Model Year vs. Engine vs. Transmission Offerings

[Watwood]

What's happenin'.  Joined a couple of weeks ago to start reading up on VW diesels.  Thinking of getting a MK1 of MK2 in the near future.  My other vehicles are a 94 Camaro Z28 6spd perfect condition (305rwhp 340rwtq) and 93 S-10 4.3 auto. with 215K that's still ticking.

What is the year breakdown of engine offerings?  I think it was 1.5, then 1.6, then 1.9, the TDIs right?  What years had turbos, and what is the big deal of an eco diesel?

What is the breakdown of manual tranmissions offered?  4 or 5 speeds?  What years have the lowest final gear?

Lastly, what years offered tachometers with the diesels?

Thanks y'all.

Oh, here are my cars:

[dieselsnowmobile]

US only

1.5L NA - 1981 and before
1.6L NA - 1981 - 1991
1.6L Turbo - 1985 - 1986?
No diesels in 87,88, and 90
1.6L Eco Turbo 1991-1992 (only diesel in 92 from what I have read)
No diesels in 93, 94, and 95 (transition between normal diesel to LSD (500 ppm))
1.9L TDI - 1996 to 2006

Transmissions are mainly 5 speeds with different ratios, very few automatics with diesel.  I prefer the AOP or the AGS tranny.  Here are the transmissions and gears:

http://www.scirocco.org/gears/

Eco diesel is a Turbo Diesel without the enrichment on it, basically a 1.6 NA with a Turbo but with a turbo block.

This info is what I understood to be correct.

[Patrick]

Canadian jettas were offered with or without turbos all the way through. there's a lot of non turbo golfs, maybe the turbo wasn't availabe in this car some years?  Turbo cars tend to be geared a lot higher than non turbo cars, non turbo cars need the low gears to have any kind of driveability in stock form. With what you're used to driving, you won't be happy with a non turbo car. Chances are you won't be impressed with a turbo car of that vintage either without some mods!

[Greasecar]

The 1.6 was offered with the turbo option beginning at the end of '82 or beginning of '83. I had an '83 TD Quantum and Jetta, and an '84 Rabbit TD (I'm not sure if the rabbit was available in a TD in '83).

[Watwood]

Thanks guys.  I'm not buying one for performance, I'm buying one for economy, then I was going to build a turbo diesel motor on the side.  With that turbo motor I was going to try and find that line between excellent fuel economy and decent performance.

It seems that most of the MK1 cars I have seen for sale are 4 speeds, except for the trucks, which most (if not all) are 5 speeds.  I seems all MK2 cars I have seen are 5 speeds though.

[burn_your_money]

There are 5 speed diesel mk1s. The black tie edition rabbit from 82 has one. There are others as well