In a message dated 12/1/99 10:14:50 PM Eastern Standard Time,
waxi@MAILANDNEWS.COM writes:

<<
                                           Air-cooled    Vs.    Water-cooled
 - Engines                             cheaper                not as cheap as
 air-cooled
 - Radiators                          free                       not as cheap
as air-cooled
 - All those radiator hoses     free                        not as cheap as
air-cooled
 - $ spent on fluids like
   coolant (not oil)                 cheaper                not as cheap as
air-cooled
 - $ spent on gas                  equal                    equal (lucky for
you guys)
 - $ spent on oil                    expensive            cheaper
                                     (Hey oil is cheap)
 - All the parts that are
   common to all vanagons     equal                    equal (again lucky for
you guys)
  >>
My additions:
Horsepower and Torque:      Less Power               More Power
Environmental:                    More Emmissions     Less Emmissions
Time between rebuilds:        100-120k miles         170-200k miles
Probability of dropping
a valve on overheating:         High                         Very Low
Heat in the winter:               Poor                         Very Good
A/C in summer:                   None- Poor                Good

Just pointing out a few other things.  Not slamming folks who drive Aircooled
VWs (I am getting my '74 Bus ready for the road), just pointing out why I
like watercooled vans more.  I love heat and A/C.  Wind in my face gets
annoying at 65 or 70 mph :)
Different strokes for different folks.  Maybe I'll become more enlightened
after I drive my groovy Bus for a while :)

Thanks,
Ken Wilford
http://www.vanagain.com
John 3:16
Office (856)-765-1583
Shop (856)-327-0027
Fax   (856)-327-2242