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Date:         Tue, 14 Nov 2000 16:51:31 -0800
Reply-To:     Mark Drillock <drillock@EARTHLINK.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Mark Drillock <drillock@EARTHLINK.NET>
Subject:      Re: Transmission Options
Comments: To: David Del Ben <ddelben@AIRINTER.COM.AU>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

As far as I know, only 1983 Diesel Vanagons came to the US with 5 speed trannys and there are very few of this model Vanagon around. The somewhat cumbersome location of 1st gear in this shift pattern makes them not for everyone but the close range 3/4/5 gears are a great advantage for highway driving, especially in the Diesel models. By far the most US Vanagons are 4 speeds but autos are pretty common and more common as the model year gets newer. I have looked in person at hundreds of Vanagons for sale and only 2 had 5 speeds, both 83 Diesels. The 1983 Vanagon owners manual lists the 5 speed as the only tranny available in that year of Diesel with the 4 speed and auto as the only choices for the boxer engines. No mention is made at all of 5 speeds in the 82 and 84,85,86,87 owners manuals that I have. Of course, the Syncro tranny is a 5 speed and closely related to the 2WD 5 speed. It has a very low 1st that is not normally used except in adverse conditions so the Syncro tranny is driven as a 4 speed and has similar gearing in "2-5" as the 4 speed does in 1-4.

The lack of 5 speeds here in the US IMHO has more to do with the general lack of driving skill of a population raised on automatics and power steering in poor handling cars with huge engines. I consider the supposed longer life of the auto trannys to be a reflection of this lower skill level although the known weaknesses of the 4 speeds may make this a close call. I have noticed a common tendency by used car dealers to list Vanagons with 5 speeds but this is just ignorance as they always turn out to be 4 speeds. It seems that "5 speed" has become a generic term for stick shift.

Mark

David Del Ben wrote: > > A question for our American cousins here: What is the predominate manual > Gearbox for American Vanagons? > > >From observing the list over the last couple of months, I suspect it is th > 4-speed. In Australia, nothing but the 5-Speed gerarbox was available after > the switch from O2 to H20 cooling in 1983. > > I was reading an old American Road Test on the vanagon last night [dated > bout's 1983] and VW of America is quoted as saying: > 'Due to the power and toque reserves of the new engine, the option of the > 5-speed gearbox was deemed not necessary for the American market. > > Not exact wording - but that was the jist from memory. > Really - nothing but a piece of marketing rubbish!! There was obviously > SOME reason why VW of America didn't/couldn't import the 5-speeder - > initially at least. > > David Del Ben > 85 1.9-Carravelle


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