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Path: utzoo!watmath!watcgl!dmmartindale
From: dmmartindale@watcgl.UUCP (Dave Martindale)
Newsgroups: net.auto
Subject: Re: That's Japan with a capital J
Message-ID: <1252@watcgl.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 12-Feb-85 20:11:32 EST
Article-I.D.: watcgl.1252
Posted: Tue Feb 12 20:11:32 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 13-Feb-85 02:34:43 EST
References: <315@terak.UUCP> <25300007@siemens.UUCP> <525@tpvax.fluke.UUCP> <950@watdcsu.UUCP>
Reply-To: dmmartindale@watcgl.UUCP (Dave Martindale)
Organization: U of Waterloo, Ontario
Lines: 31

Well, I might as well throw in my comments too.
I own a 1981 VW rabbit S.  It has 50000+ miles on it.  So far the most
significant problem with it was an oil pressure sensor that developed
a leak, slowly drooling oil down the side of the engine.  Nothing else.

So far, I'm pretty happy with it.  My previous car was a Honda Civic,
and given a choice now I'd still take the rabbit.  There are a bunch of
minor improvements: it carries a LOT of fairly bulky stuff (the roof is high).
The back seat is more comfortable.  The front seatback angle is adjustable.
The view is better.

But the biggest difference between it and any other car I've driven is the
engine, and I attribute the difference to fuel injection.  Normally, when
I start the car, I just turn the key to "start" for about a half second -
I don't even wait till I hear the engine fire - it almost always has by
that time.  It starts when it's COLD.  It runs well when cold.  It revs
freely to 6000 RPM.  It puts out a decent amount of torque.  It NEVER
stutters when you floor the accelerator.  (How much can the Bosch fuel
injection system add to the cost of the car, anyway?  I'd gladly pay several
hundred dollars extra (over a carburetor) if both were available in
the same car.)  I've never had any trouble with either fuel line ice
or vapour lock - I attribute this to the high fuel system pressure (~70PSI).

And there are a few other nice engineering touches too: rabbits shipped
to Canada have a larger battery than those going to the U.S.  (How many
American manufacturers do that?).  The rear window defogger is standard.
(Why this should be considered an "option" in Canada is beyond me, but
it was on the American cars I looked at.)  The sparkplugs and distributor
are right on the front of the engine; the oil filter is not too bad
for access either.  And the engine has less emissions plumbing restricting
access than most other cars of that vintage I've seen.