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  #46  
Old 04-12-2021, 09:48 PM
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Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Sunny So. Cal. !
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Thumbs up ROAD TRIP !

I'm in Ridgecrest, Ca.right now, I've been driving mountain back roads since sun up this morning , the car is doing *much* better on the hills than I expected.

I've gotten it up yo 85 MPH .

It takes a while to get up to speed but once going over 50 ~ 55 it seems to have the power to climb hills .

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1982 240D 408,XXX miles
Ignorance is the mother of suspicion and fear is the father

I did then what I knew how to do ~ now that I know better I do better
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  #47  
Old 04-13-2021, 01:27 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by vwnate1 View Post
I'm in Ridgecrest, Ca.right now, I've been driving mountain back roads since sun up this morning , the car is doing *much* better on the hills than I expected.

I've gotten it up yo 85 MPH .

It takes a while to get up to speed but once going over 50 ~ 55 it seems to have the power to climb hills .
85mph? Downhill? 😂

I drove ours to Big Bear, Arrowhead and Wrightwood, it did fine except for the looooong straight uphill into Wrightwood.
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1981 240D Four on the floor, Orient Red over Parchment, bought with 154,000 but it's a daily driver and up to 180,000 miles, mostly original paint and all original interior.
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  #48  
Old 04-13-2021, 10:45 AM
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Diesel Dandy
 
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Smile Top Speed

Dead flat, slightly over 2,000' elevation no wind, no AC running, EGR disabled....

As I've said, it takes a while to get going but once rolling....
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-Nate
1982 240D 408,XXX miles
Ignorance is the mother of suspicion and fear is the father

I did then what I knew how to do ~ now that I know better I do better
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  #49  
Old 04-13-2021, 01:50 PM
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I purchased a new 1984 240D 4 speed in 1984. Living in Southern California with lots of freeways this car really struggled on the freeway on ramps. vidmate insta save

Last edited by yadav2brand; 04-17-2021 at 08:25 AM.
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  #50  
Old 04-13-2021, 03:45 PM
t walgamuth's Avatar
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Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Lafayette Indiana
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85 is the governed speed. A good sound engine should be able to bump the limit on a nice level road with no headwind.
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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.
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  #51  
Old 04-13-2021, 09:47 PM
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Diesel Dandy
 
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Location: Sunny So. Cal. !
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Talking REALITY CHECK !

From a 240D fanboi no less .

This morning I hopped in the car and headed West out of Ridgecrest and spent some time (hours) driving CA178 and 155, on both I was dwaddling up the hills....

I was really irked going up the grade of West bound CR155 as I was only able to maintain 25 ~ 30 MPH, there was _zero_ Westbound traffic (one tractor I passed easily) .

Then I went over the summit and the GPS said speed limit 55 MPH ~ this road is seriously serpentine and I quickly discovered I couldn't really exceed 30 ~ 45 MPH unless I wanted to fly off the mountain....

SIGH .

Once out of the Sequoia National Forest I hit the mostly flat central valley and easily zipped along at 66 MPH, I don't like buzzing the crap out of the engine .

I reached Delano by 10:30AM and none of the other cars showed up until noon .

So, as much as I love these cars they are slow and ponderous .

Don't buy one thinking you'll peak & tweak it or add a turbo to get it up to speed, that's simply not going to happen .

No regrets tho, the AC (Rich's SANDEN AC compressor & cross flow condenser upgrade) works fine and every where I stop folks say either 'I used to have one !' or 'that's nice, I gotta get one my self' .
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-Nate
1982 240D 408,XXX miles
Ignorance is the mother of suspicion and fear is the father

I did then what I knew how to do ~ now that I know better I do better
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  #52  
Old 04-13-2021, 11:50 PM
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Nate mental health might have a field day with both of us. We both spent time in air cooled Volkswagons. If it drives too easily we do not like it.

For those that drove air cooled Volkswagons. They probably understand what I mean. Although the 240d is not capable of some of the nasty problems that you could get into with those old bugs.

That period ended more than fifty years ago in my case. Today if you gave me the choice of a mint 240d or a 300d. I would take the 240d.

Although with an automatic would be pushing it. I can even relate to your ephoria in passing the farm tractor. There should be more of them on the highways.

I never realized before your thread why I felt almost right at home when I drove my first 240d. In a way it was possibly nostalgic.
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  #53  
Old 04-14-2021, 01:20 AM
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Location: Sunny So. Cal. !
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Thumbs up Feels Right......

You said it ~ I still have one old VW Beetle left, a raggedy 1959 that when I drive it, makes me feel like it's 1972 again ~ I don't feel any younger but the sounds, smells and mechanical cacophony takes me straight back .
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-Nate
1982 240D 408,XXX miles
Ignorance is the mother of suspicion and fear is the father

I did then what I knew how to do ~ now that I know better I do better
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  #54  
Old 04-14-2021, 09:48 AM
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Blast from the past. Those Volkswagons were called Wolfsburg wailers for a pretty sound reason. Quality of build for the dollar was good actually.

With the highway speed limit of fifty they were adaquate on the highways here.. I used to even pass a lot of vehicles in them.

Drive them three years to about 50 thousand miles. Trade them in with a six hundred dollar cheque and drive away with another new one. That formula does not seem to work the same anymore. Even corrected for today's dollars. The wife was hooked on them as well.

I just also remembered I have lived with women so long I have forgot what freedom was like. I am also still trying to figure out why married guys live longer.
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  #55  
Old 04-14-2021, 11:26 AM
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Location: Sunny So. Cal. !
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Post Noisy Old Beetles

When the original cloth upholstery and body air dams were in place they weren't so bad inside, the fan was changed in...?'58? to make it less efficient because of that howling blower sound but it was impossible to overheat and early 25 or 26 HP engine no matter how fast you drove it .

I used to look for those early fans (they have less blades at a sharper pitch) and install them on my 6 volt engines because I loved tearing through the Desert as fast as they'd go .

Until 1961 the owner's booklet said "top speed is cruising speed" and they werent kidding ~ 80 MPH was on tap at sea level on a flat road .

Few bother to replace the gone missing coconut fiber pads or the C pillar air dams so it's pretty noisy inside most Beetles these days .
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-Nate
1982 240D 408,XXX miles
Ignorance is the mother of suspicion and fear is the father

I did then what I knew how to do ~ now that I know better I do better
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  #56  
Old 04-14-2021, 11:52 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by vwnate1 View Post
I'm in Ridgecrest, Ca.right now, I've been driving mountain back roads since sun up this morning , the car is doing *much* better on the hills than I expected.

I've gotten it up yo 85 MPH .

It takes a while to get up to speed but once going over 50 ~ 55 it seems to have the power to climb hills .
We never run the 240D over 63mph with the AC on, but I’ll admit to just few occasions that I saw speeds over 80mph. It made me feel bad, like I was flogging a friend. 67mph or less is is just fine.
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1981 240D Four on the floor, Orient Red over Parchment, bought with 154,000 but it's a daily driver and up to 180,000 miles, mostly original paint and all original interior.
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  #57  
Old 04-14-2021, 12:16 PM
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Talking Less Can Be MORE

I don't often run it over 65 MPH .

It's quite happy at 60 ~ 66 MPH, not buzzing the engine .
__________________
-Nate
1982 240D 408,XXX miles
Ignorance is the mother of suspicion and fear is the father

I did then what I knew how to do ~ now that I know better I do better
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  #58  
Old 04-14-2021, 01:01 PM
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Location: Phoenix Arizona. Ex Durban R.S.A.
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Unfortunately I have just had to scrap my second 240D. An 81 stick with 347 K on it when the shifter jammed in 4th. The clutch burned out and the starter lost contact with the flywheel. (long story - not relevant here). Point is. Much as I love these cars, and hope to be able to acquire another in future. It's less than ideal in some modern traffic situations. Interstate merging requires planning and concentration. Frankly all interstate driving requires planning and concentration in a way other cars just don't. I can't imagine living with one in a significantly hilly area. And while I prefer automatics the 240D is one car where I'd actively search for a manual instead. I've driven a couple of auto's and I'd regard them as actually dangerous in modern traffic. At least where I live in Phoenix.

- Peter.
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Formerly...
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1981 240D 4spd stick. 347000 miles. Deceased Feb 14 2021
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1981 240D 4spd stick. 389000 miles.
1984 123 200
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  #59  
Old 04-14-2021, 01:36 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by pj67coll View Post
Unfortunately I have just had to scrap my second 240D. An 81 stick with 347 K on it when the shifter jammed in 4th. The clutch burned out and the starter lost contact with the flywheel. (long story - not relevant here). Point is. Much as I love these cars, and hope to be able to acquire another in future. It's less than ideal in some modern traffic situations. Interstate merging requires planning and concentration. Frankly all interstate driving requires planning and concentration in a way other cars just don't. I can't imagine living with one in a significantly hilly area. And while I prefer automatics the 240D is one car where I'd actively search for a manual instead. I've driven a couple of auto's and I'd regard them as actually dangerous in modern traffic. At least where I live in Phoenix.

- Peter.
I cannot properly explain it. Yet over time you do miss some past cars. The longer the time the more noticeable in my opinion. It may even just be part and parcel of the time period you were in as well.

A rule of thumb is on older cars you want to really check them over. To catch anything that may break down on a trip.

You can do a pile of preventative work on them at home. Cheaper than the cost of a road breakdown.

The cost of that negligence can be substantial today. Out of the area guy passing through. Best to keep a jar of vasoline in the trunk.

Last edited by barry12345; 04-14-2021 at 09:23 PM.
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  #60  
Old 04-14-2021, 11:24 PM
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Diesel Dandy
 
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Sunny So. Cal. !
Posts: 7,797
Smile In The Trunk /Boot

I keep a spare alternator and V-Belts, tools and fluids, small things I know the car will use but no KY jelly ~ I'm not that kind of freak .

I bashed the oil pan pretty hard to - day, so far no leaks but I'm sure I'll want to replace it .

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-Nate
1982 240D 408,XXX miles
Ignorance is the mother of suspicion and fear is the father

I did then what I knew how to do ~ now that I know better I do better
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