Funny, yet tragic ... my aircooled tale of woe

[Deaffy]

So the engine on my '82 is in need of rebuilding. I’m planning on going the remanufactured long block route, but don’t have an area available to do the work myself. Plus, time is a factor. I want to get it done in a reasonable amount of time with a decent level of competence. I can't guarantee either, so it’s time to outsource. Basically three shops locally that might do that kind of work. Here’s part of that enlightening experience:

Shop 1: Lots of (dirty) Vanagons in the garage staging area, a few older Volvos and other cars of that ilk. None appeared to have any work being performed on them at the time. Talk to the owner, won't touch aircooleds, will only will work on wasserboxers. Told me to get rid of my aircooled then see him. Suggested I go see the old German guy in town that has been doing only VW's for the last 30 years (he was on my list to visit, anyway). But not before telling me how annoying the guy is, and how he’s never at his shop. Takes 3 hour lunches and I’ll be lucky to find him.

Sure enough, head over to the German guy’s place and he’s all gated and locked up. Kill a couple hours doing some errands and head over there again.

Shop 2: Old German guy has a couple of freshly Maaco-ed convertible Bugs in his parking area for sale, an old Type 2 shop truck, and a decent looking 65 Bug in the garage. Tell him my situation, and of course he goes off on how he doesn't do Type IV's, hurt his back a few years ago, only does the Type 1's, blah blah. We talk a bit more, I think he smelled a cash cow (as I mentioned I have no thoughts of getting rid of this Westy, and I have a lot of money and sentimental attachment in it already). By this time I have no intention of pursuing anything with this guy, but it's interesting to pick his brain a bit. Was also fun to hear him bash the first shop I went to, how they can’t get anything right, and everyone complains about them.

Of course, he doesn't rebuild anything anymore -- not even the Beetle engines. He just orders them from a catalog. Supposedly this guy has a Master’s in mechanical engineering! Pops open said catalog, and lo and behold, they make a longblock for my application. The place is ATK Engines, and he just raves about them. Everyone else is scheißdreck, etc, etc.

Gets off the phone from getting a longblock quote, tells me that it's a 4 week wait (as they come from Holland), the price is over $2000 plus a $400 core. And of course I'll need new fuel injectors, a new clutch, a new alternator … Keep in mind I didn’t even drive the Vanagon in question there, this is all just him tabulating his next six month’s cash flow sight unseen!

Hysterical! I know what I need (and what I don’t), but I just keep listening to him run his laundry list. Finally, he puts pen to paper and comes up with an estimate. “Keep in mind, zis could go much higher, yah?” … $6000! I almost just guffawed, but thanked him, told him I would sleep on it and let him know.

Keep in mind this isn’t a Jake Raby engine- it’s not even close! It’s as much an assembly line rebuild as the rest of them.

So I take a different tact with Shop 3. The guy mostly works on Ferraris, but has done work on a Bug of mine in the past. I figure I’ll just go in, tell him what I want him to do- that I will obtain a long block and clutch components- and get an estimate for him to do the R&R. Stop, don’t even pass Go – he doesn’t work on the Type IV’s either. Too cumbersome, too something mumble mumble. I leave disappointed, as I thought this might be my best avenue. And near my house, too.

I contact a Vanagon specialty shop that is in the area (~50 miles). Do it all via email. Fast response- seems promising. Get an invoice for a rebuild, or maybe it’s not a rebuild- I’m not sure. There’s a core charge of $1000, but the invoice has a 12 hour assembly labor charge on it, too. Plus the 10 hours of R&R. Let’s figure 22 hours labor @ $70 per. So, if they’re not rebuilding my engine, why am I paying a core charge upfront?

Anyway, it’s an interesting experience so far. I didn’t think it would be that difficult to find a mechanic willing and able to do a fairly straight-forward job, but apparently so.

[Stanagon]

I've got 40k trouble free miles on my '81 2.0L from Boston Bob
www.bostonengine.com
It still runs strong and I've taken several long (~2,000 mile) trips with it.

I installed the long block myself. I also repainted the sheet metal, used new fuel injector seals, new clutch, fuel line, etc. during the install. If you have ever pulled a bug motor doing an air-cooled Vanagon is not that much more difficult. You WILL want to have the Bentley Vanagon manual on-hand though.

Bob might even be able to recommend a good shop out your way to do the install if you don't want to do it yourself.

From what I've read Jake Raby builds good Type IV engines too but I have no first hand experience. Bob's been doing VW engines for 30 years and ships motors all over the place. He also knows Jake pretty well.

[70 140]

Why don't you look for a decent used running engine? Call a few wreckers or check the classifieds here.