Thanks to both of you for the info! I guess that's just the way it was designed, then. I'm just glad to know I'm not going to kill it by downshifting manually (like I killed the stupid tranny in my '89 Plymouth Voyager by leaving it in 2nd on a very long downhill [10+ miles coming down Mt St Helen's]).

By the way, thanks for the comment about the car, Peter. I bought it for $700 about 18 months ago and have put maybe $1000 into it (mostly tires, shocks, rear brakes and master cylinder, one small carb part). I've always liked the 108s better but this one was too cheap to pass up. The body is great (except for the surface rust on the hood and trunk that comes from sitting for 5+ years under a tree in Oregon), the interior (avacado rosette!) is just about perfect and I haven't really had to touch the engine. In fact, I'm discovering that the more I drive it (it's my daily driver), the better the engine is getting. I'm constantly amazed at the quality that's built into this car and how tight everthing still is after 30 years -- there is not a squeak anywhere in it. I'm still looking for that perfect 108 6 cyl 4 door, though.

Catrinus