I bought my T5 from Lugnutz when he had one out of (as I recall) a 1989 Astro Van. It has the gear chain which starts at 4.03 for first and ends with .86 which is very good for the 3.07 rear end. It allows one to use the first 3 gears almost in almost the exact same ratio chain as the OEM gear chain of the AD truck (meaning I can haul 1000 pounds in the bed without trouble and it feels just like the old AD). At 4th I get a 25% reduction in rpm from 3rd and in fifth you are at the same overall ratio as if you had a 3 speed with overdrive (a 14% drop from fourth). As long as you're not dealing with too many hills and/or headwinds, it will work well for you. And if all things are in harmony (no notably tall hills and still wind to slight tail wind) you will get around 20 mpg. That's not a promise but if you drive slower (50-55mph) you could see that number fairly routinely. Again, wind and speed are the two main determinants. The way mine is set up at 60 mph my engine is right on 2000 rpm.
Last edited by Jon G; 10/09/2025 6:59 PM. Reason: hit the enter button too fast
