Date:         Wed, 22 Mar 2000 12:13:44 +1200
Reply-To:     Andrew Grebneff <andrew.grebneff@STONEBOW.OTAGO.AC.NZ>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Andrew Grebneff <andrew.grebneff@STONEBOW.OTAGO.AC.NZ>
Subject:      5-speed
Comments: cc: Robert <wolfvan88@aol.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

My 5-speed had New Zealand-made 4th & 5th gears; 5th was a 0.63 ratio,
which worked quite well...until its hardening began to peel. I don't know
what my diff ratio was, but I suspect it was the fragile 4.83 as stated in
Australian "Wheels" magazine's 1984 roadtest (my Caravelle is the same
2-tone blue paintjob and dusty-blue velor upholstery as the tested
vehicle).

Shelleys VW in Port Elizabeth, RSA modifies transmissions for engine
transplants, as stock units had been stripping 3rd & 4th gears.

By the way, a columnist in "Wheels" magazine stated that the real car of
the century wasn't even on the list. His nomination: you guessed, the VW
Type 2. He really lambasted the whole charade as not including such
vehicles, but the Type 2 was so far ahead of its time in 1949, had
fully-independent suspension and started the whole peoplemover thing
decades before any other manufacturer (and Renault has the gall to claim
the Aspace to be the first!). It was all things to all people.

Andrew