NOMADICISTA

Rudy · Post by **Rudy** » Thu May 05, 2011 1:51 pm

Here's another fun question.

What was the best MPG vehicle you have owned?

I'd have to say that it was my little Opel station wagon with a little dinky 4 cylinder motor.

Somebody please ask me about the 50's era Panhard cars made in France.

Mark R. Obtinario · Post by **Mark R. Obtinario** » Thu May 05, 2011 4:52 pm

I had a Peugout 504 diesel sedan. It got around 40 MPG.

I had a M-B 300D. It got around 30 MPG.

I have a 1961 Cadillac Series 60 Fleetwood Special. It gets about 20 MPG out on the highway.

dburt · Post by **dburt** » Thu May 05, 2011 5:10 pm

My '96 Ford T-Bird 'beatermobile' just returned 30.7mpg on a highway trip the other day! The strong tailwind for most of the 200 mile trip did help I'm sure

1981 Pontiac diesel would get over 30 on a regular basis and was a pretty comfortable road car also!

1971 Datsun 1200 would get 30-32 without much trouble! That was back in the days of 38 cents per gallon gas. And maby 32 cents on sale if you were lucky!

Back in about 1958 when I was just a spring chicken, the cheapest gas I remember was 14 cents a gallon in Kansas. My dad had a sacred mission in life to find the cheapest gas he could, and so I guess I was programmed from a young age to notice things like that. There was a 'gas war' going on, and a small service station out on old highway 10 between KC and Topeka, Kansas had regular for only 14 cents a gallon when the going rate was about 20-25 cents. My dad could not resist saving all that money, so he whipped in take advantage of such a great deal, and with the money he saved, he bought one bottle of ice cold orange soda pop that I had to share with my brother. Other then having to share with my brother, life could not have gotten much better

Stealth Camper · Post by **Stealth Camper** » Fri May 06, 2011 6:32 am

'78 Olds diesel - 29 mpg. One trip went from Limon, CO (east of Denver) to Tulsa, OK on one tank. Not too shabby.

'76 Honda Civic - 35mpg.

99 Dodge Ram diesel - 7,000 lbs of steel - usually get about 20 to 21, but about a month ago, we had such hard west winds that I got 25.1 mpg on way from OKC to Tulsa.
Trying to add the picture for evidence... since I hardly believe it myself.

Sorry about the size! Still need practice on rightsizing these!

graydawg · Post by **graydawg** » Fri May 06, 2011 7:07 am

My 04 Dodge 4x4 dually with the 305 hp cummins diesel gets 24 to 26 mpg running empty at 55 tailgate off, it drops to 17-18 range at 75 mph, what I usually run, sometimes a little faster. also I have the 6 speed standard with 3.73 axle ratio. Pulling a 9K lb gooseneck trailer and could load 5k lbs as long as it didn't catch allot of wind it usually ran at 12.8 mpg, after putting new injectors in it runs good but not getting the mpg I was getting, truck has a 178 K on it now. The onboard computer does work extreamly well and accurate on the mpg's I used to check it on every hot shot run, to keep up with profits and losses. I am still needing to adjust my valves and will probably pick my mpg back up, in early 04 the engines were 305hp and midyear they changed to 325hp running different injectors, I feel like it might have picked up more HP after the injector change but not sure. I have a frame mount propane tank I been saving for a propane injection setup, but worried I may get in trouble with it, NO ! I know I would get in trouble with it, still running the original clutch even after pulling some extreamly heavy loads 39800 was the heaviest went to 4-5 mpg then, will not ever do that again, even though it paid fantastic, 5 states permitted with a 14 wide load and 13'4 high, first time ever I was glad to see WEST BY GOD VIRGINIA.

James in da GRAYDAWG

Stealth Camper · Post by **Stealth Camper** » Fri May 06, 2011 10:39 am

Forgot to say - this was at my normal 75 mph speed. Big wind.

Mythbusters verified an old point that the pickup truck people said years ago; tailgate on gives less drag. Better mileage.

somewhereinusa · Post by **somewhereinusa** » Fri May 06, 2011 10:59 am

Car I had in high school got 2 in town and 4 on the highway.

98 Dodge w/400+ HP would get 13 at 27000 lbs gross. I could run the mts in 5th gear with the cruise on. I think it got about 24 with an empty trailer.

I had some Austin Mini's that probably got around 40, but I never bothered to check.

graydawg · Post by **graydawg** » Fri May 06, 2011 11:34 am

HEY STEALTH CAMPER, thats wasn't the reason the tailgate was off, it was always in the way, when being loaded/unloaded with forklifts constantly having to take it off the truck was a pain, all palets, palet boxes, oilfield supplies were tied down anyway so there was no need for it, especially for times when I would have to drop my gooseneck trailer for a small load and it never failed, the next load would need the trailer and they would want it in New Mexico, Colorado, Maine or Florida for a 10 am delivery the next morning, my motto was you got the money it will be there, when I rolled the per mile charge for truck and trailer started at $2.45 and went as high as $6.50 for the best and almost killed myself, escorted load. got to the plant at 6.45 am for a get it there no matter what by 10 am, another one of those never do again loads. At the plant gate they made me unload all weapons before I could come inside, blew the security folks mind that morning, they asked what I was skerd of, I just told them nothin. just the way I roll. You would be amazed at some of the crap that got loaded on my truck, some of it I was shocked at the value myself, its just too hard staying under the wheel that many hours any more, must be getting old, and to add the co. I was leased on with got 25% off the top.
James in da GRAYDAWG

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