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Aircooled VS Watercooled

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Aircooled VS Watercooled

29 votes · Voting is open

  • Aircooled Fan 16 votes · 55%
  • Watercooled Fan 13 votes · 45%

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LukeV85 P Master

154 posts · joined Sep 2007 ·

#611400
Hey guys,

Just wondering what you guys like better. Watercooled or Aircooled Veedubs.

Im a fan of the Aircooled motor. Reason being that the aircooled engine in my opinion is simple and reliable. My beetle is 45 yrs old and running on the same motor since new, due to a full service histroy might I had.

Watercooled motors are complicated and there more that can go wrong with it. Thats what I think anyway.


What you dubbers think?
1962.5 VW Beetle 1200
2002 VW Oettinger Bora - Statutory Write Off

Notch Nut Custom Title Time!

1,011 posts · joined Apr 2006 ·

#611516
I like my aircooled engines for the same reasons. One thing I like about old cars as opposed to new cars is that if it doesn't serve a purpose, it aint hanging off the engine. Much easier to fix when broken down etc.
Good to see an old car still in regular use.:thumb
- Adam
If you can't fix it with a hammer,
you have an electrical problem....

555bug WRX Bug Boy

1,123 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#611523
I have built many of both and from a power/reliability perspective an air cooled engine is not capable of competing long term. that said the charm of an air cooled engines can't be underestimated plus when people go to the effort to get big power from them they are defiantly more interesting that their H2O cousins. I'd defiantly have a 2.6L type 4 with a turbo or a type1 2L with 48ida's :P but ultimately I'm lazy so I'll just jam a Subaru water pumper out back of my bug (the engines are cousins after all)

Stephen

LukeV85 P Master

154 posts · joined Sep 2007 ·

#611761
Looks like aircooled is winning it.


Any watercooled fans out there?
1962.5 VW Beetle 1200
2002 VW Oettinger Bora - Statutory Write Off

syncro Seriously Crusin Dubber

103 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#611895
Yeah, there's plenty of watercooled fans, I'd guess most who like watercooled don't feel the need to defend them.

I've had plenty of aircooled VW's, now I've gone over to the wet side there's no going back.🙅

Steve.

[ Edited on 13-9-2007 by syncro ]

Iwish4aSynchro Wolfsburg Wizard

639 posts · joined Aug 2006 ·

#612110
Ahh but you posted in watercooled.

Different horses, different courses.
Personally the older Aircooled are easier to work., but the watercooled T3's up to 92 are the ducks nuts. No comp there.
Take a ride in an old bay and try the T3.
All the senses will be rewoken to the excitement of a watercooled engine.
Keep the steering and the propulsion seperate . Still a Kombi...

It's all good, until it's bad, i suppose

mscabrio Cabriolet Queen

2,308 posts · joined Jan 2004 ·

#613522
I own 2 aircooled (57 oval and 74 1300 bugs) VW's and 2 watercooled (NB Cabrio and Polo GTI) VW's so I am officially a fence sitter ...... As for ease of repair, I know bugger all about them so if any of the family cause me problems they go to the same VW hospital .......

For day to day driving nothing can beat the comfort of a new car
🤘

Iwish4aSynchro Wolfsburg Wizard

639 posts · joined Aug 2006 ·

#613538
What a VW owner that doesnt work on their own vehicles?
Must be some kind of a new age thing.:duh
Could be a good poll.
Keep the steering and the propulsion seperate . Still a Kombi...

It's all good, until it's bad, i suppose

blutopless2 DAMSLO

2,457 posts · joined Jan 2004 ·

#613654
hahaha... yeah that's my job..
see.... air and water do mix 😉

1974 1300
1997 MK3 Golf GL
2003 NB Cabrio
2012 Golf VI GTI
2014 Audi A4 Quattro

zjm Officially Full-On Dubber

230 posts · joined Jan 2003 ·

#616746
Ive got air and watercooled vws love em both but to tell you the truth the watercooled stuff is superior by a large margin in standard form theyre more reliable need less servicing use less fuel and are heaps faster and more reliable safer roomier have better brakes handling etc and they dont hold the traffic up going up hill
eg my 69 1500 bug has 50hp
my 74 passat also 1500 has 98hp and weighs 50kg less

harsh but true

VWFREAK VWFREAK

2,577 posts · joined May 2004 ·

#616782
This subject always opens up a can of worms.

If it's good enough for Adolf it's good enough for me.
lol

Air Cooled all the way.

vwrallycar Insano Dub Head

721 posts · joined Sep 2002 ·

#617001
try this poll on the watercooled site!!!
i have to say i love both

crewcabconnection Being Sid James

1,922 posts · joined Apr 2003 ·

#617004
as long as it's horizontally opposed I don't much care ...
Loves a lolcat

matberry Moderator Go hard or go home

8,114 posts · joined Mar 2006 ·

#617034
As long as its horizontally opposed and uses air for cooling its got me.
Water is for drinking or swimming in.
Beer is for drinking.😎
Matt Berry Motorsports...air cooled advice, repairs and mods Ph 0408 704 662
OFF-ROAD,CIRCUIT,DRAG,STREET,ENDURANCE

motha Officially Full-On Dubber

215 posts · joined Nov 2004 ·

#617232
LukeV85 wrote:Hey guys,

Just wondering what you guys like better. Watercooled or Aircooled Veedubs.

Im a fan of the Aircooled motor. Reason being that the aircooled engine in my opinion is simple and reliable. My beetle is 45 yrs old and running on the same motor since new, due to a full service histroy might I had.

Watercooled motors are complicated and there more that can go wrong with it. Thats what I think anyway.


What you dubbers think?
Can I say, how can a watercooled engine be more complicated when it has less moving part's! Just cost it has some water jacket's & a pump.

The aircooler's also use a pump to move the air around don't they? They also have extra gear on them too, like pushrod's, pushrod tubes, rocker gear etc. Doesn't that also mean that they can have more that can go wrong with them.

H2O also have less place's to leak oil from too.

I'll stick up for the waterpumpers, as I've had many of them & have only had one problem with a rapped engine in over 350+K which was a headgasket. That's all.

I will also say I'm a fan of both engine's & not bias in anyway & would love to own a overpowered early bug, but have nowhere to put it.

If you know your stuff & alot of people on here do, you can extract good power from the aircooler as I've seen from Nick & his stable of fast reliable car's.

But you can also create some good power out of the waterpumper's.

My dad alway's said to me. Stick with what you know best & for me, it's the H2O.
My old man is a television repairman, he's got this ultimate set of tools. I can fix it.

LukeV85 P Master

154 posts · joined Sep 2007 ·

#619309
vwrallycar wrote:try this poll on the watercooled site!!!
i have to say i love both
Posting this comment on the watercooled forum. Would be interesting to see if we get the opposite reaction there.
1962.5 VW Beetle 1200
2002 VW Oettinger Bora - Statutory Write Off

rocknrob Insano Dub Head

844 posts · joined Dec 2003 ·

#624961
Of course they are all aircooled...afterall what cools your water? but then your aircooled is so inefficient it has nothing to be proud of...when you are doing 100km/hr(if you can) you are ignoring the gale force wind hitting the front of your car...your engine thinks its a stationary engine sucking hot air...so no winners really...now stick your aircooled engine out front(see my avatar)...there is a winner!👍

99gti Learner Dubber

8 posts · joined Apr 2008 ·

#648776
I'm a watercooled fan and to those who are curious if this was posted on the watercooled site it would be an overwhelming response for the H2O's.

type3kid Custom Title Time!

1,183 posts · joined May 2003 ·

#648781
i've had both. aircooled type 3's and a new polo GTI and my current ride is a 76 golf.

to be honest i can't split them. yeah i love the GTI for the fact it's so easy and convienient and is a pocket rocket that begs for pedal to the metal and loves corners. it's very reliable and easy to do everything. A/C!!!!!!! and it doesn't take ages to dfefrost the windows.

then there's my 76 golf. i'm new to the older watercooled but addicted. it's got a 1.8 in it so quick enough to shock some people but still has the old school feel.

but on the flip side, i just loved cruising in my type 3's. they've got something new cars just don't have.

so i sit undecided. i'm a fan of both.

you've all put up damn good arguments for and against air and water cooled. but, i'm on the fence!🙄
www.myspace.com/emotionalspidermonkeys
www.myspace.com/berettajustice
www.myspace.com/evolvar
www.evolvar.com

Bug_racer1 Learner Dubber

11 posts · joined Jul 2008 ·

#658476
Watercooled - you can get power more reliably than air-cooled !

pete wood 23 Windows of Awesome

6,828 posts · joined Jan 2004 ·

#662608
watercooled = newer, more powerful, longer reliability, needs less day to day maintainance, will handle a lot more boost/hp/development.
aircooled = old school, lighter, easier to work on, nicer to gearboxes, less complex (in some ways).

horses for courses. why not like both? I do. I wanted to tick both boxes in poll. 👍

If we all really wanted bulk hp we'd buy new V8s or rice cars. If we really wanted old old school we'd build hotrods. VWs have a particular character about them that seems even to extend to later cars like the NB and the R32. I think that is what we're attracted to.
"stoopid is stronger than axles"
http://drivingnotpolishing.blogspot.com.au/

JVLRacing Custom Title Time!

1,100 posts · joined Mar 2007 ·

#663879
After drivin a R32 watercool for me.....back to Vw power🥷

Type3Sicko Wolfsburg Wizard

596 posts · joined Dec 2006 ·

#663921
The satisfaction of driving, feeling and hearing a freshly tuned aircooled VW being put through it's paces is an absolute cure for the blues. Air for nostalgia...yeah, i'm old! 🙂 water for convenience. What the hell, if it's got fins and isn't a dolphin.... aircooled all the way
How many is enough?

revnit Casual Dubber

48 posts · joined Aug 2008 ·

#674047
My answer is a little different to most, i choose my cars by there looks over what engine it has i have had a few VWs few friends have beeltes and kombis my mate is currently building a motor for his beetle pretty awesome stuff! i think if everyone got along and shown as much interest as i do in my mates beetle and as he does in my golf the Volkswagen world wouldn't be so far apart.

I currently have a 1976 mk1 golf 3door i just love the look of it and the heritage (mainly overseas) it carries as being the original hot hatch my car has been though 3 engine swaps current engine is 2.0l 16v on mechanical injection a rare setup to have in Australia, so my answer would be watercooled cause thats all i really know 😎

Picture of my golf http://img172.imageshack.us/my.php?image=revnitev1jv2.jpg
http://www.facebook.com/mk1driversgroup

mikinoz Commited Dubber

73 posts · joined Oct 2008 ·

#675617
I have had both, however I am now getting a little tired of the air stuff.

Focussing on the watercoolers for now, unless something supurb comes up for grabs.
'76 Swallowtail - Kaninchen Weiß
'70 Notchback - Mrs E. Cramp

74 minx Commited Dubber

54 posts · joined Feb 2008 ·

#689848
what a crap poll..

you cant decide which is better because they are totally different things. you have to appreciate both types for what they are

Iwish4aSynchro Wolfsburg Wizard

639 posts · joined Aug 2006 ·

#690890
74 minx wrote:what a crap poll..

you cant decide which is better because they are totally different things. you have to appreciate both types for what they are

So u drive a solar powered car then

😀😀😀
Keep the steering and the propulsion seperate . Still a Kombi...

It's all good, until it's bad, i suppose

desh Wolfsburg Wizard

463 posts · joined Jan 2009 ·

#690894
An aircooled Beetle is exactaly what it was designed to be, a simple and reliable little car. It putters along just nicely.
--------------------------
Kind Regards
Des

desh Wolfsburg Wizard

463 posts · joined Jan 2009 ·

#690928
This is the 5 point plan that was set out for the KdF Wagen / Beetle, I think the Beetle achived all of these and so much more.


1. Speed
The car had to be capable of a speed of 100 km/h on the great new autobahn.
2. Economy
Petrol consumption should be no more than seven litres per 100km approximately 33MPG. The car had to be economical to repair.
3. Family Size
We cannot separate the children from the parents.
Seating should be for four or five persons.
4. Air Cooling
Most Germans have no garage therefore their cars will be left outside all year round, The problem of frozen radiators must be eliminated.
The engine must be air-cooled.
5. Low purchase price
The car must sell for less than RM 1000
--------------------------
Kind Regards
Des