Re: [Amc-list] 17.339 MPG around town

[Mike Kindle <mike90066@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

When I was keeping track I would get 21-22 mpg highway on the 68 American 232 AT 2bbl.  If I drove tamely.  One trip I decided to go fast, 75 mph plus the whole way and it dropped to 17mpg.

The biggest factor in stop and go traffic is total vehicle weight.  Empty all that crap out of the car and trunk!  Why pay to lug garbage around?  Or a back seat?  Or a spare tire?  Or an extra half tank of gas at 10lbs/gallon?
The biggest factor in highway driving is front view area, as if you took a picture from the front of the car, drew an outline, and calculated the area of that shape.  Aerodynamics is a game of small percentages after that.  Therefore the smaller lower car wins.  
Wind resistance then goes up exponentially above 55, which is why the 1970's speed limit was 55mph.  Drafting behind a truck also helps, not so close as to be dangerous but even at a safe distance there is an effect.  You can hear it in your car's wind noise, listen from the left lane, then get in line behind the truck and it's a lot quieter.  That noise is energy.
The economy runs have a lot to do with technique.  Accelerate slowly and time stops so that you never use the brakes.  Drive like there's an egg between your foot and the gas pedal and you don't want to break it.
A lot of old cars could lose gas through evaporation straight out of the tank.  Check your gas cap and park inside or in the shade.
And air your tires up to 36psi.

Gas is high because we've reached production peak (Peak Oil) and it will only get worse.  I told my friends the other day: "You have already bought your last car."

You have already bought your last car.

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