Bought my first car this week!

[CoogarXR]

I find it funny that some of the average cars of old get about the same mileage as the average cars of today. I drove a 65 fury with the slant 6, and it got a rock-solid 20mpg. In town, or on the highway, always 20mpg. I know because the gas gauge was broken, so I had to drive by the odometer and my gas-station receipt

That car was so long I about had to hit the back wall of the garage just to get the door to close behind it!

[Username1]

Originally Posted by CoogarXR

I find it funny that some of the average cars of old get about the same mileage as the average cars of today. I drove a 65 fury with the slant 6, and it got a rock-solid 20mpg. In town, or on the highway, always 20mpg. I know because the gas gauge was broken, so I had to drive by the odometer and my gas-station receipt

That car was so long I about had to hit the back wall of the garage just to get the door to close behind it!

For the most part it comes down to physics..... Wind resistance, engine size,
and vehicle weight, a gal. of gas will push a weight with rolling resistance, through
the air and deliver this much economy.....

The funny thing is that when they actually make progress, the typical car line
does not realize greater mpg, instead it gets bigger both as a wind drag, and
gains weight.... Look at pickups, even the smallest entry models you need
a step ladder to get into, and the Accords, gaining weight, and getting big...
I think the new ones do about the same as our '91.

Popular Science use to do several speed - mpg tests on cars in the 70's and
a lot of the cars back then got the best mpg at around 45 mph... I'm guessing
it's because the rpm's were around 2100 and wind resistance was pretty low
at that speed....



.

[Sandy G]

Originally Posted by Username1

For the most part it comes down to physics..... Wind resistance, engine size,
and vehicle weight, a gal. of gas will push a weight with rolling resistance, through
the air and deliver this much economy.....

The funny thing is that when they actually make progress, the typical car line
does not realize greater mpg, instead it gets bigger both as a wind drag, and
gains weight.... Look at pickups, even the smallest entry models you need
a step ladder to get into, and the Accords, gaining weight, and getting big...
I think the new ones do about the same as our '91.

Popular Science use to do several speed - mpg tests on cars in the 70's and
a lot of the cars back then got the best mpg at around 45 mph... I'm guessing
it's because the rpm's were around 2100 and wind resistance was pretty low
at that speed....



.

Yep. The Mighty Valdez weighs in at 7500 lbs, empty, so w/any load at all, you're right at 8000 lbs. That's 4 TONS...Even if I yanked the V-10 out & transplanted a 300 6 in, I doubt if it would help matters all THAT much, & drivability would suffer.