Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site watcgl.UUCP 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.