit? It sounds simple enough... How long would one spend if they chose to go that route? Any idea?

[liwesty]

picked up my westy monday. had hans from vanaru do all the work.put about 600 miles on it this week, it feels like its on steroids! not afraid of mountains anymore.

[Jon_slider]

> All the 2.2's are super quiet, right??

No, they are known to be louder than a waterboxer

> Why wasn't mine?

wrong expectations, you are not alone
I even know of a guy who after getting a 2.2 subaru was so dissapointed with the loudness, because he could not talk to his wife while on the freeway, that he bought a Sprinter. He can now have a normal conversation with his copilot at highway speeds..