That makes a lot of sense, Charlie.

I make a bet that a usa spec maf will fit your engine. Pre obd2. Anybody want to help this guy out and send him one off a junker. Pretty small package and light, so should ship cheap. Might be a good idea to compare part #'s first.

This maf is a karmann vortex type, and the sensor uses ultrasonic waves to count the number of vortices in the intake air. Vortex generation/count is directly proportional to air mass flow rate. If the ultrasound sender or receiver windows are dirty, you can get a false air flow rate to the ecu. A careful reading of the fsm may get you a reading range for the maf outputs at idle and some higher rpms. I think there's a digital/analog converter on the maf pcb that converts vortex count to a varying voltage signal to the ecu.