subaru conversion problem

[Bradleyvw]

While passing a tractor trailer at 85+ mph on the highway,  my fold up picnic table that I  have stored in the luggage rack for years, caught wind and flew off the roof, shattering on the highway behind me. Luckily no one was behind me.  The bungee cord hook straightened out. Boy, I love my new engine.

[Peter M King]

Ya Ya go ahead, rub it in to us bay window folks

[prez]

Brad, watch out now-a friend of mine was in route to Vacation, Martha's Vinyard-had his entire roof rack blow off with all of their clothes in it-scatered  all over Rt 95.     Hey, I saw a bay in N.J. do 100 mph     - strap 'em down-

[Peter M King]

A bay window doing a 100 mph, what kind of tow truck was it on?

[MrLiMBO]

I did a 100 in a bay window once a long time ago.  It was a 78 standard bus.  Just me and another guy.  Took a few miles to get there on I-91, but it did it.

I had my BBQ blow off the roof on my old bay window camper years ago. On my way to Transporters Rites of Spring.   Stopped to pick it up and backed into a guard rail from my trouble.  Not a good day.   Make matters worse, when I got home, my wife had to rub it in by saying "I told you to take sandwitches"!

[Peter M King]

Well that's very impressive, was it white knuckle driving. Too bad you didn't take sandwiches,

[prez]

Perhaps the greatest 'top speed increase' was in 1972 when new ones would all do 90 easily, a far cry from the '71 1600cc.  Ad a stock 2.0L and they're faster-modify it and faster yet.  My '75 was seen doing a wheel stand [a dumb move] which sortened the life of the frame in the rear tortion area. Bays cut the wind better than splits, but things get tough at higher speeds. All vans need to roll well and have a tight front end in order to have stability at any speed. Many of these modern motors have 2X the power and more which produce a serious change in in the gas pedal.  I agree with Brad in that the Subaru motor 'looks'  like it belongs there.

[Bradleyvw]

  My '75 was seen doing a wheel stand [a dumb move] which sortened the life of the frame in the rear tortion area.

I don't know if your 72 did wheel stands, but I saw it fly by me on the NY state throughway coming back from the Woodstock show a few years back. I was doing 75mph and all's I saw was a beige flash pass me. :shock:

[prez]

It was my '75, not '72, I had it 19 years....Much pain and torture to that van.

[aviles]

what kind of subi motor did you put in?

[Bradleyvw]

what kind of subi motor did you put in?

A 2005 2.5

[aviles]

i just put a 2.5 in mine too i got lucky and got a 07 with 14k miles:lol: i am so happy with it, looks like it belongs there, plenty of tourque, no overhang on the bottom...im afraid im gonna get a speeding tix...did you stay stock on the tires and tranny gearing? how bout that idle

[Bradleyvw]

...im afraid im gonna get a speeding tix...did you stay stock on the tires and tranny gearing? how bout that idle

Yeah, I'm worried about the speeding ticket also, but I just can't resist stepping on it.   My van has an automatic , and I wish it had another gear.  It has 16" rims, but the tire has the same revs per mile as the 14" did.  I purchased the tires last year, before I had the  Subi put in.

[aviles]

yeah 3rd gear is a beast huh? i had a bmw tailgating me going onto rte 101 in nh and I just floored  it went from 35-70 in third gear! looked in the rear view and no more beamer! :twisted: just makes me question why VW never went this way...heart + soul = harmony

[aviles]

so the 16" rims do they make a difference in gearing, you mention same revs, i hear some folks re gear the tranny to get more out of each gear even adding a fifth...i think im gonna leave mine as is but im contemplating shock & springs to try and eliminate some of the body roll in corners with the extra speed