AMEN!
 I was a formerly a 1970 VW Bus owner for ten years and love every minutes of
it despising its ups and downs in reliability (three engines and two
trannies). I loves its huge and spacious space inside it that makes my wife s
Ford Aerostar looks like a Ford Pinto...  My bus was a pretty slow but a tough
workhorse and withstood my abuses:

1. I filled my bus up to its windows with softball-size garden rocks and
hauled it to my home.

2. I hauled my family of four plus camping equipments up mountains (10,000ft
above sea level) and to campings.

3. I drove it nine consective hours thru downpourings and floodings.

4. I drove around with burned clutches/one-gear tranmissions.

I was impressed with its refusal to give up on me. It just keeps running and
running... I kept replacing all the faulty parts ($$$) and maintaining it in
its top overall shape.

I decided that I had enough of arm/leg workout with its manual tranny and sold
it to my good friend (it still keeps running and running...).

 Few months later I bought myself an used 1988 Vanagon Wolfsburg Weekender
with auto tranny, 125,000 miles and 10,000 miles on its rebuilt engine. It
runs great. I am in process of familarizing with its mechanism thru Bentley's
and of course thru this wonderful vanagon group.

My simple rule of thumb on VW's: If you love it  and keep it properly
mantained, it will keep run and run for you regardless of prices and abuses...

James
Anaheim, Ca
1988 Vanagon Wolfburg
former 1970 VW T2 Bus