At 09:31 PM 8/21/2005, you wrote:
><<How can it fail when it has to stop at every gas station along the way
>and when you need to put your foot out the door to doggie paddle it up
>the first mole hill you encounter?>>
>
>Georgie,
>
>Not really true but Ok if you think so.
>
>The Dynaflow's are a bunch faster off the lights than the 4 speed's.

'86 w/ automatic here.  A co worker recently sold his 80 Westy and got a
'93 Eurovan Westy/weekender or whatever they call it.  Not the full camper,
just the popup and fold out table inside.  His has the 5 cylinder 2.5l w/ 5
speed.  Impromptu parking lot short drag race, and I thought he forgot it
was a race.  Prescribed distance was over by the time mine shifted into
2nd.  In his defense, he is not much of a hot rodder and was probably being
gentle on his, and I did roll the pedal down to the floor on mine.  I am
frequently impressed at the acceleration off of a stop in the van, up to
about 40mph, then it slows way down in the acceleration.

Another comparison was recently we both took the same stretch of mountain
climbing interstate road.  He said he was in 3rd going about 40-45, I'm
sure he was staying out of the "red" or orange area of his tach, which I'm
not sure what rpm that is.  I was in 2 in my vanagon, going 45-50 @ 4000
rpms @ part throttle.  My van on this and other mountain grades will be in
a state where it's part throttle in 2 and accelerating slowly, but let it
into 3rd, and it slows down even at WOT.  There the MT would be nice with
the close gear ratios.

Edward