[Vwdiesel] Vwdiesel Digest, Vol 43, Issue 20

[madmedix]

They've rusted to death. Yes, it got phenominal milage. In my limited experience with it, it was an absolute dog at highway speed. Passing a transport truck and once you cleared the nose and entered the wind vortex you used to be drafting in would force a downshift; or you'd a) become street pizza due to oncoming traffic or b) bog the engine fiercely and risk getting run over by what you just passed. The secret was the wildly tall 5th gear. Along with the low cD of the body, skinny (tall) high pressure tires and relatively light GVW, this produced what you were after. On flat two lane doing 55 mph the engine was turning about 1100 rpm (one person, 1/4 tank fuel, no cargo or extraneous weight). So you can see why passing someone required serious pre-planning. 
They were funky cars though.

Andy


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Thank you, very well said. Interesting, I was reading an article on the mid 
'80's CRX recently. No hybrid, gasoline engine. Rated for over 50MPG 
highway, IIRC. The HF I do know was rated for 67 highway. Where are those 
cars now?? I know the rating method has changed with higher speed limits and 
whatnot, but still, this is pretty comical. I would have to agree, big oil 
doesn't want it, combined with American's propensity to want big "safe" 
vehicles with plenty of power.

Tony Hoffman


       
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