Mike,

My impression, pretty much without basis in fact, is that the VW engineers
with their now-famous 30 days to come with a WBX, decided to install an
oversized cooling system and be done with the overheating complaints. After
all, that was why they went to the WBX in the first place, no? And with only
30 days, better safe than sorry...wouldn't they have felt like fools to come
up with a water-cooled version that overheated?

Anyway, the Vanagon cooling system with its huge capacity assures that
unless something is seriously wrong, you aren't going to overheat in a
Sonora Desert traffic jam in August. Maybe the fan will go on, but that's
it. Pretty good.

Now here is a solution to the overcooling problem.  Buy a bra for an
AIRCOOLED Vanagon of C. 1982 vintage. Take it down to your local seamstress
lady. Have her cut out the area around the radiator inlet, three sides only,
and sew in a heavy-duty zipper. In summer, tuck it down and under; in winter
when you just can't heat up the engine, zip it back up. Far more elegant
than cardboard. Whatcha think of that? And imagine the seamstress's reaction
when you say you want a zipper in a big bra. Worth it for that alone.

Geza