Date:         Thu, 11 Jul 1996 14:02:39 -0700 (PDT)
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         "Steven Johnson" <sjohnson@pcocd2.intel.com>
Subject:      Re: open your eyes

> The water-cooled horizontally opposed four cylinder engine designed by
> Volkswagen has a fatal design flaw as numerous posting to the Vanagon list

I know this was for Patrick and not for me.  Well, probably part of it was,
but as you know I had a pretty fiesty response too.  Well... after thinking
and reading this, I agree that the vanagons will not be as long lived as
the air cooleds were, but I think that the air cooled are also doomed as
well.  Not so much due to lack of interest and mechanical know-how.  Even
the aftermarket would last, but for the fact that the EPA and the car
manufacturers already have put in place the means to remove our older
vehicles from the road.  There in lies the real problem.  Even rust won't
remove our beloved VWs from the road as fast as this huge lobby will. 

I think that in all too short of time, the name VW will only apply to
a standard water-cooled four or five seater sedan and possible your
typical minivan and our old campers and aircooled vintage ones will
be just fond memories.  Too bad and very sad.

I don't know what I'll be driving then.

[Too depressing]

Steven 
Sacramento, CA
sjohnson@pcocd2.intel.com