> impression that the typical owner of a water-cooled VW van is not only less
> mechanically adept than air-cooled owners, they seen less willing to acquire
> the skills and invest in the tools that would keep their orphaned vehicles
> alive, a failure of spirit -- or Fear of Grease -- that virtually assures
> such machines will end up on the junk heap.

EXXXXCUUUUSSSSEEE MEEEEE!!!!!

Maybe I'm not one to find an an old ash tray out in the middle of a
rain storm and proceed to assemble a van around it, but do believe I
have plenty of mechanical skills and HAVE used them.  And I'm not one
bit afraid of getting dirty!!  True, my VW history is not as vast as
some but I've torn into an engine or two and I'm not about to stop at
the Wasserboxer either.  Nor are all of us just into water cooleds either.
And I've made some improvements of my own to the newer van too.  And Joel
has a complete list of improvements (and mighty clever I might add) 
that he's done also. 

And there has been plenty of mechanical exchange on this list that goes
over some pretty in-depth technical know-how that some water-cooled members
have taken on the challenge of.

Huh, if anything, I've seen more owners of air-cooleds give up the ghost
because they didn't have what it takes to even handle something as simple
as the air-cooled engine and abandon it for some younger Japanese model.

Harumph!  

Steven 
Sacramento, CA
sjohnson@pcocd2.intel.com