do 35K a year on every interstate from Bangor Maine to Bellefonte
Ohio to
Richmond VA. 1979 240D Auto, the roads are still made with the same
material they were 30 years ago.
Regards Tom
I agree, Tom. 240 D Autos with the air on are speedsters compared to
what I used to drive--a Vanagon Diesel westfalia. 48 HP, 2 tons, and
the aerodynamics of an open parachute. I swapped in a 70 hp
turbodiesel when the NA engine coughed up blood and died, and even
with that engine I've still been held to a maximum speed of 50 mph on
dead level ground for hours (in KS) when fighting a hellish headwind.
I'm not complaining--a full-featured RV that sleeps 4, will ford 18-
inch deep creeks, off-road like a truck, cruise most days at 65-70
and get 25 mpg is a hell of a deal in my book.
And THAT's fast compared to my brother's 1942 International KB-7 5-
ton straight truck. On a trip from Des Moines to Chicago I scaled 8
3/4 tons with it, hauling river rock. All that with a 265 inch, 6-1
compression stroker six making all of 89 horsepower. It did the whole
trip--uphill and down--at it's maximum recommended cruising speed of
45 mph turning 2000 revs (redline is 2200). Took all ten non-
syncromesh gears to get it there, I might add.
More recently, I've just returned from a 3500 mile trip to Ellsworth,
Maine driving a 1986 Chevy S-10 2.5 liter 5-speed. Did the whole trip
at 65 with a half-ton in the bed and another ton on a utility trailer
behind, most of it in overdrive, interestingly enough, and averaging
20.5 mpg. It was damn near wide open the whole way--in 4th when 5th
wouldn't pull the speed limit.
Underpowered is all in the mind.
That said, I did the same 3,500 mile trip recently in five hours less
time driving my 300SD. That time, I was averaging--including stops,
mind you--66 mph, including a stint through chicago after rush hour,
construction, toll booths, gas stops and potty breaks, and 4 hours of
two lane roads. Much of the time, I was running 80-85 in effortless
comfort, and given my other vehicular experiences, appreciating every
mile of it. Even on the two-lanes I was doing 70, passing supposedly
better-handling cars whose drivers were jarring their fillings loose
on the frost heaves at the 50 mph speed limit.
Dan
