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Date:         Fri, 31 Mar 2006 22:26:08 -0500
Reply-To:     Dennis Haynes <dhaynes@OPTONLINE.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Dennis Haynes <dhaynes@OPTONLINE.NET>
Subject:      Re: MPG Question
Comments: To: Old Volks Home <oldvolkshome@GMAIL.COM>
In-Reply-To:  <bfb5ccc40603311723r5d5da62ub0eab94d329a15fe@mail.gmail.com>
Content-type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

My first Vanagon was an 84. 4 speed, 7 passenger, no power steering and I later added the AC. Even on 215/70-14 tires, I could usually get 20-23 mpg on the highway, (AC off). When I got the Syncro, the 17 took me by surprise back then.

Dennis

-----Original Message----- From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of Old Volks Home Sent: Friday, March 31, 2006 8:23 PM To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM Subject: Re: MPG Question

Gee Jake, so Shawn got the number of vehicles wrong. 2, 3, 6 or a baker's dozen, who cares...?

If you won't tell the list publicly yer secrets of such great mileage (outside of taller gearing) like Sam Walters asked, just say so.

For the record, Ole Putt gets 17 on the highway (55-60 usually, I'm not in a hurry to get anywhere), but for some strange reason when I have my small 900lb trailer hitched up I get 19. Probably the aerodynamics of the air washing over the back end of the Westy and the low profile trailer dispersing the air accordingly. As I live in my Westy Full-Time, It's a bit heavier with the necessities of living :-)

Doing 70-75 w/o the trailer definitely brings it down to a dismal 15-16. 2.1 engine with the 86-later automatic. I'm sure a stick shift would be better, but I'm used to it.

Mileage figures quoted are Good ole USA, not that inflated english imperial crap ;-) -- Jim Thompson 84 Westfalia 2.1 "Ole Putt" 73 K Ghia Coupe "Denise" 72 411 Station Wagon "Pug" oldvolkshome@gmail.com http://www.oldvolkshome.com ********************************** On 3/31/06, Jake de Villiers <crescentbeachguitar@gmail.com> wrote: > > I hate to call someone a moron, but I am too am skeptical. Why don't you > read my initial post on the subject again Feller. If you got the number of > Vanagons wrong, maybe you got the rest of what I said wrong too! > > On 3/31/06, robert shawn feller <feller@carboncow.com> wrote: > > > > Wow far too defensive, I specifically said I don't want to call someone > a > > liar due to my skepticism. Sorry to offend my disclaimer was > intentional. > > > > How do you get three vans to do so well when 90% of us would agree that > > 16-17mpg is our best average experience? I'm quite sure with the > > engineering > > experience you have in the family you are far more knowledgeable then me > > (and I'm not be facetious) that is why I stated I would love to know > what > > I'm doing so wrong! > > > > I think we would all love to know better driving techniques that get us > > 30% > > more miles per gallon, just not me! I'd love to improve as I already > think > > my habits are better then average. With current gas prices it all helps. > > > > Shawn > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf > Of > > Jake de Villiers > > Sent: Friday, March 31, 2006 4:15 PM > > To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM > > Subject: Re: MPG Question > > > > Go ahead and call me a liar if you want to feller! Just because YOU > can't > > do > > something, I can't either ? I'd bet there are a bunch of things that I > can > > do that you can't, and a bunch of things that YOU can do that I can't! > > Just > > because I can't weld for beans doesn't mean that I don't believe that > > someone else can. > > > > I've been driving for 35 years and learned how to calculate mileage > from > > my > > engineer grandfather at age 5. He also taught me how to get great > mileage. > > This was in the heyday of the Mobil Economy Run, when many folks were > more > > interested in efficiency than power, and the same techniques still > apply. > > On road trips as a younger man I would always get better mileage on my > > driving stints than my co-drivers, though we didn't always make the best > > time when I was driving! > > > > If you want to know how it is done, send me an email. > > > > Seeya, Jake > > > > On 3/31/06, robert shawn feller <feller@carboncow.com> wrote: > > > > > > I hate to call anyone a liar but I'm so skeptical! > > > > > > I've been driving Saabs, Volvo and Vw for 10 years. Every bulletin > board > > > I'm > > > on there is a certain percentage of members who post very impressive > MPG > > > numbers. I am an enthusiast which means I keep my cars in great > > mechanical > > > shape, I drive conservatively (my wife will tell you) and I live Ohio > > with > > > moderate hill at best and I'm 80% on the freeway. I never come close > to > > > these guys who IMHO are off the charts with their numbers (not off > their > > > rocker). I often wonder if they are doing calculations wrong, or if > I'm > > > doing them wrong of something else. > > > > > > I'm fascinated by guys claiming numbers (especially on three vans?) > that > > > are > > > way over what the federal sticker has on them when new (and it great > > > running > > > shape). We all know that federal sticker MPG are rated high then real > > > world > > > numbers often. > > > > > > I'm most amazed with my fellow Saab owners driving turbos claiming > close > > > to > > > 38mpg on the 9000 Turbo with a 200hp engine. My onboard computers and > > > calculations tell me I'm lucky to get 26mpg and some are claiming 35% > > > bette > > > fuel econmoney! > > > > > > Everything must be downhill in some of these states and they drive > > 55mph. > > > > > > Shawn > > > Ohio > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > > From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On > Behalf > > Of > > > Anthony Egeln > > > Sent: Friday, March 31, 2006 3:31 PM > > > To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM > > > Subject: Re: MPG Question > > > > > > Wow! Is that with a 2.1L wasserboxer? That is way, way high. Do > you > > > have > > > some secret? I've been very satisfied with my Syncro GL consistently > > > 18-19 > > > (US) city and 21 highway. Are you in Canada? If so, maybe you have > > much > > > better gas there. Anthony > > > '89 Syncro GL (Hidalgo) > > > > > > Jake de Villiers <crescentbeachguitar@GMAIL.COM> wrote: Our 86 gets > only > > > 28 > > > mpg HWY (24 US) but our 84 GL with the 4.57 gears still gets over 30 > (26 > > > US), both at 55-60 mph. The GL gets 26 (22 US) around town, stuffed > > with > > > tools and materials for work. > > > > > > On 3/31/06, chris wrote: > > > > > > > > in my 81 aircooled van, if I run at only 55mph and don't have to do > > > > too much climbing, I'll pull around 20-22 MPG. > > > > > > > > That having been said, I live in Northern California with nothing > but > > > > climbing to do, so my usual MPG is closer to 17 average. > > > > > > > > The PO had electronic ignition which may have helped, but im back to > > > > the points setup now for ease of repair when travelling. (the unit > was > > > > really old and hard to get setup properly.) > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > > Jake > > > 1984 Vanagon GL > > > 1986 Westy Weekender "Dixie" > > > www.crescentbeachguitar.com > > > > > > > > > > > > --------------------------------- > > > New Yahoo! Messenger with Voice. Call regular phones from your PC and > > save > > > big. > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > Jake > > 1984 Vanagon GL > > 1986 Westy Weekender "Dixie" > > www.crescentbeachguitar.com > > > > > > > -- > Jake > 1984 Vanagon GL > 1986 Westy Weekender "Dixie" > www.crescentbeachguitar.com


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