(First Posted September 2, 2013) You know your car is slow off the line when a Volkswagen Westfalia van accelerates from the lights faster! Driving a 220D means you get used to be passed … a lot. First gear is very steep so you generally shift into second even before leaving the intersection. I’ve been passed by cargo vans, dump trucks and old men driving Buicks but the final indignity happened the other day. A Volkswagen van soundly beat me off the line. At least it wasn’t a classic one from the 1950s or 1960s.
At least it wasn’t by a Yugo off the line, when my ’85 Omni was suffering from carburetor issues I still couldn’t figure out (even though I was 16 at the time). Luckily my buddies weren’t with me and there weren’t many witnesses.
As the owner of a 1987 VW Vanagon camper, I am relieved to find out I’m only the 2nd slowest vehicle on the road.
In the ’90s in LA, friendly people kept lending me their Mercedes. One I had for a week was a long wheelbase full-sizer (not sure the model, maybe 300D?) circa 1985, which was a NON-turbo Diesel, with an automatic. I couldn’t believe the lack of acceleration. The only vehicle that, when climbing the Hills between the Valley and the Flats, I always had to keep far to the right, stick my arm out the window, and vigorously wave the cars behind me to pass. Otherwise a long string of frustrated drivers would be crawling along in my blue smoke all way through the Canyon. Which would be embarrassing to me and annoying to them. Unlike the loaned 450 SLC I ran out of gas, this Diesel was lady driven and not abused — so I have to assume its sluggishness was normal for the model.
Nice, safe, solid-feeling sedan. But it made very clear to me why most M-B Diesel buyers spring for the Turbos.
I don’t know about you guys but this hot & humid weather we’ve been having really cuts done on my power in my Yaris, but the mpg is at its best too. I can get nearly 3 weeks on a tank of gas, normally I can go 2 only weeks.
On mine, turning the a/c off is like hitting a nitrous button.
It is a classic Benz not a race car. It is meant for driving leisurely while taking in the sights.
However that all being said, it is painfully slow. Back in college I owned a 1983 Chevette Scooter(aka the base model) it had a 3 speed auto and a 1.6l engine with a whopping 65hp. During 1995-1996 there were a lot of 240D and 300D out and about(the newest of the classic 300D’s(ended production for the USA in 1985) was only 10-11 years old at the time and that POS Chevette took off the line faster then the Benzs and could win in a race with them.
But to be really fair, you did not buy a W114 or W123 Diesel Benz to set new land speed records.
How about a pic of the outside of the car? I love classic Benz vehicles
Some outside photos here – https://www.curbsideclassic.com/blog/racing-and-racing-cars/auto-xing-a-big-blue-benz-diesel-too/
In college one of my girlfriends occasionally borrowed her uncle’s Mercedes 180D with a four on the tree. The car was comically slow, but she wasn’t.
Now if that Vanagon was one of the rare diesels, you’d be well ahead of it.
What’s up with this website crashy thingy going on?
Having owned a vanagon and a 74 vw van the only cars I could consistently beat off the line were old diesel mercs Hyundai pony’s, Renault lecars and the occasional chevette… To be fair both vans had headers and a quiet pack or glass pack exhaust and the old hippy van had a weber progressive carb and Bosch 009 distributor…
When I drove an Olds 307-powered Cadillac Brougham it wasn’t awful off the line, but uphills at speeds over 50 mph, and entering freeways from a stop were another story. Similar experience to Alexander of Hollywood’s Mercedes above. In Connecticut there is a parkway called the Merritt, a beautiful old highway built in the 30s. Unfortunately, most of the on-ramps come to a stop sign before you can enter the highway. I will never forget flooring that big gas pedal trying to get up to speed as the oncoming traffic, which was definitely not obeying the 55 mph speed limit on that road, hurtled towards me.
For this reason alone, it would be tempting to install some non-stock powertrain in the Volkswagen. Would an air-cooled Porsche engine fit? Hmm.
A 6 cylinder boxer fits. It’s called a T3 Oettinger WBX-6, 3.2 or 3.7 ltr.
(although water cooled)
For that matter, after gas got cheap in the ’80s again I’m surprised swapping an SBC into a diesel Benz didn’t become a thing.
Saw a 3800 V6 with 4sp auto into a 240D a few years ago, apparently it was lighter than the original too.
I have seen at least a couple of early M-B diesels with a 4300 Chevy V-6 swapped in over the years. A doctor in my hometown owned one for years; he even went so far as having a new model badge die cast for it. This said “430 CTM”, the CTM standing for Chevy Truck Motor. My uncle owned a 240D for several years to drive on his 80 mile daily commute; it was okay once you got it up to highway speed but as many here have said, no acceleration at all.
I’ve seen one with a Ford V8. On the W114/115 V8s can be a fitted but the steering box can cause some fitment headaches. I’d seen a Chevrolet V8 fitted too but he swapped over to rack and pinion steering.
I’d say a 4.3L V6 and overdrive automatic would just about ideal. The motor is probably the best part of my car so I don’t see any swaps in its future but if I can across a reasonably rust free example with a dead motor for cheap I’d be tempted.
I remember my dad’s 1961 Mercedes 190Db, with four speed on the column. Great ride and handling, and the worst pickup of any car I’ve ever encountered. Don’t forget the unmitigated clatter of a Diesel from that time, too! He loved that car, and I wish I could have loved it too. But I didn’t–from the noisy, no-get-up-and-go engine to the weak heaters to the disintegrating German plastics to the faded, barely red tallights. However, I did learn to drive in the thing, including how to handle hills: build up speed going downhill, and then floor the accelerator going uphill.
I’ve appreciated every car I’ve had since that time; they ALL were faster than this thing was! And these days I can enjoy our Camry Hybrid and all its creature comforts and still get over 30 mpg, no matter what.
Did he have it in the 70’s? When the gas crunch hit? A friend of my old mans bought old diesel Benzes like that during the gas crunch while parked his Cadillac for a bit.
1984 Toyota Van only marginally better. I get passed by pedestrians in that 🙂
I have a 1963 VW Bus, 1600 dual port and a Type 3 gearbox, which actually doesn’t help my acceleration, only top speed, anyway, I’m consistently surprised at how slow some people are in stop and go traffic as I pass by them. I’m often not the slowest off the line and it’s not because I have more power.
Something you have to realize is that many aircooled Volkswagen drivers (like myself) typically drive with the accelerator pedal in one of two positions, on or off, haha.
I wanted a W123 diesel Benz so badly until I test drove a couple. I knew the antiquated automatic was slow, but I had no idea how slow the manual trans ones were. I even drove a gray-market 300D manual. Not significantly different than the 240D. I think it was geared for a higher top speed, not so useful in the USA.
My ’72 VW Bus was way faster off the line, but did run out of steam way before 70mph.
A guy I know has a VW bus with a 6-cylinder Subaru engine, maybe that’s what this was. He’s not even a car guy; he was just tired of always being at the head of a long line of cars.
Could also be a 1.8T or (if not in California) Ford Focus Zetec.
I have an 84 Westfalia, and am always surprised to find myself in uncomfortable, and awkward, situations where I have to pass people. Especially in my new home of Michigan, where speed limits are believed to be complied with on the average!
I used to own a 1982 westfalia with the 1.6 liter non turbo diesel, and even restricted 2.5 hp mopeds would easily zip away from it. Still, me an my girlfriend at the time on a whim decided to drive it to the north cape, which we did.
I only overtook one single car on that trip with it, a slow driving person, that took a whole of 45 minutes to achieve.
Lots of second gear driving going up some of the larger and steeper mountain ranges.
It’s been 20+ years since we sold our 1.9 Wasserboxer Vanagon Westfalia, but I don’t remember it being so bad right off the line … at least for the first 25 feet. The 1st to 2nd shift lost you some time, and by the time you bridged the chasm from 3rd to 4th, the term acceleration was a concept only.
While this was not off the line, I was REALLY surprised when this one went by me on the way back from the Outer Banks last August (2018).
Check the Honda’s speedo in the pic… and he was pulling away from me after going by me fairly quickly. I’d estimate his speed at about 80 (MPH).
Modified perhaps?
I zoomed in so one of you experts could identify it, as all I know was that it was a more recent model than a Woodstock version.
It’s a little pixelated, sorry. But hey, it’s the same color as the featured one. ;o)
I had to work for it to catch back up with him. I should’ve taken a better, closer pic.
Yeah that model had the pancake/suitcase engine 1700-2.0 and they get along just fine empty, nothing the old split screen crawlers of yore.
Yugo 45 V 1975 Cadillac Coupe deVille.
Yugo was faster than my Cadillac. 😱
According to my old car literature a 1975 Cadillac Coupe de Ville would accelerate from 0-60 in 11.5 seconds; a 1987 Yugo GV registered in at 17 seconds from 0-60.
Funnily enough my 50hp Karmann Ghia is quite happy at 75-80 mph.
Takes a while getting there though….
I remember my ’83 Escort. It was the “L”, you know, the really fancy one with seats and tires and stuff. It had a 1.6L and a 4-speed stick. Geared really high, it was very slow off the line. Like you were starting out in 2nd gear.
It later drove a friend’s ’88, with a 1.9L and a 4-speed stick. It felt exactly the same except for a little more torque. No fun at all. None. Game over.
Not just slow, but very slow, depressing and embarrassing. And noisy. And uncomfortable. Yukky things.
I rarely show respect to the “K” cars from the 80s. I remember them always putting out blue smoke from the tailpipe and they were always the cars stalled on the side of the road. But they are like BMW “M” cars compared to those sad, slow, (U.S. market) Escorts.
The later, Mazda-based Escort was a bazillion times better. It was a real car through and through. And no longer slow, even with an automatic.
A V-dub van and a healthy kid on a 10 speed bicycle can have a drag race and only these two will know it’s happening.