Thread: Gas mileage king ;)

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Originally Posted by halftanked

A big boat like an old Cadillac sedan with a 472 can give 20-22 mpg when driven modestly. Hank

then why does my de smogged 80 chevy pick up with a 350 only get 6-8 mpg?!!!

Originally Posted by gassersrule_196

then why does my de smogged 80 chevy pick up with a 350 only get 6-8 mpg?!!!

.......because it has the aerodynamics of a barn door, a tailgate that acts like a NA$CAR spoiler and a 5.88 set of rear gears maybe??

Heck, my V10 F350 only does 10-12 around town And it must have every smog control device known to man on it!!

I'm considering building a car with a motorcycle engine and lots of lightweight stuff like a tube frame, etc. With gas getting nuts it would be cool to have a little driver that got really good gas milage. I know squat about motorcycles though, so if and when I decide to do it I'll need some input from the bikers among us to help pick one with the right cc's and all to use as a donor.

I'd just buy a moped, but with some of the drivers we have down here I at least want SOME protection around me.

Don

Originally Posted by Itoldyouso

I'm considering building a car with a motorcycle engine and lots of lightweight stuff like a tube frame, etc. ......................
Don

Why not a little ricer 4 cyl engine - some of them will do even better then many bike motors

Originally Posted by Itoldyouso

I'm considering building a car with a motorcycle engine and lots of lightweight stuff like a tube frame, etc. With gas getting nuts it would be cool to have a little driver that got really good gas milage. I know squat about motorcycles though, so if and when I decide to do it I'll need some input from the bikers among us to help pick one with the right cc's and all to use as a donor.

I'd just buy a moped, but with some of the drivers we have down here I at least want SOME protection around me.

Don

A number of years ago there was an outfit in, I think, Reno NV that made a T bucket kit that took any one of a variety of 4 cyl motorcycle engines. It was roughly a 3/4 maybe 7/8 scale car. I suspect market demand didn't support their long term existence. It's all about hp and weight in this context so I don't know that the motorcycle engine would have any particular advantage if there were a comparable small car engine (Aveo, Fit, and so on).

Originally Posted by IC2

.......because it has the aerodynamics of a barn door, a tailgate that acts like a NA$CAR spoiler and a 5.88 set of rear gears maybe??

Heck, my V10 F350 only does 10-12 around town And it must have every smog control device known to man on it!!

3:73's i got lucky being a stick helps somewhat to i guess

Originally Posted by gassersrule_196

3:73's i got lucky being a stick helps somewhat to i guess

That ratio surprises me - my father in law had a '79 Chevy 2500 with a 350. If I recall, the final ratio and with a granny geared trans was in the 4.50 range and his mileage was horrible - like what you are getting. But by then in his life he only drove it 2 miles for coffee or 15 miles to my house to help me on my additions so it really didn't matter.

MY 78 bird with a 305 gets 18 MPG @ 80 MPH. But that number was generated a few years ago. Since then I have changed the rear from 2.56 to 2.41 and put many miles on the motor. Would be intresting to run the numbers again, but not too intrested in going back to Nevada to run out two tanks of gas @ 80MPH. However, it was the absolute NICEST cop I have ever had give me a ticket. Nice, guy, really.

Back in early 1983 the late & legendary Smokey Yunick fitted a 150 bhp 2 cylinder engine, of his own design, to a Plymouth Horizon test vehicle producing class leading power and fuel efficiency. There was a presentation to the Society of Automotive Engineers and talks with manufacturers for gasoline and diesel applications. I wonder whatever became of that? I suspect interest died out because by 1985/86 gas was cheap again.

Originally Posted by MattC

Back in early 1983 the late & legendary Smokey Yunick fitted a 150 bhp 2 cylinder engine, of his own design, to a Plymouth Horizon test vehicle producing class leading power and fuel efficiency. There was a presentation to the Society of Automotive Engineers and talks with manufacturers for gasoline and diesel applications. I wonder whatever became of that? I suspect interest died out because by 1985/86 gas was cheap again.

Probably didn't have enough torque to pull anything of that day. Every car was a boat in the 80's. Would of been great in a CRX.

well, no matter how I drive my Ford Ranger....hard or easy.......town or freeway....it gets 17-18 mpg and never changes.

Originally Posted by 69elko

Probably didn't have enough torque to pull anything of that day. Every car was a boat in the 80's. Would of been great in a CRX.

I have a Pontiac Bonneville ad from 1978 that compares the 231 V6 powered Bonnie against the Audi 5000 of all cars, with Pontiac talking up the fact their car was 1,000s cheaper and was rated 1 mpg (EPA) higher, 18 versus 17 mpg. It was cheaper and thriftier than the import, technically, so the advert is true, but a Bonneville & Audi 5000 was a bizarre comparison, what were the GM ad men thinking...or smoking?

Originally Posted by MattC

I have a Pontiac Bonneville ad from 1978 that compares the 231 V6 powered Bonnie against the Audi 5000 of all cars, with Pontiac talking up the fact their car was 1,000s cheaper and was rated 1 mpg (EPA) higher, 18 versus 17 mpg. It was cheaper and thriftier than the import, technically, so the advert is true, but a Bonneville & Audi 5000 was a bizarre comparison, what were the GM ad men thinking...or smoking?

Yes,that was a bit of a stretch.

Last year my 96 Eldorado Touring Coupe w/300HP and 104,000 miles on it ran a section of hiway at 70MPH for 300 miles and hit 28.8 MPG. For another 165 miles I wound up to 80 and 85 when possible and it averaged 26.8. Why the hell would I want some squeeky jap car?

Don also wrote:

I'd just buy a moped, but with some of the drivers we have down here I at least want SOME protection around me.

Having driven in Florida periodically for the past 27 years I can't agree with you more. When the snow birds flock to town, I really only feel safe in a Hummer H1, and then only with brush guards on all four sides.