Date:         Sun, 8 Dec 2002 19:03:36 -0500
Reply-To:     Clarence J Falarski <lamont@MINDSPRING.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Clarence J Falarski <lamont@MINDSPRING.COM>
Subject:      Re: Wasserboxer Reputation  . long
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="Windows-1252"

Good morning all.

I have had most of the VW's during my lifetime, the majority of them having been water cooled engines and yes they were a reliable engine and at their reputation for being durable goes without question,  was it perfect, no ?   But I now have a wasserboxer multivan and am as pleased as punch with it, is it perfect, no, but what is ?

 I certainly am no VW historian but I think that the engine was originally developed somewhere back in the late 30's or early 40's. Well that was a long time ago and 60 or 70 years have past and like most things there comes a time for change, ergo the coming of the wasserboxer .  Sure it has it's share of problems and like most other engines will continue to have its faults, but it is the nature of the beast, all engines have their weaknesses. I think what we all liked about the old boxer engine is that it was simple and we could do most of the work ourselves,
after all it was called " the peoples car ". But with the coming of technology and electronics  all  things eventually had to change.  Look at most of our lives, are they now not more complicated and more stressful  then they used to be ?  Have not all of us at one time or another said,  "I liked my life like it was back when etc.etc," sure we have.

 Does anyone out on the list really think that the water-cooled engine is really any worse than it's predecessor I don't think it is. To quote an earlier posting from Andrew Grebneff  " perhaps the reliability and service life of the vehicle was enjoyed by the previous owners.  

As I read the moanings and groanings of most of the listies it seems to me that dollars  ( $$$$ ) are the biggest concern to them, and I hear,  " how can I fix it as cheaply as possible", or  "what is the cheapest way to do it."   This seems to be the common bond between a lot of those who complain about their engines. I know that money is not always available and is a concern to everyone, however that  is one of the biggest problems, when it comes to repairing something as important as the engine of a vehicle.  The cheap and dirty road  is sometimes traveled and the result is blamed on the engine design. Everyone is a critic, including myself.

I have been riding BMW motorcycles for over 40 years and  they started with the 2 cylinder boxer air-cooled engine .The first BMW bike was built in 1923 and the basic engine  is still being produced today and has it's loyal following,  it's reliability is unquestioned, it is called the  " R " series.  Sure it now has overhead valves and an electronic ignition  but it's still basically the same engine. Now along comes 1983 and a new 4 cylinder water-cooled engine is developed  and produced, it is the " K " series, it has fuel injection etc.etc. and like VW owners some  BMW riders love the new engine and some do not, some hate the old boxer and some do not, it's purely a matter of taste.

Companies change, time, people and technology  demand changes and whether we agree with those changes or not, it is and will continue to be a fact of life. It would be an awful world if we all had the same likes and dislikes. I think it all boils down to the fact that we are all trying to do the best we can with what we have and are trying to stay out everyone elses way.

Regards and good morning.
clarence.1990 multi.
pinehurst, nc.