RE: Pulling Passes With an Automatic
The worst I've ever pulled has probably been Teton Pass going west out of
Jackson, Wy.  My '90 Westy was slow getting over that but made it fine.
That's a '90 Westy that weighs out over 5,300 pounds, automatic with a
stock 2.1L.  And there is another FS road that I have done many times in
both an '85 1.9L stick and that same '90 Westy, heavily loaded with
astronomy gear, that is one SOB steep in parts, about 4,000 feet up,
winding and twisty, in about six miles.  Both handled that and with a lot
of bottom gear driving.  You aren't going to get any speeding tickets
before you get to the summit but you will make it.