Help Needed / Guidance

Hello all ....
Me and my family have been debating the Brazilian thang for a while now but just have a couple of niggles .
We have owned beetles , bays and a couple of t25's in the past so know all about the vw vibe .... and love the feeling a vw brings to your life !

However, me and the wife have a family now , so are looking at reliability so we are looking at the Brazilian more modern bay..... First question is - we like the last aircool models ( I think they go to 2005) - but are these as reliable as the latter radiator 1.4 models ? It needs to be reliable as it will be our daily driver etc etc.
Also , the other little query I have is the metal work and paint ..... is it upto standard or do I need to keep a close eye each year ?

Im asking you guys as you own these bus's and love em ........ and to be frank some of the old skool can be a little cruel ! But we like em ...... and we cannot go down the constant resoration route again EEK !

Any info , tips , help would be great ;o)

Many many thanks

Paul, Lisa, Jack and Boo

Hello guys - you've come to the right place for advice.

Funnily enough I have been debating the Aircooled v Watercooled attributes of late as I've been advising a family in a similar situation. As an Aircooled owner/driver you'd think I'd naturally sway to the flat four. However in this case I'd recommend you buy Watercooled.

The Aircooled is a fine reminder of the Kombi's heritage. Along with the delightful sound of the engine you also get its occasional frailties. It does need more maintenance - tappets adjusting every 3000 miles - and because it's a 50 year old engine with '90s tech bolted onto it for regulationary reasons it can prove awkward diagnosing faults when they arrive. However, we've collectively experienced pretty much all of its foibles here so a solution is often just a few clicks away. If people are looking for a campervan that drives well, causes a smile by it's very presence and is just for weekend/holiday use then go for an Aircooled. (There are folks here who use their Aircooleds everyday.)

The Watercooled or AquaBay as we call them here are made for the demands of everyday motoring. Ish. The 1.4 engine starts on the button whether hot or cold and purrs its way along reliably often reaching 35+ mpg. Everything else is retro though so you still get the coolest ride to school but in a vehicle that won't be spending much time 'down.' Fit pas if you need to parallel park a lot and if you don't like the look of the rad grille - personally I do - then get a dummy wheel cover.

Metal/paint - it's all covered elsewhere here. Not a problem if you keep your campervan clean, and once you own a BraziBay, you'll want to because of the enjoyment it brings you.

Many thanks Tim, we didn't want to offend anyone with our niggles .... but you guys are the ones to know ;o)
A friend of mine owns absolute vw that's local to us so any maintenance he can take care of.
But biggest decision is aircool or water ??? but price is a biggy also .

But we will keep you posted

I went for air-cooled - I like the sound and look of the old engine (I can at least understand how it works). The petrol is a little more expensive and the water-cooled are slightly faster but I like the idea of an old engine still plodding along fifty years after it was designed!

I don't think the reliability will be too different - especially if you've got a local garage to get regular servicing.

The paintwork does need an eye kept - waxoyl underneath once a year and plenty wax to polish it up.

Cost-wise, if you use it frequently, the extra price of the water-cooled one might be saved in petrol costs over a few years.

Keep us updated, and let us see what you buy!

I have an aircooled mpg is the only moan water cooled are a lot better rust is only a prob if bay has not been rust treated a lot of people say the Brazilian bay is made of thin metal this is a lot of bull I have cut and fitted a pop top to my bay and the metal is very thick I have had a lot of dubs from spilty low light bay and 3 t25 and my Brazilian bay is by far the most reliable of all

cheers guys , all info really helps.

thanx

Hi

I had the same decision to make about a year ago.

We want for the aircooled as I have owned many beetles and classic bays and you can pull the engine in 20mins and the parts are cheap.

Our van betty has all the reliability and I use her everyday.

If you are close to absolute vw in castle Donington you are welcome to come and take an aircooled for a drive as we are only in Loughborough.

Steve

As an aqua bay owner who uses the van as an everyday drive, I would definitely say to go for an aqua, there are an awful lot coming up now that have been previously owned/ loved that are very well priced. Keep your eyes peeled on here and 'fleabag' there's one out there waiting for you, and always remember waving a 'wad' of readies under someone's nose can often reduce the price considerably' good luck!

cheers Irishman .... cash is deffo king ;o)

And big thanks steve I may take you up on that offer..... super!

Buying wise , we are going to have to get some finance , so looking at Danbury or similar garages really.

Hi Pegg - I was in Reg Vardy in Leicester a couple of weeks ago and they had a 10 plate water cooled Danbury for sale - can't remember much more about it apart from it having been owned by an elderly couple who had traded it in for a California and it having a very low mileage - oh and a disgusting colour !!

But might be worth taking it for a spin if it is still there !

Cheers

Julian

thanks Julian will take a look

Hi Pegg . Don't know if you are aware but Danbury has a special low rate finance deal starting at just 2.99% fixed flat rate at the moment ( due to end soon ) subject to status...  

we like low interest rates  

Hi Pegg

Offer to come and look, test drive an aircooled in Loughborough anytime.

Just send me a PM message and I will send you my contact details.

Remember finance deals only last on cars typically less than 10-15 years old. We took out a personal loan as our van was 2004.

Steve.

ok steve , thanks

That was our decision
Mark

Hi Pegg
Just for some balance in the argument - although we cannot fault the points in favour of water cooled!
We got Scooby - an Air Cooled - for weekend trips and holidays
He was never going to be our daily driver
The decision may therefore have been made more with the heart than with the head
But we would not change Scooby
Roo b Roo

Hey ... cheers guys , exciting times !

I wouldn't swap Max for another campervan either. Not unless VW Kampers or Danbury, or anybody else for that matter want to give me £40k for him. Then we might talk, but somehow I think he's safe.  

Oh and for the record my Aircooled would give any AquaBay a run for it's money any day. It would just have to pit stop more.

Air or aqua reminds me of the film / digital debate in photography. It's not what you use its how you use it that counts.

Just because you have the best saucepans does not make you a good cook.

All I can say about vw's is history of classic vw's don't favour water. How unpopular the water cooled t25 are.

You pay your money and take your choice.

sparkysteve wrote:

How unpopular the water cooled t25 are.

Err except for those that own and love them.

I'm not entering into an air or aqua debate...So, All I'll say , without delay , is go out and get a BraziBay...

Words out of my mouth bb!!!!!

If you are going to use as a daily and do a lot of miles go water if only a second car with little miles go air

In the words of Oleta Adams (almost):

You can reach me by Air Bay
You can reach me by Water Bay
I don't care how you get here
Just get here if you can