Our family car is an old naturally aspirated MB 300D with relatively new
engine and tranny.  Sure it's a little slow in traffic but way less so than
my gas powered wasser belcher.  As for fuel availability, that's a non issue
around home.  It's only when we take it into unfamiliar territory and I let
myself be tempted into stretching its 500 mile plus range that it gets a
little hairy.
Good friend of mine swore he'd never own a diesel until he drove the Jetta
TD that he's owned and loved for more years than I care to try to count;
performance used to be his concern, too.

----- Original Message -----
From: Adam Culp <aculp2@YAHOO.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Thursday, June 10, 1999 12:31 PM
Subject: Re: Engine Swap - what about TDI?

> > Aside from limited fuel availability and cold
> > weather issues in some areas,
> > what are the drawbacks?
>
>           The are two drawbacks that I can see since I have driven a
> deisel before, a Peugeut, and wouldn't really want another deisel.
> There are two reasons for my oppinion.  First is that deisiels have
> absolutely NO acceleration.  Vanagons are slow enough as it is.  To
> make their pickup even slowler would be unbearable to me.  But, if you
> say the new diesels are better, my peugeut was an '85 Turbo, then a
> deisiel might be an option.  My other dislike for diesiels is the
> availibility of fuel!  If it is only a vacation car, then it is not a
> major problem.  But if it is a daily driver, you will quickly realize
> that there a very few stations that sell diesiel.  The habbit of buying
> fuel whenever you see a station that sells deisiel, will be acquired.
>       . . . But that just my 2cents.
>
> Adam
> '74 Midget
> '?? Vanagon (someday soon)
>
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