There has been a long running fracas on thesamba.com (is there any other kind there?) about whether the Subaru engine conversion for a VW Bus is 'worth it.' Of course, opinions are like...well, you know the quote. Some people have so many opinions, you'd think they had two.
So having just as many opinions as the average bear, I figured I'd toss my hat in the ring and see who shot it off. I'm republishing here because I think it sums up the arguments on both sides pretty well:
This thread started 2 years ago with the question "Is it worth it?"
Since it is such a wide open question, the answers are going to be equally broad. Here are two perspectives, and a way to reconcile them:
To the purist, to the investor, to the VW culture of 'to hell with the crowd...I'm goin' that-a-way' (not understanding that he is subconsciously following a crowd of like-minded individualists)...the answer is 'no, it is not worth it.'
Details:
- It undercuts the shrinking ACVW niche market by removing the need for their products, causing that niche market to contract even faster.
- It 'ruins' a functional example of the vehicle to serve the narrow interests of the individual who wants to drive it and increases the likelihood that a future owner will have to undo the changes...or that there will be no future owner and the vehicle will either never have its conversion completed, or it will wind up getting ruined some other way.
- You don't own a Vintage VW. You are its steward and caretaker for a period of time.
- Such a conversion is incompatible with the VW 'way' of changing nothing that doesn't need to be changed. "If you're unhappy with the cost or performance or parts availability, you're driving the wrong vehicle. Sell it to me, I'll take care of it, because obviously you won't."
- The purpose of driving an old VW is to enjoy them as they are, not remake them into something that they are not.
- "You'll never save enough on gas to pay for that conversion." (They're right, but keep reading.)
Now here is an alternate take: "Yes, it is worth it."
- I want to DRIVE my Bus, haul my kids, give it to my wife and turn my back and not even consider whether she'll get where she is going. I want to camp, go out where the sidewalk ends, drive across the country or just to the store. Use the Bus all the time because it is one of the most utilitarian, sensible and rugged designs ever sold to the general public but was crippled by convulsive, reactive legislation and saddled with an engine that would always struggle to meet emissions. So if I invest in this conversion, I'm going to enjoy the drive more, because I *will* drive more. If you don't believe that your bus is or can be made capable of all of those things above, you're driving the wrong vehicle, and changing the engine won't change the vehicle as a whole.
- If a conversion is thought through, it can be made reversible, so that the vehicle is not damaged in ways that prevents someone of the 'Strictly Stock' perspective from putting it back to stock at a later date. Let this be known as the 'Don't Cut' doctrine.
- There is a vast amount of prior art in conversions. They've been going on in the UK and Australia for years, are idiotically well documented, and have reached the point of being 'bolt on' instead of 'hack, chop, drill and weld on.' If it is bolt on, it is equally easy to unbolt.
- The complete cost of Subaru conversion (including all of the additional plumbing, wiring harness adaptation, etc) is cost competitive with a single quality rebuilt Type4 engine. (Say, $4000-5000USD.) In 100k miles, (if your rebuild makes it that far) you get to pay the entire cost of a conversion again to rebuild your Type4 (assuming you intend to ever put that many miles on your Bus, or that you haven't lost interest, a problem that has nothing to do with a conversion and everything to do with the individual.) And that is assuming that prices and parts availability stays the same. Which it never has.
- Volkswagen never did a 'performance parts' subdivision like GM or Ford. One of the side effects is that long term parts availability falls to the aftermarket for fulfillment. The more time I've spent researching American Classic Car restoration (or even HotRod) the more I've learned that this has worked to VW's detriment. You can still buy a factory new small block v8 ($2000USD) for your Chevrolet from GM itself: Whether you're putting it in a 1955 Bel Air or a 2003 Chevrolet truck, or anywhere else. Same basic engine. And still available. Where is VW? Yeah. That's why FAT, EMPI-Anaheim, and SCAT all got into the business of performance parts for VW...because VW wouldn't.
- Mileage with a Subaru engine is a false economy: You'll probably get better mileage than your Type4 engine, certainly better than your Type1 engine. But you'll never get enough mileage improvement to pay back the cost of the conversion solely at the pump. The best you can say is that the Subaru engine will last longer at the improved mileage and be less expensive to run because it require less maintenance, and less expensive to repair, whether you do repairs yourself or farm it out to an independent shop.
- By focusing on the 96+ Subaru engines, you derive all of the benefits of the OBD2 engine management for real time engine data, as well as fault and failure analysis. Just having the OBD2 port at hand if you took your engine to an independent shop will make them many times more likely to take the job. If you're doing it yourself, you can have all of the diagnostic tools in your glove compartment for about $30. (Yes, LJet can be diagnosed with a $5 multimeter and a $30 Bentley workshop guide. But you have to dig deep into the engine to get to some of the sensors, the system relies heavily on vacuum signalling, and the Type4 was never a 'mechanic friendly' design in the first place.)
Some of the 'don't tell me what to do' crowd are pleased to poke their thumb in the eye of the 'Strictly Stock' crowd, just to see them yelp. I think that's contemptible. You don't do yourself any favors alienating a community of knowledge that you will rely on for other things (rust repair, frame & body, suspension, brakes, etc.) by being a twerp about how clever you think you are by doing something outside of their comfort zone. A little mutual respect will go a long way. That goes for Strictly Stock, too. If the conversion is 'no cut,' what is there to beef about?
Here's a general breakdown of costs to perform an average conversion: Some items may be cheaper if you choose to DIY, others may be more expensive if you choose to have others do the work (Wiring Harness, Rear Hanger Bar.) Careful sourcing of some items should allow you to drive the cost down below $4000USD. Items marked * are one time costs. The base engine can be replaced with one of the same spec/same year with no additional conversion cost:
Components, Supplies and Services Budget: $4845USD
Donor Vehicle: 1996 Subaru with SOHC N/A EJ22 Engine, with harness: $1500
Kennedy Engineering Adapter: $540 *
Radiator: $400 *
Custom Wiring Harness: $700 (Or DIY, $0 if you've got the time) *
Reverse Manifold Adapter: $100 *
Thermostat Adapter: $80 (Tom Shiels) *
Cooling Ancillaries (Expansion, Overflow, Fittings) $300 *
Cooling Pipe & Hose: $350 *
OBD Interface Board: $75 (Smallcar.com) *
Rear Engine Hanger: $200 *
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