My first car was a 68 Jeep CJ-6, distinguished mainly by its long (101″) wheelbase, and big (for a jeep back then) 225 cu in 160 HP Dauntless V-6 engine. I put an overdrive on it to gain gas mileage in the early 70s, and it would get a respectable 28 mpg highway…amazing considering the near-parachute aerodynamic configuration.
Every once in a while, I’d get in a position where I’d have to “play Shell engineer,” as a good friend dubbed it, and pull every trick in the book to extend range. Coasting downhill, engine off, was almost the norm. The best trick was drafting 18 wheelers. That’s where the jeep’s shape was an advantage. Getting close enough to a semi almost allowed me to put it in neutral…though the ability to stop quickly worked against that.
Those tricks saved my friend and I when we found ourselves further than 150 miles from the nearest gas station, with two empty Jerry cans and less than 1/3 of the main 10 gallon gas tank remaining. When we ultimately filled up again, it took 9.5 gallons.
I remember having a Saturn that I consistantly got at least 36mpg. It was fully loaded, and I didn’t drive it gently. But since it was a standard, I did do a lot of the techniques described in the story. Of course, I didn’t know the terms, but I did understand the engineering.
A bit OT, but I enjoyed the Saturn. I purchased it before GM, forced by UAW, changed the way that organization was run. I did purchase another one after that time, and I never got good mileage, and I had several electrical problems. Never bought a GM product again. Those who think my comments about GM are just ideological don’t know how much I enjoyed their products at one time. I’d enjoy them again, if they made them like they did then.
Dear God, I love nerds.
MfK – I routinely get 28 mpg in my ’02 Corvette (110k miles), 6th gear is 50% overdrive. Low RPM/High torque, low drag and tall gearing solves a lotta problems.
As pointed out in the comments over there these techniques aren’t good for your car’s emission system and automatic transmission. There is a vapor recovery system in the top of your gas tank that needs that extra space to properly scavenge vapors and recycle them back into the fuel system. If you fill that portion of the tank up repeatedly with liquid fuel then you risk tripping a check engine light which will force the ECU into open loop fueling mode which isn’t good for fuel economy or power. And while dragging through the gears to slow down is bad enough for a manual transmission. At least there you have a clutch plate that is designed to be regularly serviced. On an automatic you have clutch packs in your planetary gear assembly that require a complete transmission overhaul if you burn those out. I’d just rather use my car’s brakes as they were intended and replace then when they wear down which for me is about a 30 minute job to hang a new set. Squealing? What squealing, I don’t hear anything….
My first car was a 68 Jeep CJ-6, distinguished mainly by its long (101″) wheelbase, and big (for a jeep back then) 225 cu in 160 HP Dauntless V-6 engine. I put an overdrive on it to gain gas mileage in the early 70s, and it would get a respectable 28 mpg highway…amazing considering the near-parachute aerodynamic configuration.
Every once in a while, I’d get in a position where I’d have to “play Shell engineer,” as a good friend dubbed it, and pull every trick in the book to extend range. Coasting downhill, engine off, was almost the norm. The best trick was drafting 18 wheelers. That’s where the jeep’s shape was an advantage. Getting close enough to a semi almost allowed me to put it in neutral…though the ability to stop quickly worked against that.
Those tricks saved my friend and I when we found ourselves further than 150 miles from the nearest gas station, with two empty Jerry cans and less than 1/3 of the main 10 gallon gas tank remaining. When we ultimately filled up again, it took 9.5 gallons.
I remember having a Saturn that I consistantly got at least 36mpg. It was fully loaded, and I didn’t drive it gently. But since it was a standard, I did do a lot of the techniques described in the story. Of course, I didn’t know the terms, but I did understand the engineering.
A bit OT, but I enjoyed the Saturn. I purchased it before GM, forced by UAW, changed the way that organization was run. I did purchase another one after that time, and I never got good mileage, and I had several electrical problems. Never bought a GM product again. Those who think my comments about GM are just ideological don’t know how much I enjoyed their products at one time. I’d enjoy them again, if they made them like they did then.
Dear God, I love nerds.
MfK – I routinely get 28 mpg in my ’02 Corvette (110k miles), 6th gear is 50% overdrive. Low RPM/High torque, low drag and tall gearing solves a lotta problems.
As pointed out in the comments over there these techniques aren’t good for your car’s emission system and automatic transmission. There is a vapor recovery system in the top of your gas tank that needs that extra space to properly scavenge vapors and recycle them back into the fuel system. If you fill that portion of the tank up repeatedly with liquid fuel then you risk tripping a check engine light which will force the ECU into open loop fueling mode which isn’t good for fuel economy or power. And while dragging through the gears to slow down is bad enough for a manual transmission. At least there you have a clutch plate that is designed to be regularly serviced. On an automatic you have clutch packs in your planetary gear assembly that require a complete transmission overhaul if you burn those out. I’d just rather use my car’s brakes as they were intended and replace then when they wear down which for me is about a 30 minute job to hang a new set. Squealing? What squealing, I don’t hear anything….