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Date:         Mon, 7 May 2001 21:04:03 EDT
Reply-To:     FrankGRUN@aol.com
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Frank Grunthaner <FrankGRUN@aol.com>
Subject:      Diesel Performance and Salem Witch Trials
Content-Type:  text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

I find myself saddened by the vituperous denigradation of the performance of the Vanagon Westfalia Diesel that has recently graced the pages of this list. As I have noted previously, I have owned one of these engineering masterpieces since taking delivery at the Westfalia factory in Weidenbruck in July of 1982. Recently, as I have been researching some engineering issues regarding the turbocharging of my Digifant 8V 1.8L gasoline powered transplant, I have had occasion to obtain some of the original German language technical articles that described the work entailed in the adaptation of the VW 1.6L diesel to the vanagon. These articles show that the engineering target at the time was the performance benchmark of the 1.6L air cooled gasoline engine version of the transporter which was the highest volume production vanagon of the period. As the article clearly documents (measurements, not anecdotal evidence) the diesel vanagon outperformed its benzin-powered stablemate. I have recently completed a translation of this article. I must yet incorporate the figures in a more modest size at which point I can offer it to one of the lists web sites or pass on the translated paper by email to those desirous.

Diesel performance - blows the doors off all Air Cooled campers that have come before. We here in the US simply don't know how to drive and appreciate the thing. Not forgetting superb reliability and minimal cost of ownership. Inability to readily ignite with leaking fuel lines or upon the unhappy occasion of a vigorous rear ending by a soccer mom. I could go on, but discretion...

Frank Grunthaner


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