Well if Jak can do it and he tries to design house plans for a living, then any half trained night monkey could do it...you know what I'm saying.
One of the biggest problems for some people would be place well equiped enough, where the car can sit, that is also close enough for it to be practicle.
Jak....what day are you free this week for that expresso with the little lemon twist, that mate of yours makes out the back of the art gallery. He always tells me he makes it himself, although I do not know if I believe him.
I agree with the sub $4k price for a conversion.
My 95 WRX engine with 70k klms, loom and ECU cost $2100. I you are prepared to scour the wreckers for the other parts such as coolers, radiators, pumps and pipe the cost does not get out of hand. I should get the conversion done including the cost of buying the van for less than the cost of building my 2110cc aircooled for the beetle.
Having a decent garage and all the tools and knowhow also makes a big difference.
In the famous words of Tim the Tool Man Taylor....argh argh argh.
Brendan
A VW for everyone!!
1972 1302 German Look
1971 Bay Panel with Subaru EJ20T
1970 Type 3 squareback in progress
1971 Type 3 notchback in progress
As long as it is not burning skin or retinas! Note the full length clothing, gloves and safety glasses. Giorgio Armarni watch out!
The fun of grinding goes after the first weld is smooth!
This is where the price goes up in the cost of the conversion. There is a lot of work in the fabrication, especially for a neat job. CORC price for the full kit would include all that heartache in making the bits.
Me I'm a sado-masochistic bastard! I love cleaning, stripping, cutting, grinding, welding, grinding, welding, grinding, sanding, painting, polishing, assembling, wiring, upholstering, glazing etc...
Brendan
A VW for everyone!!
1972 1302 German Look
1971 Bay Panel with Subaru EJ20T
1970 Type 3 squareback in progress
1971 Type 3 notchback in progress
I have never seen a WRX engine go for anything less than $3K! Where the heck are you guys buying your cheap donks? An old RS still gets over $2500 here! Add the adapter/FW ($600), clutch ($300), radiator(s)($300+), plumbing($80), and fab work and your getting up there...And don't forget a desent transaxle!!!
My brothers RS conversion he do over 6 years ago cost he around $5K....
So on a commercial deal, drive in, drive away....$8K sounds like a deal!
My SVX conversion in my transporter has set me back around $4K without all the hours and small bits and pieces along the way.
ICHI Bahn at moorebank...used to be Jap Wreckers I think. EJ20t's $799.
Call.
02.9600 7066.
We paid $800 each from SSS, although they have none left and I have had a few dramas with mine and think it was beat up a bit....check the sump condition, if its dented and smashed up it must say something! If you want one ask for pics, or get one of us to have a look.
We paid $3K for engine and modified harness/PCM, stripped and labelled ready to install into VW. Sure, you might be able to find a piece-of-sh*t 1993 WRX engine for $800, but what makes it run?
I challenge anyone here to name a mechanical workshop in Australia that will install a WRX engine into a VW including radiator, coolant pipes, all body mods (engine bay and radiator) heater/demister, all fitted, tuned and running and get it legally engineered and registered for $3000. Betcha can't.
Asd Humpty, Jak Rizzo and Rubyred and others have related in this and other threads, retrotech engine transplants are wonderful. But they DO COST DECENT MONEY. Don't be misled or bamboozled by $1000 turbo engines.
The VW conversion I was involved in (WRX/Type 3) cost more than $4000 just in PARTS. That's before we attempted to fit it. I have been involved in other conversions such as 60s-90s Holdens and Falcons with EFI V6s and V8s and it NEVER costs anything less than $6-8K to get it on the road DIY with second-hand parts. $12K is a typical quote from a workshop
nn[ Edited on 24-9-2005 by VWCOOL ]nn[ Edited on 26-9-2005 by VWCOOL ]
Edited as requested by a number of people.nn[ Edited on 28-9-2005 by Dasdubber ]
We paid $3K for engine and modified harness/PCM, stripped and labelled ready to install into VW. Sure, you might be able to find a piece-of-sh*t 1993 WRX engine for $800, but what makes it run?
I challenge anyone here to name a mechanical workshop in Australia that will install a WRX engine into a VW including radiator, coolant pipes, all body mods (engine bay and radiator) heater/demister, all fitted, tuned and running and get it legally engineered and registered for $3000. Betcha can't.
Asd Humpty, Jak Rizzo and Rubyred and others have related in this and other threads, retrotech engine transplants are wonderful. But they DO COST DECENT MONEY. Don't be misled or bamboozled by $1000 turbo engines.
The VW conversion I was involved in (WRX/Type 3) cost more than $4000 just in PARTS. That's before we attempted to fit it. I have been involved in other conversions such as 60s-90s Holdens and Falcons with EFI V6s and V8s and it NEVER costs anything less than $6-8K to get it on the road DIY with second-hand parts. $12K is a typical quote from a workshop
nn[ Edited on 24-9-2005 by VWCOOL ]nn[ Edited on 26-9-2005 by VWCOOL ] [/quote]
$850 for a 94 wrx engine
$1095 for an ECU
$300 for engineering
$600 for adapter & flywheel
$245 for clutch.
pipe work, muffler system, radiator & fans were sourced through friends & family for next to nothing.
Not paying someone $80 an hour for little result helped financially as well.
Add $1500 for a rebuild & I'm still in front.
Unfortunantly Andrews & Brendans low milelage WRX engines could blow up tommorrow, shit happens , although one would think highly unlikely.
Pauly , Matt & I built our cars to a budget & for a purpose, I can confidently say mission accomplished. it's been a blast. I've also saved money on petrol over my 2275cc vw engine.
To think that people are argueing over the price of conversions, in the conversions section is Pathetic. it's hard to beleive we all love the same thing, vw's.
Arguing? Err... Some of us are just attempting to present real-world pricing. When mention was made of prices, I presented a price of $9000 for a drive-in, drive out conversion by a workshop which is a price I believe a workshop would have to charge for the business to be viable. This price based on my own 'doing the sums' with a mechanical workshop that does conversions and my own hands-on experience with engine conversions into Holdens, Fords and VWs. Buggy Brad offers a DIDO EJ20 conversion for (IIRC) $8800. And I think Boof and Humpty, both whom have obvious experiecne with conversions kinda agreed with that figure, too. So I don't think I'm too far off the mark, huh
Edited as requested by a number of people.nn[ Edited on 28-9-2005 by Dasdubber ]
You can do a Subaru conversion for about $3000 if you do all the running around, sourcing, welding/fabrication, getting dirty, dealing with ambiguity, figuring out the wiring, scrounging parts for the wreckers etc.
If you want someone to do it for you it will cost $9000 drive in, drive out, no dirty hands, no work. New radiator, new pipes, shortened sump, new timing belt, new water pump, new fuel pump, fuels lines run for you etc etc.
boof2332 wrote:You can save alot from keeping an eye out for piping, thermos, fuel pumps and if you are handy with metal(i'm more handy cutting it out), then you can get costs down to aound the $4000 mark.
What VWCOOL was talking about was the cost of a drop off, drive away conversion cost, for those not wanting to do it themselves. We worked out it would be about $8000.....we would have to do a trial, although we sat down worked out the time and it would take 2 people 2 weeks....do do everything from cutting to wiring.....just drive it to a dyno, then to get some new rubber.
After that it, it would be easy to show the owner how to do their own engine swaps and they could work on them from then on.
Matt
Thats cheap!!!! as long ther is no mods doing with in the motor!!!:thumbJVLRacing
Now I'm really confused :jesus So JVL you agree that $8000 is cheap and that this would be the expected price for the conversion?
nn[ Edited on 27-9-2005 by Craig Torrens ]
Craig Torrens6 times Australian, 7 times State Hillclimb Class Champion
You can do a Subaru conversion for about $3000 if you do all the running around, sourcing, welding/fabrication, getting dirty, dealing with ambiguity, figuring out the wiring, scrounging parts for the wreckers etc.
If you want someone to do it for you it will cost $9000 drive in, drive out, no dirty hands, no work. New radiator, new pipes, shortened sump, new timing belt, new water pump, new fuel pump, fuels lines run for you etc etc.
And a plug for CUSTOM OFFROAD..............they are the guys to go and see.:thumb
thanx guys this has been exactlly what people have been waiting to here and see the real prices ive considered it with my splitty and i have a baja that i definatley what a subie put in but im the no time or know how guy that would pay one of you guys to do it the baja first .
i dont think chris wanted his post hijacked this far,,i think no matter what the price,you do it because you want to do it to keep,if we were doing it for resale value then you will lose..
so if you can do it for 3k or 10k,good luck,these conversion make for a high performance car,i cant think of two many cars with this power to weight ratio...
but i can say after a few people have done the conversion,the smile on there face is better then money in the bank,,,,
good luck guys,and the original post about chris and the sale,well he is going to finish it, ,almost there,then he will have a smile on his dial,,,,
i think maybe start a new thread about how good it is,dont worry about the cost.......
cheers :beer:beer:beer:beer
To follow the path: Look to the master, Follow the master, Walk with the master, Become the master
You can do a Subaru conversion for about $3000 if you do all the running around, sourcing, welding/fabrication, getting dirty, dealing with ambiguity, figuring out the wiring, scrounging parts for the wreckers etc.
If you want someone to do it for you it will cost $9000 drive in, drive out, no dirty hands, no work. New radiator, new pipes, shortened sump, new timing belt, new water pump, new fuel pump, fuels lines run for you etc etc.
Thankyou Mke M,this what ive been talking about all the time.JVLRacing
boof2332 wrote:You can save alot from keeping an eye out for piping, thermos, fuel pumps and if you are handy with metal(i'm more handy cutting it out), then you can get costs down to aound the $4000 mark.
What VWCOOL was talking about was the cost of a drop off, drive away conversion cost, for those not wanting to do it themselves. We worked out it would be about $8000.....we would have to do a trial, although we sat down worked out the time and it would take 2 people 2 weeks....do do everything from cutting to wiring.....just drive it to a dyno, then to get some new rubber.
After that it, it would be easy to show the owner how to do their own engine swaps and they could work on them from then on.
Matt
Thats cheap!!!! as long ther is no mods doing with in the motor!!!:thumbJVLRacing
Now I'm really confused :jesus So JVL you agree that $8000 is cheap and that this would be the expected price for the conversion?
My conversion ej20 N/A out with vw
motor $1800.00
ecu ( OEM ) cut and shut $350.00 > never do this bit ever again!
adapter plate & drive hub , well I made mine did a good job say cost on this was $300.00
radator custom three core $300.00
fan $150.00
pipe work 316 stainless steel tube $350.00
headers muffler & cat stainless steel $450.00 & around 60 hours work no labour in price
add $350.000 for hoses ,clamps ,fittings , wiring , fuses .
this is what I have in my book for the costs of the conversion , seagull
Looking for that special lady : PM me for coffee & cake
