My Love For Volkswagen Is Dying

It must have been when, on a whim of sorts, I bought a 1977 VW Bus from an impound lot in Grand Rapids, Michigan, that I first got my taste of “German Engineering”. Well, I got it running, but I think it needed a lot of work and I just sold it off for a profit. But in the meantime, I took it apart and marveled at the hand-welded unibody, the general build quality of such a very foreign machine to me at the time. The doors closed so perfectly. Not so for my 1977 Pontiac Grand Prix. The windows rolled up with ease. Not so for a Dodge Omni. The funny, foreign symbolism was everywhere on the dash for lights, defrost, etc. That kind of symbolism is commonplace nowadays, but then, it was all new to me. And naturally, this silly flat-four engine all stuffed in the lower backside. The infamous “pancake” motor. I didn’t know at the time how valuable the 2.0 L Porsche four cylinder was. Maybe that’s why I made any money on it at all. Alas, the seed had been planted.

A few years later, I found a 1971 VW Campmobile abandoned in a Mancelona field (way up North). It had a pristine interior, all the camping goodies. And the roof-it popped up! I was so amazed. I had to have it. I still do, as a matter of fact. It’s got over 300,000 miles on it and I lived in it with my wife for a year as we traveled the country. The only way to go.

I’ve had the motor out at least five times. It’s no biggie pulling out an upright 1600 cc motor from a Bus. You can do it in about 2 hours (maybe less if you want to impress yourself) with just a floor jack. The simplicity is magnificent. Well, those days are long gone, my friend. I just did a water pump/timing belt on a 1996 VW Jetta 2.0L 4 cylinder. The job was typical, like any 4 cylinder. However, I see that VW has gone away from 4 cylinder motors altogether. All their motors are at least 5 cylinders, as far as their current U.S. models go.

Well, I’ve done a motor job on a 1993 Eurovan, and that was a ridiculous project. That had the famed Audi Slant 5. But these new VW’s all have DOHC with chain driven camshafts and drivebelt designs that mimic the stupidity of Chrysler or Ford. Somewhere around the late 90’s VW went with the bubble design for all their cars, and those are worse in general. You have to remove the entire front bumper to take out the alternator… I found another way (I lowered the engine cradle and slipped it out the side), but this is just stupid.

I work mainly with American cars, being in Warren, Michigan, but I’ve always loved the build quality of a Volkswagen. Sadly, I can see that the old adage of “The People’s Car” has been long gone for some time, but when the manufacturer just gives up on the 4 cylinder altogether, they are giving up on a whole market of people who just want a simple car to drive. I mean, I can work on the five cylinder motor, but it’s gonna cost. If you want to work on it, you’ll probably get lost. And wherever you go to get it fixed, be prepared for a big, fat bill.

Of course, the antiquated air-cooled flat four motor is impractical and not for everyone, but with all the innovations in design, one would think that Volkswagen would not turn its back on the average car buyer.

Filed Under: VW