Date:         Fri, 12 Sep 2003 09:39:12 +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: Manual or AT? Porche or Vanagon...
In-Reply-To:  <001101c378cf$52556f40$73cf3ad8@FirstLaptop>
Content-type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset=us-ascii

>Now tell me what is the state of your spirit when driving each of these?
>I just thought, I would ask this to see if the driving of the Porche

Hey, I drive a verandah!

>As a starting point, the vanagon is not a performance
>car, no matter what kind of engine it has.

Incorrect... very! Just ask all the German enthusiasts who RACE them
hard on the tracks. With very minor suspension modifications
(swaybars, Koni or Bilstein dampers, big wheels & low-profile
hi-performance tires and possibly front-end geometry adjustments),
these vans become unlikely-looking sportscars in the truest sense.

>When the snow gets to be more than a couple of inches deep, you may
>find it difficult to get moving (especially uphill). A manual
>transmission is easy to switch between 1st and reverse...and do it in
>time with the natural rocking of the vehicle. All automatics I've
>driven there is just enough of a delay to make this extremely difficult.

I found a automatic RWD diesel Skyline utterly hopeless in even 5cm
of snow. As soon as the drive engaged, no matter how gently I touched
the throttle, the wheels would spin... impossible to get moving on
even a gentle (by Dunedin standards, anyway) icy uphill. And
frightening to get DOWN a steep icy hill.

>  In an automatic you are at the mercy of the transmission as to what
>gear you are in (while you can specify a LOWER gear, you can NOT
>specify and get a HIGHER gear).

Generally yes. But some autos are preset to take off in 2nd from the
factory in slippery conditions.

>At slow speeds that means you are in 1.
>In a manual transmission I can start the vehicle in 2nd. That is
>important so that you keep the wheels moving but NOT spinning. Spinning
>tire(s)==no control. This is especially true on ice.
>
>Front wheel drive vehicles have an advantage in snow, over rear drive
>vehicles, in that the drive wheels are also the directional wheels.

It's more than that. FWDs also have added traction from the engine's
mass over the driven wheels. FWD diesels are pretty much unstoppable,
even the steepest icy incline is climbable, due to heavier engines
and off-idlle torque. So long as the car is a manual! For the same
reason rear-engined cars are good in ice, though I'd say an FWD
diesel is better.

I found my "new" 1986 diesel part-time 4WD Hiace LWB van great, even
fun, on icy hills. 4WD, low ratio (top speed 40kmh or less in 5th,
about 5kmh in 1st!), heavy iron-block 2.4 engine. I'd like to have
decent snow to try it out in! I imagine a 1.9TDi Syncro T3 would be
great too... while the trans lasts.

--
Andrew Grebneff
Dunedin, New Zealand
64 (3) 473-8863
<andrew.grebneff@stonebow.otago.ac.nz>
Fossil preparator
Seashell, Macintosh & VW/Toyota van nut