If you have a running car in bad shape, or a motor in the garage, etc. be aware that the VW Vanagon community has a large contingent of folks who are swapping Subaru 4s and 6s into their vans, and they need healthy engines, donor cars, and parts...to do a swap requires a complete engine, ECU, and complete and uncut wiring harness. Due to the many ECUs Subaru produced, it's preferred to get everything from one car, or at least the same model.
For those unfamiliar with the van, it's the 1980-1992 VW Vanagon, originally equipped with a 2.1L watercooled flat-4 from '84 up.
![Image](http://www.smallcar.com/vanagon/fitz/im000697.jpg)
Plagued with crappy headgaskets, underpowered, basically a 1930's-design VW Beetle motor with a waterjacket. Awful motor in an otherwise brilliant vehicle. In the case of the Syncro camper shown above, a 112hp engine pushing close to 5000lbs of vehicle. Rebuilding the VW motor is prohibitively expensive, and very little extra power can be milked out of it without blowing it's guts out through the side of the van.
Using an adaptor plate for the transaxle, the Subaru motor is the perfect fit, being a modern, efficient and very durable flat-4.
![Image](http://www.smallcar.com/images/15.jpg)
SVX 3.3s also fit. Zoom!
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
![Image](http://www.smallcar.com/vx/im000684.jpg)
If you have a donor car, motor, etc, please consider advertising on www.thesamba.com and www.vwvortex.com , specify Vanagon Swap motor for sale. Check out www.smallcar.com , www.subaruvanagon.com , and many more for info on the swap.
http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/subaruvanagon/
is the groups BBS. You'll have to join to advertise there, but you are welcome on behalf of the group.
Here's a WRX-powered Vanagon putting the smack down on a Corrado, and then a Syncro, also Subie powered. Note the added ground clearance on the 4WD...Tough to see it, but it looks like he ran 14.48.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=ZOsytXs6ZMM
Thanks!