Reliability and 33 Years of Experience, Not looking good. Options

[Series9]

As the owner of an indy VAP shop, I have to say things are not looking good.

I started in VWs with my grandfather's '71 Super Beetle when I was 14. I would enthusiastically tell everyone (for a very long time) that German engineering was the way to go.

Fast forward 33 years. What I say now: "Do NOT buy any VAP built after 1998." Even before 1998, I now realize that drivers of American and Asian cars have generally had a more reliable experience.

My Vanagon is on it's third engine in ten years, my Jetta requires attention at least twice a month, my 914 (before it became the RS) required an engine replacement in the five years I owned it as a /4.......etc, etc.

I'm basically making money on the flaws of German engineering. Yes, it tends to be more precise than the others. BUT, that precision comes at a cost. Small flaws amplify themselves in such a way that the whole system will stop working harmoniously long before other manufacturer's vehicles.

What's my most reliable vehicle/mile/dollar/hour of maintenance? 2006 Ford F250 6.0 Diesel (and that truck has the "unreliable" 6.0).

If someone came to me tonight and said "you have to drive to Washington state and leave right now", I would get right in the Ford and not worry one second about making it there and back.

If I had to take the Vanagon or the Jetta, I would be highly stressed. Both cars are great, but great for within 100 miles.

That's it. I wanted it off my chest.

My VAP specialty will continue at S9, but I may be driving something else..... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/dry.gif)

[Tom_T]

Hey Joe,

I would tend to agree with you, but I have a different perspective as a long term owner, "keeper" & DDer of very few cars - 5 in total since 1969 (not including my parents' cars, nor the Honda in my Sig which was for our 2 kids). I can say that there are differences between even the earlier cars from Germany as well.

BTW Joe - is your Vanagon one of the early & leaky 1.9 WBXs?? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif)

#1 - `68 Opel Kadette B 2dr Base Notchback Coupe, 1.1L I-4 w/ 4spd - 9/69 - 6/71, +/- 40K - 68K miles by me, good 20's mpg, but the smog control air injection made it run too hot & the head & exhaust manifold cracked & blew the engine.

#2 - `69 Pontiac Ventura 4dr Hardtop (125" WB), 400ci 2bbl AT - 8/71 - 3/76, +/- 45K - 137K, sucky 7-10 mpg during college & the 73 Oil Crisis when gas went from $0.25 - $1+ in a week, 10 gal max. every other day (even odd by last Lic. plate #), so looked for better mpg sports car after college, when it started needing major work.

> these were the last ones which I could do virtually anything on as pre-computer cars, while the 914 on required $20K+/- analyzers for the ECUs etc.

#3 - `73 914-2.0 "914S" - 2nd owner 12/75-now, was DD 75-85 @ +/- 45K-172K - currently under slooow resto, prior rolling resto & full mechanical rebuild at about 120-127K in 80-83, then whacked by a ditzy gal in a pkg structure 6/85 during grad school, (IMG:style_emoticons/default/dry.gif)
then stored in my garage since then - so it's my own person "Barn Re-Find"! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

#4 - `85 BMW E30 325e 2.7L I-6 w/5spd & AC - OO 5/85-now, curr. DD @ almost 200k - orig. motor runs good, trans rebuilt `04 +/-135K, repaint `05-06 & reupholstered front `14, replacing some 30 year old suspension components last few years, converted to R135 when OE compressor died in `98, recent reman AC compressor - not a bad car at all & 20s-30s with 42 mpg fwy possible from it's "eta 6"! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

#5 - `88 VW Vanagon Westfalia 2.1L WBX-4 w/ AT & AC - OO 4/88-now, curr. DD @ almost 230K (more use for long XC trips every year `88-02, then flying was cheaper with miles for kids/wife), threw rod & new rebuilt motor at about 120K in `99, top end `05 due to cracked ring (not yet coolant leak then), AT rebuilt `07, suspension & other running gear rebuilt with rolling resto/repaint/refurb 2012-13. If/when it needs a new/rebuilt motor (again), then I'll get a "built" GoWesty 2.45+ with their 48mo/48K full warranty, & let them pay for anything that goes wrong!

Before & not counting the Westy's resto - around `02, I did a comparison, & the Westy was 4x the maintenance cost of the 325e, & 2-3x that of the 914 during it's DD days (even adjusted for inflation) - so VW had pretty bad QC even back then - as you noted about your Vano!

Also, the VW dealer denied all 24 months under warranty that there was no problem with the suspension leaning to the left (where the full camper equipement sits, but when we redid the springs/shocks in `12, my mechanic found that they factory had used the improper passenger van springs - instead of the proper HD Westy ones - & now the lean is gone! Lying POSs! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/dry.gif)

The BMW E30 is a solid car with excellent QC - even if their parts are/were more. The bigger issue now for me & my mechanic on both/all, is finding OEM parts (ergo the reman AC compressor).

However, contrary to that VW quality issue - as both now being classic cars, the Westy is worth probably $50K+ as restored now, whereas the excellent 325e is under $10K - so rarity plays a bigger part than quality & driveability! I hope that the BMW comes up in value, so I'll feel better about eventually restoring it too.

So now my dilemma is that we're looking for a used late model mid-sized V8 SUV to tow our vintage Avion trailer (like Airstream) & be our "extra 3rd car" - & we really like the `08-14 Cayenne S V8 (w/out air susp.), but my 914 expert Austrian born & trained & factory trained VPA + now also B/M/T-L/N-I/S/etc. mechanic of 41 years says that the Toyota/Lexus V8 4Runner/GX/LX/GlandBruiser will cost me 1/2 in both parts & labor to maintain! .... but the wife & I prefer the ride & handling of the CayS. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/unsure.gif)

Before the F150/Expedition & Tundra/Sequoyah & other full size pick-up/SUV fans crowd jump in here with advice - my wife won't drive the big-uns, & we have a very tight driveway & can't even open the door more than 1/3 when I'm hitching there + the streets are narrow, so we really do need to stick with mid-size, & the Toyota & P+A ones seem best for our "mission statement."

We had rented 4.0L V6 Nissan Pathfinders for a year, which were okay but had to rev too high on hills/grades & drove us crazy on long trips - so V8 is our choice (some new turbo V6's may have enough HP/TQ low end, but I don't want to pay higher new car prices). Also, Nissan's DA std. towing package is a 4-pin so you cannot run trailer brakes (required over 1500# trailer in CA), & they charge you double to switch to a 7-pin! Ids!! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/dry.gif)

We've been renting F250s & RAM 2500s since then in both gas & diesel (waaaay overkill for our little 20' 3000-3500# Avion T20 BTW), & they get 17 mpg avg with or without the trailer, have 7-pin, but are a royal PITA to maneuver into our narrow driveway & on our narrow streets - to the extent that I must get the neighbors across the street to move their cars just to get the behemoth 25-27' L long bed crew cab F250 - so + trailer & Hensley hitch it's +/- 50' L & with a big turning radius!

Also FYI, my mechanic says to stay away from the Nissans in general - including the Pathfinder V8, as well as emphatically saying that the BMW X5 is a POS!

Another issue he noted, is that apparently all of the German/Euro cars/etc. are now required to use a bio-based & degradable wiring insulation which is just "Rodent Candy"! He had a 2 year old BMW X5 in the shop that the rodents got to, & the owner's insurance company totaled it for less than what they owed, due to mice getting in there & feasting everywhere - cuz the harness replacement P+L was more that the threshold insurance value to total it! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/huh.gif)

BTW - someone here has a daughter in Long Beach - so just send her to Hans Imports in Huntington Beach, & you can talk to Hans Sr. mechanic to mechanic on what you need done. Tell her to say I referred you.

PS - The other problem with the new full size trucks & SUVs since about `06, is they've jacked them up so high that they're a PITA to climb up into, a PITA to load lumber/plywood/block/etc. into a bed that's above my friggin waist (& I'm not getting any younger nor stronger), & the front hood is so bloody tall & square that they have huge blind spots up there that completely block if a little kid is about to walk by or in front - so that they need dang front-up + back-up cameras all around! Joe's '06 in his OP pic is more or less the last of the reasonable height trucks. Apparently when their marketing folks do their focus groups on the trucks, the young guys only want the big bulky jacked up look designs - even if they're far less aerodynamic & bigger fuel guzzlers, so their marketing research completely ignores the rest of the world, & the work truck folks who have to hoist equipment & materials way up all day long! Rant over!

That's my $0.04! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)
Tom
///////