Date: Thu, 1 Sep 2011 17:42:48 -0700
Reply-To: Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Diesel Engine Upgrade
In-Reply-To: <081f01cc68f4$ba63bfb0$6401a8c0@PROSPERITY>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
On Thu, Sep 1, 2011 at 3:15 PM, Scott Daniel - Turbovans <
scottdaniel@turbovans.com> wrote:
> sorry...
> Don must be joking.
> 48 horse power !!?
> there are RIDING LAWN MOWERS with more power than that !!
>
I was joking. I put a (grin!) at the end of my joking reply to make sure
the OP knew I was making a wry comment.
I did seriously suggest he try a ride in a standard diesel motored
Vanagon....I was 'blown away' at the incredible slowness of the one I rode
in when I was considering buying one.. I had no idea anything legal to
drive could be so very slow.... 48hp? Is that what those motors put out? I
have a 650cc motorcycle....built in 1988 that puts out more horsepower than
that...and with rider, it weighs about 400lbs.....that is one tenth the
weight of a non westie vanagon.
If indeed you'd compare a diesel VW motor to an inline gas VW
motor.....You could argue you'd be likely to pay ten times as much money for
1/3rd the horsepower...
I'm not saying you shouldn't go the diesel route....There are plenty of
happy diesel vanagon drivers. I am saying that when I did all my looking
and comparing...dollar for dollar, and then took my demo-ride, I decided
the VW N/A diesel motors were no deal that I was interested in.
Admittedly, I only spent about 3hrs riding in one (it is one hour trip in
my gasser...., done the same mountain many times since then, in mine)...but
during that 3hr ride, I saw many dangerous manuevers as people got angry and
impatient behind us and did stupid stuff. I saw many one fingered
salutes....rather then the "Peace Sign" we often see driving a VW van. I'm
fairly self-assured and I have a decently thick skin....but enduring all
that anger, on a daily basis because I was going so slow and holding up
everyone else....that would get to me...I don't need that kind of Karma...
If you drive on the flat mostly and aren't on two lane roads with limited
passing for others...probably be just fine...Me, I am in the mountains in my
van or on remote twisty two lane back roads. I commute on a two lane
highway that traffic flows at 65+mph, it is windy often, and has rolling
terrain with some hills...
Don Hanson
| 
