Hi there, I am a new member and new to owning a van, with next to no knowledge so please be nice. I bought a VW 1990 T25 1.9 DG Water-Cooled van at the end of February, and have had her serviced and all the jazz by Slaughter House Customs. Amazing team. Sadly whilst on my trip to France, she broke down and I have been told by my insurance it'll be a 6-8k refurb, ludicrous - I know. I've looked around, and found the VWEngineCompany - they look promising but rather pricey at around 4k. I have a bit of money to spend as sadly my dad passed at the beginning of the year, so this project/road trip was to emphasize to myself to really live in the moment. But, again having next to no knowledge of engines (that was my dads' specialty) I have no idea what is good and what is bad. I've also looked into Elite Engines too, who are considerably cheaper - but cheaper doesn't always mean better. I know many of you probably would suggest buying second-hand and fitting it myself, but this is only handy when you know what you're doing - so a refurb is probably my best bet for my knowledge. Just thought I should pop a post up, to see if anyone has experience with either of these companies refurb engines. And if anyone has some better advice for me! Thank you in advance Taylor
Welcome. If you are paying for an engine, I'd suggest that you look and compare what is provided as part of the package. Elite Engines are cheaper because they don't do as much as VW Engine Company. I have experience of Elite Engines and I can't say that it was the best. I will happily share my experiences with you if you want (send me a PM).
You have some decisions ahead of you. I wouldn’t be putting a 1.9 back in. I would be going the 2.1 L A much better engine. But then all your other bits are no good. A 2.5 Subaru would have to be a consideration
For comparison purposes I paid $8,000 Aus (£4,200) for a bottom end rebuild drive in / out in 2020 for my 2.1L. Kept heads, pistons and barrels but new crank and rods
