To put those ratios into perspective, the Merc cars of the time w/ the ~50hp@4k rpm diesels were geared more or less the same, w/ the exception of having only 1-4 and no OD. They were about 700lbs lighter, probably had the same or less CdA, and would do 0-60 in slightly less than 30 seconds, so if you're O.K. with having the slowest vehicle on the road, go for it. Just make sure traffic is at least a mile away before you start to merge.
