Thanks for your help. That's what I thought.
Since I don't have an MP3-capable CD player in the car, I will probably record the 15 or so tapes at the standard 44/16 and burn them directly onto CDs. Then, if I ever get a car MP3 player, I can just rip MP3s off the CDs. With the MP3 format I'll be able to put all the tapes onto one CD without really lowering the quality.