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Date:         Sat, 18 Nov 2000 10:25:08 EST
Reply-To:     KENWILFY@AOL.COM
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         KENWILFY@AOL.COM
Subject:      Re: Snow Driving was: NOT a Fryeday Funnie
Comments: To: CMathis227@aol.com
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

I would have to agree about the diesel rabbits and early Jettas being some of the best in-the-snow vehicles out there. There is really no way to take off fast and stopping isn't much of a problem as the vehicle doesn't way very much. Pretty much all of the weight is over the front drive wheels which also do most of the stopping. My '81 Jetta diesel has spent alot of time in snow driving emergencies and also as an off road vehicle (it is like a mountain goat and only seems to be limited to off roading by the lack of ground clearance). It is nice enough to be a daily driver, but beat up enough for me not to care about salt and small branches scraping the paint.

However 85-91 Jettas at least are different in some way. They are heavier and like to slide at stop signs in even light rain. They are also not as good in the snow (drove my parents 85 diesel Jetta for several seasons). In the winter (in the salt belt at least) old, kinda beat, and slow are really the nicer cars to drive. Usually better in the snow and no worries about salt. My Jetta is off the road at the moment since I am running my '91 Carat and '90 GL Vanagons (the latter is for sale). I am hoping to put it on the road about after January when it becomes an antique here in NJ (it is an '81). Then I can use it for short drives back and forth to town and only pay a small fraction of NJ's terribly high insurance rates. Thanks for listening.

Thanks, Ken Wilford http://www.vanagain.com John 3:16

New Phone (856)-327-4936 Shop: (856)-765-1583 Fax: (856)-327-2242


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