Why do people have soft spots for VW's?

At least for my 1988 Cabbie, it is easy to work on. My 1995 Buick, on the
other hand, is not backyard mechanic friendly.

There are 2 groups of car owners out the

1. People who use and think of their cars like appliances and hardly know
or care about the differences between them.
2. Those who understand and appreciate their cars and the differences
between them. VW owners are in this group.



"Mystic" > wrote in message
...
> Tom Levigne wrote:
>> I have noticed this for over 25 years that some people have a soft spot
>> for Volkswagens.
>>
>> Why is this? Because the Germans are smart and worked so hard after the
>> war to get back on their feet or the cars are unique and functional (they
>> certainly aren't the most reliable which are Japanese or the best riding
>> or quietest riding which are American cars) and some older VW's aren't
>> the best looking cars or maybe people remembering old VW's they had when
>> they were young or getting laid in a VW bus in college or farvegnugen or
>> something of a combination of these or what?
>>
>> Its interesting but maybe no real way to actually put your finger on
>> this....
>>
>>
>>
> hmmm...volkswagon...peoples car.
>
> That says it all. It was built to be be a car for the people. No frills,
> Easy to maintain. Most repairs are simple and can be done by anyone with a
> little mechanical ability. Why should anyone wonder why it has been such
> a success? Anyone who has had major repairs done to other vehicles would
> be amazed that the same repair could have been done by themselves at a
> fraction of the cost. The volkswagen is/was a do-it-yourselfer type
> vehicle.
> *MYSTIC*

>My experience would cause me to think that *that* >theory is long
dead.

Amen.. I'm still on the honeymoon with my 2004. Seems like a major
project just to change some of the bulbs. I have to laugh at the
excellent online DIY procedure I found that shows the replacement of
the timing belt. It starts with removal of the front bumper from the
vehicle! On a GM car, you wait until it breaks, which is an expensive
endevor on the 1.8T.


<I can't wait to see how google will mangle the word wrapping, when
will they fix this!>

> wrote in message
oups.com...
> >My experience would cause me to think that *that* >theory is long
> dead.
>
> Amen.. I'm still on the honeymoon with my 2004. Seems like a major
> project just to change some of the bulbs. I have to laugh at the
> excellent online DIY procedure I found that shows the replacement of
> the timing belt. It starts with removal of the front bumper from the
> vehicle! On a GM car, you wait until it breaks, which is an expensive
> endevor on the 1.8T.
>

This isn't an issue unique to VW. All cars have become far more complex.


--
Tony Bad
--------------

02 Jetta Wagon
01 Eurovan MV
91 Jetta 1.6 Diesel
86 Jetta
79 Rabbit 1.5 Diesel (semi-retired for now)
Schwinn Continental 10 Speed
Radio Flyer Pedal Car (my daughter made me add this)

In rec.autos.makers.vw.watercooled, Tony Bad wrote:

>
> wrote in message
roups.com...
>> >My experience would cause me to think that *that* >theory is long
>> dead.
>>
>> Amen.. I'm still on the honeymoon with my 2004. Seems like a major
>> project just to change some of the bulbs. I have to laugh at the
>> excellent online DIY procedure I found that shows the replacement of
>> the timing belt. It starts with removal of the front bumper from the
>> vehicle! On a GM car, you wait until it breaks, which is an expensive
>> endevor on the 1.8T.
>>
>
>This isn't an issue unique to VW. All cars have become far more complex.
>

I think that is true. However I think that even changing an air
filter and oil filter on other cars of my same vintage tend to be
significantly easier.

What is the vintage of your car?

On my 99.5 diesel the air and oil filters are incredibly easy... Air filter
is a couple screws and lifting of a cover, oil filter is unscrewing a cap
and removing the cartridge filter (after taking off the engine's acoustic
cover) - how is this all done on your VR6 (going by your screenname)?
"Tom's VR6" > wrote in message
...
> In rec.autos.makers.vw.watercooled, Tony Bad wrote:
>
>>
> wrote in message
groups.com...
>>> >My experience would cause me to think that *that* >theory is long
>>> dead.
>>>
>>> Amen.. I'm still on the honeymoon with my 2004. Seems like a major
>>> project just to change some of the bulbs. I have to laugh at the
>>> excellent online DIY procedure I found that shows the replacement of
>>> the timing belt. It starts with removal of the front bumper from the
>>> vehicle! On a GM car, you wait until it breaks, which is an expensive
>>> endevor on the 1.8T.
>>>
>>
>>This isn't an issue unique to VW. All cars have become far more complex.
>>
>
> I think that is true. However I think that even changing an air
> filter and oil filter on other cars of my same vintage tend to be
> significantly easier.
>

In rec.autos.makers.vw.watercooled, Rob Guenther wrote:

>What is the vintage of your car?
>
>On my 99.5 diesel the air and oil filters are incredibly easy... Air filter
>is a couple screws and lifting of a cover, oil filter is unscrewing a cap
>and removing the cartridge filter (after taking off the engine's acoustic
>cover) - how is this all done on your VR6 (going by your screenname)?

Completely stock '95. The oil filter cartridge is almost as easy as
you say, but you also should open a drain screw first to let the oil
drain out. Then you unscrew the big screw, etc. However in contrast
to a spin-on oil filter, it is much messier and more time consuming.
I have to go fish the cap back out of the dirty oil.

The air filter is very tricky to maneuver the cover free and back
on. I once had my oil changed at an oil change place. They had a
check list of things they did as part of the service. One of the
items was to check the air filter. As I was paying the manager I
asked if they really checked the air filter. He said yes, and I said
their mechanic must be a better man than I am. He then checked with
his employee who said no, he had not.

They spent about 25 minutes with two, and sometimes three, people
trying to get it out. It's up front where you can see it, but still
tricky.

Hmm sucks about your air filter then - I guess the 4 cylinders must have
more room to maneuver around in for working on it... I don't even have to
disconnect the connector to the MAF sensor to take the cover off enough to
get at the filter and vacuum the dust out of the air-box (despite saying to
disconnect the connector on the air filter box).

From what I have seen with the oil filter, yes you drain the oil - then
unscrew the plastic cap and pull the filter out - seems easier then a screw
on type (like on my old 91 Golf 1.8L).... I hardly ever do my own oil
(either get a friend to do it, and I basically watch and assist, or I get it
done with the schedualled services) main reason is that I don't have good
jacks and my driveway is shot (cracked up and wavy, making it a bad surface
to work on).
"Tom's VR6" > wrote in message
...
> In rec.autos.makers.vw.watercooled, Rob Guenther wrote:
>
>>What is the vintage of your car?
>>
>>On my 99.5 diesel the air and oil filters are incredibly easy... Air
>>filter
>>is a couple screws and lifting of a cover, oil filter is unscrewing a cap
>>and removing the cartridge filter (after taking off the engine's acoustic
>>cover) - how is this all done on your VR6 (going by your screenname)?
>
> Completely stock '95. The oil filter cartridge is almost as easy as
> you say, but you also should open a drain screw first to let the oil
> drain out. Then you unscrew the big screw, etc. However in contrast
> to a spin-on oil filter, it is much messier and more time consuming.
> I have to go fish the cap back out of the dirty oil.
>
> The air filter is very tricky to maneuver the cover free and back
> on. I once had my oil changed at an oil change place. They had a
> check list of things they did as part of the service. One of the
> items was to check the air filter. As I was paying the manager I
> asked if they really checked the air filter. He said yes, and I said
> their mechanic must be a better man than I am. He then checked with
> his employee who said no, he had not.
>
> They spent about 25 minutes with two, and sometimes three, people
> trying to get it out. It's up front where you can see it, but still
> tricky.

"Rob Guenther" > wrote in message
...
> What is the vintage of your car?
>
> On my 99.5 diesel the air and oil filters are incredibly easy... Air
> filter is a couple screws and lifting of a cover, oil filter is unscrewing
> a cap and removing the cartridge filter (after taking off the engine's
> acoustic cover)

Even older cars can be a pain. My '91 A2 is harder than it should be to
replace the air filter mostly because the airbox has a clip or two in a
hard-to-reach area. I always end up with bloodied fingers when replacing
the air filter in that thing.

Matt B. wrote:

> But what older car *is* good looking?

Aw, c'mon. C1/C2 Vette? '69-era Camaro? 944S2/968? 308/328?
Countach? Hell, even some older VWs are nice, like the Ghia.

--
Mike Smith