Date:         Thu, 25 Jan 2001 21:23:34 +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:      Re: How fast should a 1.9L go??
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

>Spec. is 72mph = 4000 rpm for the manual.  Redline is somewhere around 96
>mph but you probably won't get there too often.  Many people drive these
>things at 80-85 routinely, though -- but not on big hills.  Others won't go
>an inch over 65.  Anything over 60 hammers your gas mileage.


"Wheels", the Australian magazine, tested the 1.9 Caravelle GL in May 1984
(a vehicle with the same 2-tone blue paint and blue interior as my 84
Caravelle).

63kW = 85hp@4800rpm, compression 8.6:1
Transmission:
4th 1.02
5th 0.77
diff 4.86
speeds in gears :
1-32kmh/20mph
2-56/35
3-89/56
4-128/80
5-139/87
They said the only available van which would outperform all-round it was
the 1.6 Mitsubishi Delica van (basic seated van, not the heavier Starwagon
peoplemover version). The others would outaccelerate it through the gears
from a standing start, but the VW's in-gears acceleration was better.

It had a rev-limiter which would shut down the injectors at 5400rpm.
"Wheels" thought it would be able to rev far higher if unlimited.

They really liked it but thought its price would put a big kink in sales.
They didn't realize its engine was Type 1-based, calling it virtually new,
aligning it with the Type 4 rather than Type 1 design. Little did they know
about the upcoming reliability thing...


Andrew Grebneff
Dunedin, New Zealand
VW & mollusc nut
1984 VW Type 25 Caravelle (currently SVX engine; waiting for a Porsche trans)
1986 CE80 Toyota Corolla 1.8DX diesel (extaxi)
1989 CE96 Toyota Corolla 1.8DX diesel wagon
1989 CT170 Toyota Corona Select 2.0 diesel (taxi)