In a message dated 10/24/01 2:08:47 AM Pacific Daylight Time, FrankGRUN@AOL.COM writes:

.<< From my
perspective, cruising in top gear at 60 mph is pretty close to a good optimal
operating condition>>

I found it!Driveability for the target audience. (not the store)

This is why I had to go to a . 457 air-cooled Vanagon trans.

Here in the land of the 2nd worst US traffic, 60 mph translates to being parked while traffic is passing by on all sides at 10+mph.
And forget a fast trip anywhere the limits allow 70 or 75mpg which I drive on several road trips a year.
There may be a loss of pulling power on long hills in fourth, but third takes care of that.

The 5.Th reason if I may add in the consideration of final drives is Drivability, which is a relative term. If you tow or are carrying a large payload, then a lowered geared trans makes sense.
If you want to cruise at 70 all day @3800 rpm(20 mpg my 82 Westfalia with 195/75/14's) then the air-cooled Vanagon will do this.
I have driven two 1.8 Vanagon Westfalia conversions recently and they are SLOW. The first three gears all seem like first. I have a hill nearby which I can top at 45 in my Westy. The two Westies I drove with the Diesel trans would only top the hill at thirty-five. But I am sure that If both were pulling a 2,500 LB trailer payload, the Diesel would win. It is slow, but the torque challenges gravity better.
In my Westfalia with the 2.0 Golf engine I can get up to 75 mph in third @4800 rpm.This is the best power gear and it lets you accelerate with ease at low or high rpm. To do the same with a Diesel trans I will assume that you need an additional 1000 rpm. That's winding it out, not that it can't take it, but the 1.8 is not the engine the 2.0 is. I know this from driving the 1.8 for 4 years, and the 2.0 for three.
The 2.0 and a four/speed or five speed . 457 trans is going to suit most conversionists of the Tiico or scratch persuasion.
A few who are in slow country and drive hilly backroads, dirt roads, will like the lowered geared Diesel trans.
It would be best if we could have a high/low transfer case.
So I can only speak for my self, and as Frank has explained, there are virtues to the Diesel trans.
However, around here I was unable to sell mine.