VW Bus - Subaru Swap - Who’s your Subaru Conversion Source? - Episode 9

[@Ahmed_G_Soliman]

Mick from Busaru.com is great. Bought the conversion kit he sells which is the cross member, throttle reverser and the VSS.. He shipped to Cairo Egypt where I live and delivery was timely and product very satisfactory.. great guy to deal with..

[@panel11111111]

Bought my adapter plate from Hecker Machine in Oregon and my short primaries from Outfront. Both great products and great delivery time etc. Everything else for mine is custom.

[@pskafel]

Oh no! That sucks - I hope they pull through for you!! Even if they don't, I'm sure you'll pull it off and love it in the end!

[@GarageTime]

Thanks Paul, it was seeing your Westy that got me thinking, 'hey, I want to do that'. So here we are, I think it will be great in the end. The swap itself seems pretty straight forward, however, getting the parts we have ordered is another story. Thanks.

[@DanTheManIOM]

@@GarageTime it's all the unforeseen bits that kill the schedule - hardware brakes and drilling it out, getting new hardware, engine parts I did not plan on replacing -valve stem seals, water pump, ordering those parts in advance, and losing them, and having to buy them again...arrrrrrr

[@new2gold]

Would i need a throttle reverser in 1969 bay

[@DanTheManIOM]

Thought it was just me, I bought the donor in Nov 2018, still not installed -- pulled engine & wiring harness in March, just did the head gaskets on Fathers day (US), going to do timing belt kit/water pump today...way behind schedule. Small car for engine carrier after screwing around for days building my own engine carrier, Small car for stainless exhaust (pretty)...Rocky Mt Westy for adapter(No F in instructions), Rock Auto for timing belt (japanese) - took 5 tries...dealer for valve keeper/retainer I lost..Amazon for the valve keeper removal tool, CL for the glass table to flatten/smooth heads..I try to do 1 thing a day....

[@DanTheManIOM]

oh, I also joined yahoogroup subaru-vanagon. My conversion is on a 85 Westy, but I have split and bay windows too... let's see how this one goes before I do another..since 85 is water cooled, I thought it would be easier than air cooled to water....63K miles engine 1 killed by PO and corrosion, oil looked like muddy river water, then $400 "used rebuilt" engine I put in, was better, but still sucked...3rd time is the charm, fingers crossed..will it run ? IDK....I'll be back to let you know..

[@GarageTime]

Definitely not the only one, we have been receiving emails, for lots of others in the same boat. And as you mentioned no instruction, photos or nothing, just a box of bits.Bits that need to be bent, cut etc... Would have been better off building from scratch at this point. Waiting 9 months for 2, 6' lengths of pipe to show up. They are my 'custom' radiator hose kit. 9 Months!! Anyhow, wanted to voice an opinion, get people talking, lets steer people from the bad and help the companies that are doing good, provided quality parts and good customer service. Keep s us posted on your build. Thanks.

[@DanTheManIOM]

@@GarageTime Sounds like you need to find a new piping house...I have seen exhaust headers 1st made of PVC pipe, shipped to "flowmaster" type place and they make the stainless to mimic the pvc. Maybe buy straight ss or copper or emt pipe and some 45's and 90's and hose couplers, just to get the project moving ?? I've seen people use copper and emt !! I wouldn't, but just saying..

[@Sarcastro7338]

Mine takes a 1.8 Golf/Jetta motor, Have a conversion plate from Kennedy Engineered Products. Runs really smooth, I am looking on how to move more air out of the engine bay now. I am running a huge oil cooler and the Rads on the belly. I have no problem with a Subi conversion, I just like the all VW aspect :)

[@adamdavies4742]

We are looking at fellowspeed to do ours for us I have seen and spoken to the guys at different shows, seen there work, they are only about an hour away for me.

[@GarageTime]

Lucky, cost a lot for shipping over the pond. I would recommend them, very happy with stuff we got from them.

[@SkaterStimm]

What is the motivation of using a Suburu engine vs something else? Is it the size, the torque it outputs? Isn't there something else we could put in, maybe something that comes in a kit, that doesn't have to be pulled out of a old car?

[@GarageTime]

Hey Skater Stimm, I did for all of the reasons you listed. Size: fits like it belongs, torque: yes please! More torque and horsepower. Also can easily adapt to your existing bus tranny. Ours is already beefed up. So it should take the extra Power. Another reason you often hear is reliability and access to parts at far pricing. Don’t get me wrong still love are cooled, used to have a sticker that said ‘water is for boats’ on my old 57 beetle, but really just wanted to give this a try, see what all the hype was about. We will find out soon enough!

[@benshore7357]

The Subaru is a flat 4. The vw is a flat 4.

[@MrDezeldoc]

Other than the Subarugrars trans kit, i made all my own parts. Most of what they sell is over priced for what it is.

[@bruceloheac8581]

Just got FINALLY my 76 Westfalia back from SubiSwaps after 18 extra months. Anyway, Subaru conversion is the go to modification until a doable EV conversion exists, which I don’t see coming out for another 5 to 10 years. It makes the camper drive for another 30 years, with reasonable fuel consumption and emissions. But don’t ever buy from SubiSwaps. Buy from a recognized shop that is existing for years with a nice reputation. Most conversions are for vanagons, so the radiator parts have to be well engineered, especially with AC condensers added to the project.

[@memphismarkog]

Anyone done on a 72

[@onixbonilla4420]

Do you know David White from Subi Swaps? Last October I paid him a good amount of money for some Subaru Conversion work and parts. Up to this point I had received nothing. Every time we communicated, he insisted that everything was fine, but never show me any progress of the work “due to patent issues”. A couple of months ago he offer me to buy his business, so immediately I realized he was scamming me. I contacted another customer and he have the same situation, even he send the same picture of the Subaru engine and transmission donor car. Now it seems he closed the shop, blocked me and disappeared with my money. So if someone know him or have contact with him, let me know. Thanks Onix Bonilla

[@willysbug]

I have actually used Steve Lopez Sr. for a few items like the pressure tank, custom radiator, TBR Engine support bar. He is amazing to deal with. He makes most things himself and has his Nephews Split bus he can use to mock up parts. I have a 1966 Bus I'm converting and went through the same crap with subiswaps you are. It's horrible. Basically paid $3000 for an adapter plate when all is said and done. Check him out on the facebook group vw subaru conversion or at low-pez.com/