1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188 
kutomatic 'over
Page 47
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
1R SHARP'S statement that lanual transmission is better Ian automatic for cross-country rork (CM. May 18) is mistading, especially when the utomatic vehicle he uses for 3mparison (Chevrolet Blazer 5) is in fact a re-vamped 4 x 2 lain-road pick-up truck with oor ground clearance and high verall gearing ratios. Landovers, on the other hand, were Decifically designed as crossDuntry 4 x 4s from the start, ,ith manual transmission only.
I have been engaged in the esign of Stonefield crossDuntry vehicles since their conaption in 1974, and feel that tonefield is quite right in ffering only automatic translission in these vehicles, where le following standards apply.
The exhaust silencers are Oin off the ground, which leans that when wading in Oin of water (standard military )quirement) they are only 10in nder water..
The transposing box has two itios — 1 to 1 for normal runing and 2.8 to 1 for slow Deeds ranging from 2mph at 000rpm in first gear to 29mph t 5500rpm in top. This allows a glide to run at full torque in ottom gear hold at, say, 100rpm at approximately mph or walking speed.
If additional revs are reuired, one only has to move the ift foot over to the brake pedal nd apply braking resistance to slip" the torque converter and Icrease the engine revs for a onstant road speed. This can ave the effect of increasing the verall ratio by 2.1 to 1, ie putng 2100rpm at 5mph up to ,41Orpm.
agree with Mr Sharp's point )at-if extra flexible pipe is cared, this can be used to extend le exhaust tail-pipe above exected water level but in normal ircumstances this is not ecessary.
On the question of starting le engine with automatic transmission, how often is one stuck with a modern vehicle these days with auto transmission? I have run a Granada for 66,000 miles without starter trouble of any kind.
Stonefield fit heavy-duty batteries of either 68 or 110 amp/hour rating as required by customers, with an alternator to give rapid re-charge after starting. Mr Sharp does not say what caused the sudden stalling of his vehicle in Iceland, or how he eventually re-started it, but a tow with manual does not put right all the faults which may occur.
N. F. WATSON, Chipperfield, Herts.