Date:         Sun, 10 Dec 1995 16:32:06 -0700
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         Dieter Dworkin Muller <dworkin@village.org>
Subject:      Re: Bus top speed, not about spelling! 


On Sun, 10 Dec 1995, Crazed Idiot wrote:
:  
:  Just one quick question out of complete curiosity.  Just about
:  how fast will a breadloaf bus with the 1970cc fuel injected
:  engine go assuming its in proper tune and all that.  I know it
:  ain't a rocket and I'm thinking it's somewhere around 70-75 mph.
:  Close, way off, or what?

It's not quite the same, but my '66 with a 1970 single-port (1600cc,
in theory) has pegged the speedometer.  Said instrument indicates up
to 80, and assuming linear behaviour, has the peg at 85.  Admittedly,
this *was* going down Raton Pass, with little traffic around to
distract me.  And I didn't even have it at full throttle.

Under more normal circumstances, I'd expect to get a vehicle such as
CI's up to somewhere between 75 and 80.  A friend's bay window (I
don't think that's the same as a breadloaf) would do 75 with the stock
engine.  Conditions were no noticeable wind and a slight downhill
slope (i.e., in New Mexico, going from Albuquerque to Socorro).

Now, as to whether I think it's a good idea to run a bus at that speed
is another matter.  If you've just tightened up the steering and
suspension, I'd say go for it.  Otherwise, whether or not you were
awake to start with, you certainly will be by the time you're done.
Thirty degrees of slop in the steering on Raton Pass made for an
interesting little jaunt.

	Dworkin