There were watercooled Vanagons available in all of 82 and all of 83. In
82 there were also aircooled and likewise in the first part of 83.

83.5 refers to the first waterboxers, not the first watercooled.

Mark

BJ Feddish wrote:
>>> I'm assuming the answer isn't in me Bentley to this one.  Why do some
> owners refer to their vans being 81.5, 83.5 and such? <<
>
> I have an 83.5. I call it the "experimental year" Vanagon. It was the first
> year water-cooled. The prior 6 months were air cooled.  It's great when you
> go to a FLAPS and confuse the ^*^$% out of them.  You get to come home with
> wrong parts too. I'm even lucky enough to have parts that were only made for
> this half year vehicle.  What's nice is I get the turd brown color from the
> early eighties with the added bonus of leaky heads.  A nice combo.
>
> ;-)
>
> Bryan
>