Date: Sun, 24 May 1998 14:42:10 -0400
Reply-To: Mark Thoma <TVReporter@STRATOS.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <Vanagon@vanagon.com>
From: Mark Thoma <TVReporter@STRATOS.NET>
Subject: Re: Used Diesel Vanagon Popularity in Europe?
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
David,
You asked for it....
Sure it may have been on the slightly dangerous side, but no more so than
gas vanagoneers bragging about their vans being able to top 80mph. Where
are these Enzo Ferrari wannabes driving those things that fast. Send me a
note, and I'll be sure to clear the road.
And yeah a gas engined rabbit may have been able to do the same thing,
though I doubt it, because of the torque characteristics of the turbo-diesel
vs. the gas engine. I would've probable burnt the clutch (that's the thing
that goes between the engine and the transaxle) in a gas pick-up, whereas I
could get started with little or no clutch slipping in the turbo-diesel.
Finally, the turbo diesel, pulling the Vanagon, averaged 26 to 28 mpg for
the trip. Is it any wonder that truckers, trains, and ships use diesel
power?
Mark
-----Original Message-----
From: David Marshall <vanagon@volkswagen.org>
To: Mark Thoma <TVReporter@STRATOS.NET>; Vanagon@VANAGON.COM
<Vanagon@VANAGON.COM>
Date: Sunday, May 24, 1998 1:34 PM
Subject: Re: Used Diesel Vanagon Popularity in Europe?
>Not to start a war here as I feel VW Diesels are worth their sale, but yes
>a gasoline powered VW could do the same thing as your hopped up VW Pickup
>it is all power to weight ratio. Your little trip was actually quite
>dangerous if you ask me. How did you ever stop? My 1980 Rabbit PU weighs
>950kg and my 1988 Double Cab weighs 1800km, almost twice the weight. The
>old saying of objects in motion tend to stay in motion unless an equall or
>greater force acts upon them comes into play here.
>
>A Diesel power Rabbit will go quite nicely, but a Diesel powered Vanagon
>will get from point A to B all be it a LOT slower.
>
>Engine Power Torque
>1.6L D 52 71
>1.6L TD 68 98
>1.8L G 100 105
>2.1L WB 90 117
>
>The power to weight ratio of a Diesel Vanagon compaired to a Diesel rabbit
>is less than half. I don't blame people for saying the Diesels are under
>powered for the Vanagon... they are!
>
>Do Diesels live a long time - yes! My first VW Diesel had 500,000km on it
>and only a ring job was done to it.
>
>So to answer your question, could a gas powered rabbit have done the same
>thing (tow a Vanagon). Yes, quite easily but you are putting yourself and
>others in danger when you try to stop.
>
>
>At 08:47 5/24/98 -0400, Mark Thoma wrote:
>>Steve,
>>Your post is obviously worth quite a lot less than 2 cents. I'm figuring
>>completely worthless actually. The volkwagon 1.6 diesel is obviously
every
>>bit as good as the Benz or Cat diesel, as it's been successfully used in
>>hundreds of thousands if not millions of rabbits and jetta worldwide, many
>>of which are still running. If the engine failed in the Vanagon
aplication
>>it might have been because the owners tried to make it perform like it's
>>higher rpm gasoline cousin. These engines will not live long at 5000 rpm.
>>But I'm soooooo tired of obviously pretty ignorant people continuing to
feed
>>the misconception that volkswagon diesels are somehow underpowered junk.
A
>>few months ago I towed a broken diesel vanagon from Philadelphia to
>>Cleveland with my 1.6 litre rabbit pick-up turbo-diesel. Could a gas
>>engined rabbit have done the same thing?
>>Keep your two cents!!! You'll need it when fuel prices start to rise.
>>thoma
>>
>>
>>-----Original Message-----
>>From: Steven Broomhead <broom-sr@SWBELL.NET>
>>To: Vanagon@VANAGON.COM <Vanagon@VANAGON.COM>
>>Date: Sunday, May 24, 1998 3:13 AM
>>Subject: Re: Used Diesel Vanagon Popularity in Europe?
>>
>>
>>>Examine the statement and you get two possible outcomes:
>>>
>>>#1 diesels are gaining popularity, fuel prices, torque for steep
streets,
>>etc
>>> OR
>>>#2 the VW diesels do not withstand the punishment meted them. A lot like
>>the
>>>Oldsmobile diesel of the early 80's with their breakdown and high repair
>>>cost.. Maybe they cannot make diesels like Mercedes or Catapillar.
>>>
>>>.00002 cents worth 8~}
>>>
>>>S. Broomhead
>>>
>>>Marvin Westenburg wrote:
>>>
>>>> When I picked up my '82 diesel in Hanover, we took a factory tour. The
>>tour
>>>> guide said that 80 per cent of their production was diesel.
>>>>
>>>> Marve
>>>> <><
>>>> '82 diesel Vanagon
>>>> '95 EVC
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>
>-- David Marshall, Quesnel BC, mailto:david@volkswagen.org --
> -- 78 1.8L VW Rabbit, 80 2.0L VW Caddy, 87 Audi 5KQ --
> -- 85 1.8L VW Cabrio, 88 1.6L VW Syncro Double Cab --
> -- Volkswagen Homepage http://www.volkswagen.org --
> -- USE DAVID@VOLKSWAGEN.ORG WHEN SENDING EMAIL --
>
>
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