wg (12/30/82)
Mark,
My apologies; I munged your name! The original Diesel, anyone? Usenet
submission was from Mike Braca (mjb); I didn't quite catch that your initials
were mbr.
I have an update on my diesel that is sadly humorous. As I noted when
I wrote to you yesterday, my car was in for service: exhaust system, 45,000
mile tuneup, misc. About two hours after I answered your letter, the service
department called to inform me the gasket between the header and block was
beginning to deteriorate, and would need to be replaced. Oil leak was very
minimal, and could not be a problem for 6 - 12 months. Oh well. This is
the first "major" repair I will have had to have done, so I guess I can't
complain. Cost should be about $240. By the time the work is done, the car
will have about 60,000 miles on it, so perhaps thats not all that bad.
As for acceleration, I've been driving 4 cylinders all my driving life.
I find my rabbit to be not too different from any other car I've driven.
There are occasions where a little more pep would be nice, but never enough
to offset the mileage I get with the car. Put it this way: the only time
I wanted more acceleration than I could get was when I was attempting to
prevent some wiseass from cutting in front of me on a four-laner. That
falls under option. Under rational driving conditions, I have never been
short of power.
We have traveled to the New Jersey shore quite often, to Washington, D.C.,
and a few other such trips. Perhaps on one or two occasions, a station with
diesel was not so easily found. If nothing else, I have learned never to
get almost on empty while on a trip before looking for a station. I have
several friends with diesels, and none have ever experienced problems getting
fuel while traveling.
Happy New Year to you too!
Bill Gieske