Julio:

Well, people have their opinions--and their religions--and
this can be like Linux vs Windows....

I have an '81 aircooled, the last of four ('61, '67, '76)
and I wouldn't give it up for a watercooled.

That late aircooled motor was the best that VW ever did.
The fuel injection system is bomb proof.  All original
components on mine at 133,000 miles except for one rubber
connector hose.  Starting/idling is no problem in the cold,
at least down to zero F.

Rebuilt motor at 103,000 miles; VW Canada rebuilt with
brand new heads.  That's a good life expectancy here at
5000'+ and 10,000' mtn passes.

There is no heat in the aircooled Vanagons.  ;-)  Well,
if you want heat, get one with the aux gas heater, then
you have almost instant heat and plenty of it.  In cold
regions, I would advise against an aircooled unless it
had the aux heater or you parked it in winter.  One cold
day a passenger in my '76 in the back asked when it would
warm up; I told him, "April!"

I've had almost zero problems in 18 years and 133,000 miles.
This list is an almost endless litany of complaints about
leaking heads, temperature sensors, coolent fluids, etc,
etc, from the owners of watercooled.

Others will speak up with their opinions about H2O!!

                                Richard A. Jones
                                Boulder, Colorado
                                '81 Vanagon  Mr Bus