The Compact Van Is Dead in America

[freebeard]

Antifreeze?

Antifreeze is poisonous to puppies and kittens.

[redpoint5]

Originally Posted by Isaac Zachary

I've owned an aircooled VW. I don't see how it's a non-starter. It worked well for the intended purpose, moving my butt from point A to point B. I wasn't too happy about the RWD nature of the car, but it was better than RWD on any other car.

RWD isn't a problem.

Weak, inefficient, vulnerable and needy engines are a problem.

You know what I've never had to do on a modern engine? Valve adjustment. You know what I've never burned up on a modern engine? Valves. You know what I've never had in the cabin of a modern car? Exhaust from a leak in an air to air heat exchanger.

You want me to go on? You're sounding like quite the conservative here.

[freebeard]

Weak, inefficient, vulnerable and needy engines are a problem.

UNIQUE 4 Cylinder Big Block Volkswagen | COMPOUND TURBO

I know of no other vehicular platform that has anything like the Sermons of Bob Hoover.

https://www.vwsage.com/images/vwsage...%20Sermons.pdf

....or guide for the Compleat Idiot.

https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › John_Muir_(engineer)
John Muir (engineer) - Wikipedia
In 1969, Muir collaborated with the artist Peter Aschwanden to create the definitive manual for Volkswagen owners, titled How to Keep Your Volkswagen Alive; A Manual of Step-By-Step Procedures for the Compleat Idiot.

..these ain't no aren't any Haynes manual.

[redpoint5]

The 1970 VW Beetle 1.6L engine has 57 horsepower. Fuelly reports 22 MPG.

My 2001 0.6L motorcycle has 109 horsepower, and I don't have to fiddle with anything. Granted, it has way less utility, but I'd rather have a bug with my Honda engine in it than the "affordable" junk they tossed into the VW.

It was made to be easy to work on, because you needed to constantly work on it. Six in one, half a dozen in the other.

[Isaac Zachary]

Originally Posted by redpoint5

RWD isn't a problem.

Weak, inefficient, vulnerable and needy engines are a problem.

You know what I've never had to do on a modern engine? Valve adjustment. You know what I've never burned up on a modern engine? Valves. You know what I've never had in the cabin of a modern car? Exhaust from a leak in an air to air heat exchanger.

You want me to go on? You're sounding like quite the conservative here.

You also won't get a modern station wagon, a modern small van or a modern car with a rear engine.

I only see valve adjustments as being the main problem here. Burnt valves are caused by engine malfunction. A leak inside the exhaust heat exchangers is very unlikely, unless you're whole exhaust system is to the point of nearly falling off the car.

But yes, there are disadvantages to an older car design. Packing wheel bearings, is another example. Adjust carburetors, changing points, etc.

Everyone has an opinion. But mine is modern cars are LAME! Sure, they're practical. Sure, they're reliable. But where's the fun? Everyone and their grey wind brick and tablet on wheels can complain all they want about older cars, but I enjoyed them and miss them and do not enjoy the cars I own today.

What's to enjoy about an Avalon and a Prius??? There's not stick shift. I can't just reach down and move the heater controls without looking. They have zero peronallity. I'm not supposed to touch anything. Everything is designed for a mechanic with a Techstream subscription to work on them. I can't even change the brake fluid on them myself. There's no satisfaction from finding that little problem and fixing it. I can't even get my infotainment center to work on the Avalon. Stupid, lame new cars!

Originally Posted by redpoint5

The 1970 VW Beetle 1.6L engine has 57 horsepower. Fuelly reports 22 MPG.

I got a solid 30mpg in my 1972 Super Beetle.

[redpoint5]

Originally Posted by Isaac Zachary

Everyone has an opinion. But mine is modern cars are LAME! Sure, they're practical. Sure, they're reliable. But where's the fun?

I got a solid 30mpg in my 1972 Super Beetle.

The Prius I owned was the least lame car I owned. It was a marvel of technology.

The lamest car I've been associated with was my girlfriends (now wife) Pontiac Grand Prix. That sucky car had a big engine, no power, poor fuel economy, the electronics (including headlings) worked when they wanted, the rear light lenses disintegrated (look at any Pontiac of that vintage and you'll see it), the trunk didn't open, some stabilizer bar was broken off the car...

I got 30 MPG in the Beetle too. That's not something to brag about when you've got 57 horsepower. I loved the one I drove because we installed a tiny steering wheel, so it felt like a go-kart. I operated it like the throttle was an on-off switch, and utilized the e-brake for maneuvering.

My friends had fun moving the dinky car to the opposite side of the parking lot to confuse me. I liked that it only cost me $20 to replace the windshield when my friend accidentally thrust a knife through it while messing around with a knife. It was amusing to put SCUBA tanks in the front trunk.

How much of my appreciation accrues to the vehicle, and how much accrues to the fact that I was in high school, and absolutely everything was an interesting experience (nostalgia)?

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by redpoint5

I know you like those old dinosaurs (I do too), but air-cooling is a non-starter for a serious vehicle.

I'm not totally unfavorable to air-cooling, yet it would be wiser to try something such as oil auxiliary cooling. Or going that far as what Suzuki did with its SACS oil-cooled motorcycles. Possibly would make more sense than that Wasserboxer
leaking disaster.

[Joggernot]

Originally Posted by freebeard

Antifreeze?

Antifreeze is poisonous to puppies and kittens.

It was made to taste bad to people and animals long ago. It was used to kill "husbands" and "wives", so they had to take that action. Don't know if this was done outside of the USA.

[Piotrsko]

Every official reference I have ever seen rated a 32 mm solex fed 1600 engine at 52 hp. 5 extra hp would have been awesome for climbing back out of Bakersfield. However that extra hp comes with a overheat penalty

You could get hydraulic lifters in 1980, but you lost a couple hp. Most everybody I knew set the valve lash at .010 or did it warm and lived with the tick tick but didn't adjust them again. This was the era of solid lifters in big block detroit cars with massive cams.

[freebeard]

My notchback had hydraulic lifters, electronic ignition, and an external oil cooler with braided steel lines. The lifters drained and then clattered on startup. 10% increase in displacement to 1776.

They respond well to small improvements. Bumpers and spare tire first to go.