Club 80-90 Forums

Hi
After trawling through the various threads i approached elite vw for a replacement and i was just after some thoughts on the info etc they gave me.
I have a cj engine in an '81 a/c devon and i wanted to put the original cu back in so i could reinstate the exchangers and make it fit without dipsticks coming out of filler tube. I put a similar question on a while ago but didn't have the funds! I spoke to them yesterday and they said they would change the ignition system, tinware(which they would swap free), put in new exchangers and transport from bournemouth and return after fitting for about £1700. Does this sound like a reasonable price for all that, and is elite vw a reputable place for a replacement??

Lots of questions i know, but any advice/info would be greatly appreciated.


Thanks
Ned

Hi Ned
I have not read any bad press about elite on this forum
I have read a lot of well qualified comments that the engines can't be reconditioned properly because they are so cheap.

Elite I'm sure, know that poor quality will put them out of business, especially these days with a forum like this.
One bad thing a lot of folks say is that they are slow in turnaround.
But any faults with fitted engines have been dealt with.

Very nice people, very slow turnaround. As for quality, they've been around a long time, so that say's a lot

Thanks for the replies.
Just looking for that piece of mind before i tell the wife she cant have her new kitchen!!!
Ned

do a search and make your own mind up.

me? vege everytime

Elite done a engine re-build for me some six/seven years ago and I have not had any problems since then.
I would not hesitate in using them again.

phredd

but thats just it, its not a rebuild.

you just get a motor with slightly less worn parts , not a proper rebuild

if your on a budget then ok it will get you back on the road but 1700 quid?

That's quite true Jason it would come with a build list and they don't.

It all depends on how deep is your love.
...and if your love is deep but your pockets aren't, then elite is your cupids arrow.

I too would have a vege at the first chance. Knowing where I am with an engine is important to me.
After all if the van failed big time, I would always have the engine to transplant

If you want a proper rebuilt engine it will cost £££££

the rest of us go to Elite

an Aircooled vege cost me 1300 quid for a proper rebuild motor with a build up sheet.

that elite one is more.......


and its not a proper rebuild.

pays your money takes your choices.

having seen the inside of an elite rebuit dg theres no way i would buy one off them

remember just cos the case is painted silver doesnt mean its a new engine

jason k wrote:its not a proper rebuild.

pays your money takes your choices.

having seen the inside of an elite rebuit dg theres no way i would buy one off them

remember just cos the case is painted silver doesnt mean its a new engine

I've seen 1 stripped Vege DG wbxer that looked like it was rebuilt by a 12 year old and it DEFINATELY did NOT contain new parts ... unless they write 'Good Side' on their new parts. The barrels are still in my shed if you wish to prove this ?

Carry on.

Ian.

Mine's painted green by the way.

My personal experience was that they fitted what I understood to be a reconditioned unit, 2ltr air cooled. The case was painted nicely and it seems initially to pull well compared to before. The day after i had it back was driving carefully as advised at 50 on the flat to run it in and the engine temperature went right up, i was on the mobile to them at that exact moment (hands free) and was told 'not to worry it was all fine, these things are to be expected with a new engine' etc a few hours later we had a huge and scary engine fire, shut down the whole of the A40 east bound with a huge engine and subsequently vehicle fire. NB Fuel lines were all recent and everything was safely working. I had my 7 yr old daughter with me and we were both frightened by the experience. I wrote an angry letter and met with a defensive reply, the insurance company were not interested and it would have been difficult to prove without investing in an engine inspection. My reflections on this experience after ten years are that the Mr Elite i dealt with was a charming bigot who sells people what they seem to want and i hope he sleeps well on it. I would never use them. I had a chat with dave at Megabug a few years ago, his comany once dabbled with selling their engines and decided to open one up and look into how it was put together, once done they changed supplier. I agree that thes engines cannot be properly rebuilt on the cheap. Interestingly i'm sure i've also seen a comment from Laurie Petit somewhere where he makes a more positive comment on Elite (hope this is accurate) and his work I and many many others respect. This is only my personal view. My next engine will be an AAG 8v 2ltr golf GTI simply because theyre so cheap and plentiful and the conversion is fairly straightforward from DG/DJ and in the long run cheaper if you ever have to do it again, they are also VW and have similar power to a DJ and no more thirsty.

in fairness ian you do seem to champion elite but if i remember correctly you sent in a new set of pistons and pots to go with your rebuild.

otherwise theres no way they would put a set of new uns in.

i reduilt a dj and pistons and pots plus heads come to more than an elite motor and thats before regrinds bearings etc.

it dont add up, im glad your happy with yours but i wouldnt touch one with a very long bargepole.

jason k wrote:in fairness ian you do seem to champion elite but if i remember correctly you sent in a new set of pistons and pots to go with your rebuild.

otherwise theres no way they would put a set of new uns in.

i reduilt a dj and pistons and pots plus heads come to more than an elite motor and thats before regrinds bearings etc.

it dont add up, im glad your happy with yours but i wouldnt touch one with a very long bargepole.

You remember incorrectly .... I bought my Elite DJ unused from Aidan (Talbot) who kindly sent in a new set of pistons and barrels to go with HIS rebuild. I believe a deal was struck on the price of the rebuild but you'd have to ask Aidan that, as it's none of my business.

If you took the time to read my posts on Elite most (if not all) say **,000 miles and nothing to report. At the moment in 2 and 3/4 years it's done nearly 50,000 miles and nothing to report. I can only say that the green paint has flaked off and that I would and will gladly deal with Aidan at any time in the future. I've never even spoken to The Micks but I know of plenty of people I trust who whole-heartedly recommend them, that's good enough for me.

The Vege recon I saw was fitted by a garage near Buxton and a good friend bought the van 2 years later with the engine done less than 200 miles, he was given the receipt from Vege to the garage, but the engine didn't run so he stripped it down .... and I was there when he did.


Ian

i have taken the time to read your posts as i said in my post you tend to champion them.

how would i know that without reading them?

at no point was i questioning aidens reputation.

but how many other engine reconditioners do you have to send bits into to ensure they are changed?

the who supplied the pistons comment was a bit pedantic but, you ,aiden whoever......its no odds

what i was getting at is your rebuild had new pots and pistons.

how many others do? being truthful prob not many if any.

they simply cannot do a proper rebuild for the standard prices they charge.

im glad yours has done 50k and is going strong.

but i think we will have to agree to disagree on this subject.