Back to flux capacitor:

The Germans and Swiss used the flux capacitor on 65-72 VW Busses, they= never got the system tweaked to its full potential. In 1972 the Japanese discovered the patents and with additional engineering built successful = units for the motorcycles being exported to the US, hence the term "Rice Rocket".= The flux capacitor was integrated into the first Mazda rotary engine and = qualified the first automobile to the name of "Rice Rocket". A year later it was = installed into the Datsun 240 and later into the Datsun 260Zx, 280zx, 300zx. The = ultimate second failure of the Flux Capacitor was that even expert Japanese = engineers could not overcome the 65,000 mile self destruct feature that the Germans = had built into the original design. Most Datsuns with the feature are stacked = like cordwood at US Auto Crushing facilities.

If you want to recover a Flux Capacitor from Japanese built = automobiles you will find it right behind the top cam gear, behind the timing belt on most= Japanese automobiles.

General motors made an unsuccessful use of it on 1979-82 350 ci diesel= engines in sedan and pickup trucks.GM engineers defeated the 65,000 self destruct feature and reset it to 5,000 miles. It is located in the ignition= switch on all these GM cars.

With a new staff of engineers GM Cadillac moved the flux capacitor the= "Engine Control Module" in their 82 Cadillacs with the 4-6-8 cylinder = features and successfully reset the self destruct feature to 12,001 miles.

This was a great success for GM and they continue their practice today= of setting the flux capacitor to the exact mileage that your warranty expires.

Lexus has further refined the system to include electrical failures of= most components on various schedules.

Ford used the system with some success on their 91-99, Crown Victorias= , Mercury Marquis, Lincoln Continentals with the first Electronic transmission.

Jaguar used it until the company was bought out by Ford Motor Company,= it is located on the rear main seal on all Jaguar automobiles. Jaguar = also overcame the self destruct feature and set it to infinity.

83 Air Cooled Westfalia

On Sun, 30 Sep 2001 04:15:56 EDT Robert Keezer <WarmerWagen@AOL.COM> writes:

In a message dated 9/30/= 01 12:06:20 AM Pacific Daylight Time, wilden1@JUNO.COM writes:

<= /DIV>

There was a memo put out the employees at the General Dynamics plant in
Grand Prairie Texas about two years ago, I'm = going to try to repeat as
best I remember what the memo said.

= Recently the authorities discovered a large grey stain on a rock face of
,,,= Mountain rock face. After further investigation it was discovered
= that the stain was comprised of a 64 Chevrolet and the remaining parts of <= BR>the same vehicle.
Upon further investigation the authorities discovered= that the owner of
the vehicle had recently attended a US Air force = auction and purchased a
surplus JATO cartridge. His friends said the man = that purchased the JATO
cartridge spent several weeks modifying the 64 Chevrolet to mount the
JATO cartridge as a means of propelling the = car to around 200 miles an
hour.
Air force officials speculated = that the Chevrolet weighed approximately
3500 pounds and the JATO cartridge= provide boost in excess of 50,000
pounds. They further predicted = that the Chevrolet became fully
uncontrolled at approximately 140 miles = per hour and shortly afterwards
at about 235 miles per hour became = fully airborne and crashed into the
800 foot rock face at the 500 foot altitude causing the grey stain on the
rocks.
Skid marks on the= highway indicate that the vehicles driver tried to gain
control and= reduce his speed repeatedly approximately five miles from the
= impact point. It is estimated based on the thrust produced that the
= vehicle was traveling in excess of 1000 miles per hour at the point of
impact = on the rock face.
The vehicle owner or any remains of his body have never = been found and it
has rained recently in the area causing the grey stain= to rust and blend
in with the colors of the natural stone color of the= rock face.
The wife of the deceased driver of the 64 Chevrolet said that= her husband
had purchased two of the JATO capsules and the remaining cartridge had
been stolen from his barn.
If any person = currently working for this facility has any information on
the location or = the whereabouts of the missing JATO cartridge, please
come forward or = drop a note in any of the suggestion boxes so we can
recover the JATO = before another unfortunate accident occurs.

Now that is supposed to be= a true story.

Stan Wilder

There is a picture= on e-bay

( http://cgi.ebay.aol.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item== 1009231709)

for auction of a PBY Catalina taking off using the JATO -if it = can push an aircraft-imagine what it can do to a car? The story is almost believable.
On a Vanagon, especially an air-cooled, the JATO would probably at least get it to freeway speed and no more,lacking the = assistance of the powerful V-8 engine!

Robert K
1982 Westfalia