>
> The LBCs (Little British Cars) are just as easy to maintain as the VWs.
> With the age of these cars, your experience will depend ENTIRELY upon what
> kind of shape your purchased lbc is in. Buy the best you can possibly
> afford. You will not regret it.
Understood. I believe in that philosophy too.
>
> There are some philosophical differences between the Germans and Brits. VW
> never used a 10 cent part when a 5 cent part would do, barely. I've
> generally found that lbc parts _that are made in Britain or the USA_ are of
> much better quality. Lots of things on VWs never worked right, right from
> the drawing board (eg, the heaters, the early wipers, that freakin' rear
> suspension, heck, the entire cooling design, etc.). Most systems on an lbc
> work well, though they are quite different from VW or American designs, and
> often antiquated compared to their peers.
>
Well, I don't know about that. VW didn't need to buy the 10cent parts
because they already got all the quality Bosch German-made parts for 5c
:-) . Of course, your experience is similar: I've found that VW parts
made in Germany or the US are MUCH better than those from Mexico or
Brazil. The three words most feared by a Volkswagen owner: Hecho en
Brasil!
As far as the heaters, they worked great when the cars were new. You
didn't leave anything plastic near the heater vents or it melted. As
the cars age, of course, you get rusty heater boxes, holes in hoses,
etc. But if the system is brought back to stock specifications, it
works really well. With the vans, it's not quite as effective due to
the larger inside area, but mine still gets me warm. True, it does take
a while though :-) . Don't know about the early wipers, mine work fine
:-) . Also not noticed any problems with the rear suspension both on
the Beetle I once had, the '78 Bus I once had or the Karmann Ghia I have
now. All of those had torsion bar rear suspension (for those that don't
know). I don't care for the early (pre-'67) suspensions as much, as
they were swing-axle, so possible for the rear wheels to tuck under the
car during high-speed turns. But when do you make high-speed turns in a
Beetle? :-)
And the cooling design works well for me :-) . The cooling system on a
VW is actually really intricate, composed of many pieces of metal
ductwork that serve to direct cooling air where it needs to go. You'll
find that POs like to play engineer (when they really have no clue what
they're doing) and remove certain vital cooling system items, such as
the seal that goes between the engine and body, or the tin under the
pushrod tubes, etc. Then they wonder why their engines die early and
hot deaths.
I think VW always used quality parts and materials, but they just didn't
put anything on the cars that didn't absolutely need to be there.
> Everyone (including myself) loves to joke about Lucas electrics. However,
> the only problems I've ever had were a loose fuse and a dirty horn contact.
> Really. That said, though, Lucas electrics can be pretty minimal. They
> probably got the job done in 1965, but with 30+ years of vibration and
> dirt, they just might disappoint you some dark night. I suggest replacement
> of any wiring/connectors that do not look perfect. Preventative maintenance
> is key here.
Right. Same with old VWs. Speaking of electrics, does anyone know when
MG went from 6v to 12v?
>
> One final and big difference (to me): When I turn wrenches on my lbc, I
> can't wait to get it running and wring it out in a test drive. With the
> VWs, I just prayed they'd get me down the road. The lbcs are meant to be
> driven for fun, though they are useful transportation (I drive my '65 to
> work everyday). The VWs are useful, basic transportation, though they can
> sort of be fun (I had a Karmann Ghia, too) if you're not used to much.
>
Must not have had VWs that were well-taken care of by the POs :-) . I
never have to pray because I know my van is rock-solid reliable. I
wouldn't worry about taking it on a cross-country trip tomorrow. It's a
great engine and I take care of it. The Karmann Ghia also seems
reliable but as I haven't had it that long, I still am a little wary.
But, it hasn't disappointed me yet.
Sorry for the rant, had to defend the VW honor here :-) . I do
appreciate the information and the comparison, as I like to hear from
someone who has had both and can tell me what's similar and what's
different.
BTW, if anyone wants to check out my VWs, I have some pics of the
Vanagon and Ghia at http://www.type2.com/bartnik/myvan.htm . I also
have a technical info page and some other goodies there to explore.
All right, I'll try to shut up about VWs in the future and concentrate
on MGs :-)
> Welcome to the list. It's a great bunch. Don't talk about cats, though.
>
Thanks for the welcome. Seems like a friendly bunch so far, I've gotten
lots of warm welcomes.
Sean Bartnik
Fredericksburg, Virginia
'81 Vanagon Westfalia
'74 Karmann Ghia convertible
|