Your numbers are about right.  Was at GW last Friday.  Over the pass
40-45.  I could get more speed,,,but....I'd be over 4K rpm's....like to
keep at of under 3900 rpm's....on the flat  or easy hills....I get 65
mph at 3750 RP's....hopw this helps.....we have an 89  2.1  4 spd
manual....!

On Aug 9, 2005, at 11:58 AM, Mike Collum wrote:

> Do you do as I do in my '84 automatic and downshift on big hills?
> Locking it into a lower gear does make a big difference.
>
> Mike
> '84 GL 7 pass auto
> '85 GL Westy 4 spd
>
>
> Sharon Mendonca wrote:
>> I don't know about everyone else with automatic transmissions, but we
>> go down to about 40 or so on bigger passes.  We've had manual
>> transmissions on other Vanagons and I really don't think the
>> automatic is that much slower on hills.  I know it's a lot faster in
>> regular traffic situations.  We go down to about 40 on Cuestra grade
>> here in San Luis Obispo, CA area, as well as most hills of any size.
>> What was surprising to me is that the last time we came back from
>> Fresno on Highway 41 I think it is, there were two full size pickups
>> behind me pulling something like tent trailers and they couldn't get
>> around me when the passing lanes came up, and believe me I was bogged
>> down to around 40-45 on most hilly areas of that road.
>>
>> Sharon & Bob Mendonca
>> 88 Westy
>> 88 Vanagon GL
>>
>