inline-4 Volkswagen engine

Last night, as part of my quest for a replacement engine for the oil-guzzling, smoke-billowing rotary engine in my van, I made a trek to Purdy on the Key Peninsula to look at an inline-4 engine that had been converted to fit a diesel Vanagon before the previous owner had overheated it. The current owner is selling the engine & parting out the van that it's sitting in. Paul & Hugh came along to lend their expertise, which far outstrips my own near-complete ignorance when it comes to auto mechanics. After checking the cylinders, Paul ascertained that the engine is decent, but we noticed that a hole had been cut in the body of the van to allow the engine to fit, and I'm not particularly interested in doing major surgery on my Westy.

The trip wasn't a complete loss, however, as I left with a flawless windshield, an interior panel for the sliding door (mine's missing), and an extra passenger door grab bar (I want to put one on the driver's side, so I don't continue to pull myself into the seat by the steering wheel). Paul also collected a large assortment of Vanagon odds and ends for his own ever-growing fleet of Volkswagens.