Date: Sun, 24 May 1998 16:30:08 -0700
Reply-To: David Marshall <vanagon@VOLKSWAGEN.ORG>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <Vanagon@vanagon.com>
From: David Marshall <vanagon@VOLKSWAGEN.ORG>
Subject: Re: Used Diesel Vanagon Popularity in Europe?
In-Reply-To: <001501bd8743$a9b1c3c0$618556cf@TVReporter.stratos.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Oppps, sorry, obviously you know it all...
At 14:42 5/24/98 -0400, Mark Thoma wrote:
>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 --
>>
>>
>
>
>
>
-- 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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