Vanagon Subarus

BeyGon · 06-08-2010, 07:25 PM

Here are some Vanagon Subarus I saw/see all the time. I took the pictures of the white ones at Daves house today, mine is in the driveway, a GL Automatic with a 2.2 Subaru, the one in the garage without a front plate is a just finished Weekender Automatic with a built trans and built 2.5 Subaru, the one on the right with the plate is a Weekender Auto with a Subaru six installed by Small Car, both of Daves cars are on 16" wheels, mine in the drive has 15" wheels.
I don't know why Dave wants two white Weekenders but he likes them.
The dark Single Cab is an Auto with a Subaru six that I saw at the car show in Dana Point Saturday. Usually three or more with Subarus there.

enzo1 · 06-08-2010, 08:09 PM

Like it, wish VW would build it new

onewhippedpuppy · 06-08-2010, 08:10 PM

Pretty cool. Does anyone go all out and install a WRX or similar Subaru powerplant? My dad had a diesel Vangagon when I was a kid, acceleration was absolutely glacial with that thing.

ckissick · 06-08-2010, 08:21 PM

I like that plate, "SMLNWAV". Hardly anyone waves at me in my Westy anymore. Forget the 911. If I see another Tristar, we usually pull over and talk.

jyl · jyl's Garage

Have you guys upgraded the square headlights? I'm looking for an easy and inexpensive route to better light.

ckissick · 06-09-2010, 06:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jyl

Have you guys upgraded the square headlights? I'm looking for an easy and inexpensive route to better light.

Try GoWesty or Van Cafe. The South African grill and round headlights with relays are the best, but the square headlights can be improved. No solution is terribly inexpensive, that I know of.

jyl · jyl's Garage

I was thinking of a home-grown relay install w/ nice big wires straight from the battery, then 80/100w bulbs in the stock headlights. Seems I should be able to do it for <$100. Unclear if the lenses are too crappy for this to help.

BeyGon · 07:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jyl

I was thinking of a home-grown relay install w/ nice big wires straight from the battery, then 80/100w bulbs in the stock headlights. Seems I should be able to do it for <$100. Unclear if the lenses are too crappy for this to help.

All three white Vanagons have the Van Cafe relays in them plus mine has an extra ground wire on the headlights. From that you can put in better bulbs but mine improved quite a bit with just the relays. The car with SMLNWV plate has upgraded square lights but he doesn't seem to need them. He isn't doing it to the other one. I think the kit from Van Cafe is ok priced, you can buy the parts and make it up but their kit works just fine.
All three have Audi big brakes, mine came from Van Cafe.

RWebb · RWebb's Garage

Thx for posting these, Dean.

Any comparisons between the 2.2L & 2.5L motors?

re: the headlights - the reflector pattern is just suboptimal; you need to do the relays anyway, so see how you like them after that. I am preparing for the SA Grill as there is a lot of darkness in Eastern Oregon. IIRC, Bus Depot has the best deal right now - they include the big round lights.

The longer you wait for people to wreck their new Xenon bulbed cars, the more likely you can find something better to cobble together. LED headlights are too far in the future to avoid the relay kit.

BeyGon · 06-09-2010, 10:26 AM

I haven't ridden in the 2.5 yet, it should be much quicker than my 2.2. I know it was a new motor built by SmallCar and then he had the heads reworked by a company in Oceanside, it should have some power. I have ridden in the six Subaru and it is fast, faster than I want to go in a box like that. They have new shocks and springs but still, not a car I like at 100.

jyl · jyl's Garage

Thanks for the headlight info. I'll be doing this pretty much ASAP. One of my high beams is an aquarium and I can't even tell - that's how weak my lighting setup is.

Do you guys like Bilstein HD or Koni for shocks? This is a Westy, meaning h-e-a-v-y. Currently on 14" but probably will do 16" steelies within the year.

Finally, can you tell me more about the Audi big brake kits? They do seem rather costly, but I've figured out that putting together my own big brake setup would require turning down rotors, buying new rotors, making caliper mount adapters, buying and rebuilding calipers, etc etc - I don't think I could do it much cheaper, frankly. Is your set-up front-only? Easy to DIY? Any bias or master cyl mods/problems? I'm going to bleed my brakes and try to get through the year on them, but eventually will want something better.

BeyGon · 12:03 PM

The Van Cafe big brake kit has everything you need, new bearings, everything, You won't have to use those stupid studs anymore, you will have a new hub with regular lugs, vented disks, big Audi calipers, but you will need at least 15" wheels and you can do it yourself. I think it was about $750 but it's easy to find on Van Cafe, or if not in a hurry, wait for a sale, I think their kit is the best of the group.
I think Small Car has the kit for rear disks, they may be the only ones that make a bracket you need and would't sell it without the kit. I'm not a road racer so haven't needed the rear disk set up. The first thing I did after buying this and driving home from Phoenix was put the front brake kit on, I didn't like the way it slowed down. Next came the Subaru.
Same with Dave, he put the brakes on first.

RWebb · RWebb's Garage

John you can likely find some cheap MB wheels - I hear the CLK are the easiest to fit. And many MB wheels are forged, so less wt. than steel & used snow wheels will be cheap.

I dunno much about the Vanagon, but I usually think more highly of Bilstein than Koni these days.

BeyGon · 06-09-2010, 01:58 PM

You can get the same wheels GoWesty sells at places like Tire Rack for a very good price but you don't get the center caps with GW on them. Plus you won't have a fit problem or spacers. Mine had GoWesty wheels on it when I bought it, along with new Koni shocks, they work fine on a Vanagon.

RWebb · RWebb's Garage

Thx, Dean