This PA dealer is a place to stay away for us Pennsylvanians...  Could
you tell us which dealer it was?  By any chance, could it be the onw
in State College, PA?

Thanks,
Cetin

Bob Park writes:
 > Second engine lasted until a round trip from W. to E. coast.  Suffered at
 > the hands of an ignorant PA shop, which didn't know how to pop left valve
 > cover hidden behind cat. converter.  Cover popped on I-80 in Wyoming,
 > overheating and  contributing to eventual engine replacement.  Engines 3 -
 > 5 were from VW dealer, who blamed 2 more engine failures on fuel injection,
 > transmission (automatic), and I forget what else.  Finally, I think they
 > found a plugged cat. converter, probably caused by PA shop hammer, before
 > replacing engine #5, which failed soon after 1 yr. warranty expired.  I
 > took 81 to trusted Porsche mechanic for engine #6.  He installed oil & head
 > temp guages and aux. oil cooler, which confirmed engine temp. within range.
 > At 500 mi. he yanked the engine and sent it back with an oil leak at
 > head/block.  Engine #7 suffered fractured crank before 500 mi.  My baby is
 > near complete with engine #8.  What would you do?  I'm tempted to trade it
 > for a (curse me) Plymouth Voyager to match all the neighbors.  Except, at a
 > kit car show this weekend, I saw a Mazda conversion engine w. adaptor to VW
 > tranny by Kennedy Eng.in So.Cal.  I also have 88 RX7 which runs like the
 > old 72 bus.  Could live with a hybrid.  So, whadya think?
 > 
 >