I think people confuse reliability with durability or quality. These are
all very different characteristics. When I had a 67 bus, it was
extremely reliable. You knew that you would drop an exhaust valve
between 50-60k or any long trip in summer. You knew 65 was top speed on
a good day, down hill. Of course it was relatively inexpensive to fix
but engine durability was not there. My 70 was slightly better.  I had
and worked on many VW's during those years and made a fair amount of
money rebuilding engines.

In 85 I purchased a used 84 Vanagon. 3 years later I realized the
advantages of preparing for a trip to include an oil change, check the
belts and tires, then go. This was a marked improvement over the pre
trip valve replacement pray while you drive there. Real heat and AC made
the day.

The next van was the Fun Bus. A 1987 Syncro Westy we purchased new. 2
weeks ago I made a 900 mile round trip to Western PA. It turned 224K on
that trip. The engine has never even had the heads removed. I had no
trouble keeping up with traffic except for a few hills on 80. Still able
to do 70+ and get 16+ mpg. I wish the tranny has been as durable.

There is no doubt the water cooled has more parts to cause grief. This
is addressed with proper maintenance. Regular inspections is the key to
success. Next is that repairs are done properly.

There are many who have had success with the Air Cooled engines but I
remember when VW quickly offered the Diesels in a desperate attempt to
sell something. Many Air cooled engines didn't make it through warranty
and the warranties were only 2year/24K back then.

Dennis

-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf
Of Justin Mayrand
Sent: Wednesday, August 03, 2005 4:08 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: More Reliable: Air or H2O

OK, a recent post got me to thinking, and this may have already been
discussed, but I was too lazy to check the archives...

Which is more reliable, the AFC or H2O cooled Vanagon?

I have an AFC, and is is spot on reliable - in fact it starts better
than my Toyota truck some days. All I need to do is keep the oil
clean and cool. No water system to fail. Yes, it is slow, but...

Other opinions?   ...JMM