On Sat, 12 Jul 2008 13:19:45 -0700 (PDT), JimH
wrote:

On Jul 11, 7:44?pm, "Eisboch" wrote:
In these days of high fuel prices and being "green", I love it when people
smugly comment about how my 911 TT ?must be "terrible"
in terms of gas mileage.

Today, for kicks, I reset the car computer that calculates MPG as I entered
onto a limited access highway heading back from the Cape.
I drove for approximately 35 minutes, at speeds ranging from 60 -75 mph,
mostly 65-70 mph. ?I didn't do anything special in terms of driving
techniques ... just drove normally.

At the end of the 35 minutes, the computer calculated mileage display read
"28.9 mpg".
My "normal" average of combined around town and highway driving is usually
about
20-21 mpg unless I have done some sustained "spirited" driving.

Not bad, all things considered, and the look on people's faces when I tell
them what it gets for mileage is usually one of disbelief.

It really is an amazing car, given 445hp, it's performance and it's fuel
economy.
I should drive it all the time.

Eisboch

For a highway only trip that is not surprising.. As you stated in
another reply to this thread that car is light and the body is
aerodynamically designed.

Let us know what the old fashioned (the method I use) method shows.

It's all in how they engineer the gearing. Like Eisboch said, the
engine is loafing - and it's got the torque to loaf.
I'm guessing that's one reason pushrod cars like the GM's I drive
outdo the OHC Accords and Camrys in highway MPG - last I looked
anyway. I think the Impalas with the 3.4 (3.5?), which are heavier
and roomier than the competition beat them in highway MPG.
The GM lockup torque converter does wonders for milage starting at
about 35-40 mph. Not looking for an argument about pushrod vs OHC,
or claiming any special knowledge about it.
I agree on not putting complete trust in the computer generated MPG
figures. "Trust but verify."
Last year on the way to Florida in my '97 Lumina 3.1 I used the fill
up method during the trip. After a couple tanks at 65 mph cruise
control, no A/C , it was a hair below 32 mpg. I lost my self control
after that and was doing 75-85, with hilly/mountainous terrain to
boot. I checked again and it had dropped to about 30 mpg. I think I
did a final when I got home and it was about 29 mpg.
I don't have a good handle on the "city" commuting MPG because I never
checked it closely. Too variable and dependent on traffic conditions.
I'd guess about 20 mpg for what "city" driving we do, which doesn't
involve a lot of creeping and idling.

--Vic

"Eisboch" wrote in message
...

wrote in message
...
On Fri, 11 Jul 2008 19:44:38 -0400, "Eisboch" wrote:



In these days of high fuel prices and being "green", I love it when
people
smugly comment about how my 911 TT must be "terrible"
in terms of gas mileage.

Today, for kicks, I reset the car computer that calculates MPG as I
entered
onto a limited access highway heading back from the Cape.
I drove for approximately 35 minutes, at speeds ranging from 60 -75 mph,
mostly 65-70 mph. I didn't do anything special in terms of driving
techniques ... just drove normally.

At the end of the 35 minutes, the computer calculated mileage display
read
"28.9 mpg".
My "normal" average of combined around town and highway driving is
usually
about
20-21 mpg unless I have done some sustained "spirited" driving.

Not bad, all things considered, and the look on people's faces when I
tell
them what it gets for mileage is usually one of disbelief.

It really is an amazing car, given 445hp, it's performance and it's fuel
economy.
I should drive it all the time.

Eisboch


You are doing about as well as I do in a 2 liter Honda Prelude (avg
about 23-24). I can squeeze 31-32 out of it if I use all the "Mobil
Gas Economy Run" tricks I know, not stuck in traffic and stay off the


Frankly, I am not sure I believe the computer. I just filled it up and
will check it the old fashioned way ..... mileage driven, gallons used.








interstate.

I constantly check the gas mileage on both my Buick Lucernes. Both car
computers err to the high side between 0.3 and 1.1 MPG.

The error doesn't matter if the driving is around town or on the highway for
extended periods.

On Fri, 11 Jul 2008 19:44:38 -0400, "Eisboch" wrote:



In these days of high fuel prices and being "green", I love it when people
smugly comment about how my 911 TT must be "terrible"
in terms of gas mileage.

Today, for kicks, I reset the car computer that calculates MPG as I entered
onto a limited access highway heading back from the Cape.
I drove for approximately 35 minutes, at speeds ranging from 60 -75 mph,
mostly 65-70 mph. I didn't do anything special in terms of driving
techniques ... just drove normally.

At the end of the 35 minutes, the computer calculated mileage display read
"28.9 mpg".
My "normal" average of combined around town and highway driving is usually
about
20-21 mpg unless I have done some sustained "spirited" driving.

Not bad, all things considered, and the look on people's faces when I tell
them what it gets for mileage is usually one of disbelief.

It really is an amazing car, given 445hp, it's performance and it's fuel
economy.
I should drive it all the time.

Doesn't surprise me in the least. It' s a properly engineered car
with engineered gearing and weight to horsepower ratios. Add in the
aero packages, the fact that it's properly balanced and you've got
efficient power application up the hoo hoo.

My 'Vette is an entirely different story. When I took the blower off
and downsized from twin 950 Holleys to single, put the rear end back
to street legal and changed over from street drag slicks to street
legal tires, the mileage went up marginally - from about 6 mpg to
maybe 10. I went from 645 hp on a dyno to just south of 400 hp.

Think it might help if I took the 3/4 cam and NOX out of it? :)

On Jul 12, 9:10*pm, Short Wave Sportfishing
wrote:
On Fri, 11 Jul 2008 19:44:38 -0400, "Eisboch" wrote:

In these days of high fuel prices and being "green", I love it when people
smugly comment about how my 911 TT *must be "terrible"
in terms of gas mileage.

Today, for kicks, I reset the car computer that calculates MPG as I entered
onto a limited access highway heading back from the Cape.
I drove for approximately 35 minutes, at speeds ranging from 60 -75 mph,
mostly 65-70 mph. *I didn't do anything special in terms of driving
techniques ... just drove normally.

At the end of the 35 minutes, the computer calculated mileage display read
"28.9 mpg".
My "normal" average of combined around town and highway driving is usually
about
20-21 mpg unless I have done some sustained "spirited" driving.

Not bad, all things considered, and the look on people's faces when I tell
them what it gets for mileage is usually one of disbelief.

It really is an amazing car, given 445hp, it's performance and it's fuel
economy.
I should drive it all the time.

Doesn't surprise me in the least. *It' s a properly engineered car
with engineered gearing and weight to horsepower ratios. Add in the
aero packages, the fact that it's properly balanced and you've got
efficient power application up the hoo hoo.


As I already said.

Eisboch wrote:



Frankly, I am not sure I believe the computer. I just filled it up and will
check it the old fashioned way ..... mileage driven, gallons used.


I think I'm getting a bit more in the X5, too. I'll have to try that.

Have you ever run mid-grade in your German cars? I know the computers
will adjust and the fuel economy can decrease.

"DK" wrote in message
...
Eisboch wrote:



Frankly, I am not sure I believe the computer. I just filled it up and
will check it the old fashioned way ..... mileage driven, gallons used.


I think I'm getting a bit more in the X5, too. I'll have to try that.

Have you ever run mid-grade in your German cars? I know the computers
will adjust and the fuel economy can decrease.



I never tried anything but "high test". When we had the BMW's, the price
of gas wasn't an issue, so there was no reason.
One downside of the Porsche is that it calls for 93 octane (minimum). The
only place I can get it is at Sunoco, who still carries 93 "Ultra". I've
often considered taking it over to the little Plymouth airport where I took
flying lessons and see if I could buy half a tank of 100 octane aviation
fuel to mix with the 93 octane. Problem is that I think aviation gas is
still leaded, and it would probably screw something up.

Mrs.E. had a good one the other day. Her Navigator calls for "high test"
(91 octane). She was giving me a ride back from the Cape after I brought
the boat down there and I noticed that her left directional was blinking
twice as fast as the right. I mentioned to her that one of the blinker
lights was probably out.

Her response? "Oh .... is *that* what it is? I thought it was because
I've been using "regular" gas instead of "high test" ever since the price of
gas hit four dollars a gallon.

Some people should stick to horses.

Eisboch

"Short Wave Sportfishing" wrote in message
...



My 'Vette is an entirely different story. When I took the blower off
and downsized from twin 950 Holleys to single, put the rear end back
to street legal and changed over from street drag slicks to street
legal tires, the mileage went up marginally - from about 6 mpg to
maybe 10. I went from 645 hp on a dyno to just south of 400 hp.

Think it might help if I took the 3/4 cam and NOX out of it? :)


The '67 GTO needs 91 octane or better and even then it will still "knock" a
bit if you get on it.
So, I don't. I thought about retarding the timing a little, but I drive the
car very infrequently and baby it when I do.
I'll just leave it alone.

The '63 Galaxie with a 390 seems very happy on 91 octane. Again, I only
drive it for a few hours per month, so it's 10 mpg isn't a big issue.

It just cracks me up that the Porsche and the Sprinter .... one a high
horsepower performance orientated vehicle, the other a diesel powered RV,
get the best fuel mileage of all our vehicles ..... except the motorcycles.

Eisboch

Just to add some boating content to this thread:

http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/boats/fir...cht-238000.php

Eisboch

On Sat, 12 Jul 2008 18:52:23 -0700 (PDT), JimH
wrote:

On Jul 12, 9:10*pm, Short Wave Sportfishing
wrote:
On Fri, 11 Jul 2008 19:44:38 -0400, "Eisboch" wrote:

In these days of high fuel prices and being "green", I love it when people
smugly comment about how my 911 TT *must be "terrible"
in terms of gas mileage.

Today, for kicks, I reset the car computer that calculates MPG as I entered
onto a limited access highway heading back from the Cape.
I drove for approximately 35 minutes, at speeds ranging from 60 -75 mph,
mostly 65-70 mph. *I didn't do anything special in terms of driving
techniques ... just drove normally.

At the end of the 35 minutes, the computer calculated mileage display read
"28.9 mpg".
My "normal" average of combined around town and highway driving is usually
about
20-21 mpg unless I have done some sustained "spirited" driving.

Not bad, all things considered, and the look on people's faces when I tell
them what it gets for mileage is usually one of disbelief.

It really is an amazing car, given 445hp, it's performance and it's fuel
economy.
I should drive it all the time.

Doesn't surprise me in the least. *It' s a properly engineered car
with engineered gearing and weight to horsepower ratios. Add in the
aero packages, the fact that it's properly balanced and you've got
efficient power application up the hoo hoo.


As I already said.

Yes Jim - we all know you are a genius and a GOD....

On Sun, 13 Jul 2008 01:46:26 -0400, wrote:

On Sun, 13 Jul 2008 01:10:45 GMT, Short Wave Sportfishing
wrote:

My 'Vette is an entirely different story. When I took the blower off
and downsized from twin 950 Holleys to single ...

My 69 bone stock 350/350 would get about 24-25 if you could keep those
fat assed quadrajet secondaries closed.

~~ snerk ~~

Damn straight. :)