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Mon Apr 23, 2007 2:30 pm

slammedresto wrote: ... getting approx 20-22mpg(uk gallons)

um... isn't a gallon still a gallon, no matter where you are? :wink:

Also, was wondering if anyone knew at what speed Westys get the optimal MPG's?

I get around 23-24 mpg at 60 mph.

Mon Apr 23, 2007 2:33 pm

Since this has been brought back up, I'll update mine.
Was getting 12 MPG (check first post)
After new plugs and wires
New tires
New fuel lines and filter
New brake pads and bleeding the brakes (I think one was dragging)
I am now getting about 16-17!!
Amazing what a little maintenance will do. :roll:

Mon Apr 23, 2007 6:37 pm

renobdarb wrote: slammedresto wrote: ... getting approx 20-22mpg(uk gallons)

um... isn't a gallon still a gallon, no matter where you are? :wink:

Also, was wondering if anyone knew at what speed Westys get the optimal MPG's?

I get around 23-24 mpg at 60 mph.

No; they are smaller in the US. It starts out with Imperial quarts having 5 cups whereas US quarts have 4 cups (40 ounces vs. 32). So you end up with an Imperial gallon being 5/4 of a US gallon, or 25% larger.
Conveniently (if you are in a country that uses Imperial), a gallon of water weighs ten pounds, since an ounce weighs an ounce.

Mon Apr 23, 2007 8:25 pm

Just got back from a 1300 mile roadtrip in my FI '77 rivy. Loaded pretty good with food, full water tank, booze, camping equipment, family, (we're pretty obese :P )

Driving about 60ish mph, I averaged 18 MPG

Mon Apr 23, 2007 8:43 pm

1976, dual webbers - 40mm, 2.0L all city driving under 45mph = 13mpg. I haven't measured my tires to see if they are the correct size, or if my odo is correct. Just tuned up.
:shock:

Tue Apr 24, 2007 4:49 am

72 Westy Hardtop - 2056cc

96mm P/C's
#73 Web cam w/Web solids
71mm stroke
Dual 40mm Webers
42x36mm heads
German 009 w/Pertronix (re-curved)
S&S 4in1 header w/quietpack
002 tranny
185R14's

Average 18 city/24 hwy @ 60-65mph

Tue Apr 24, 2007 6:29 am

Interesting thread. The FI (surprisingly) ain't looking so good.

If somebody has the time, it would be of value to compile an average for each intake variation. The way it looks, it doesn't seem to matter much what you have. Though there are exceptions listed here, the average MPG seems about the same regardless of geographic area.

I would have anticipated greater differences.

Tue Apr 24, 2007 11:35 am

1970 SP 1600 Stock
23-25 MPG @ 60 MPH avg
Depending on headwinds of course. :)

Tue Apr 24, 2007 11:52 am

79 7 passenger
2L.
Auto
Air
New Lemans Class C Tires
With 4 passengers counting myself, I drove from Chattanooga to Tampa to Daytona Beach then back to Chattanooga...20 MPG

Tue Apr 24, 2007 6:34 pm

My '73 Westy, brand new got 18-20 mpg with a mixture of in-city and road miles in Europe. Never babied it.... 65 most of the time, 75-80 on the autobahn occasionally.

Sold it at 130k, still completely stock and it was getting consistently 18.

Wed Apr 25, 2007 9:51 am

Okay. Curiosity and laziness for other tasks got the better of me.

Gathering all of the information presented in this thread, the Combined Average MPG seems to be 19.

Though the information in the thread is far from complete, I feel this is about right.

Had everyone provided all of the various categories of information contained in the thread, I could stick it all into a database and generate all sorts of trivia facts. :D

Wed Apr 25, 2007 9:54 am

Duncwarw wrote: Okay. Curiosity and laziness for other tasks got the better of me.

Gathering all of the information presented in this thread, the Combined Average MPG seems to be 19.

Though the information in the thread is far from complete, I feel this is about right.

Had everyone provided all of the various categories of information contained in the thread, I could stick it all into a database and generate all sorts of trivia facts. :D

WHOOO HOOOOO!!!! go me for being average

Wed Apr 25, 2007 5:36 pm

1973 Westy-full interior
2.0L
dual 40 mm Dellortos
195 45 15s
13 MPG (heehee)

-should improve considerably this year...I just went to 165/15s in the rear

Wed Apr 25, 2007 7:19 pm

'70 Campmobile, fresh rebuild, stock everything with pertronix, 24 mpg highway.

edit: recent camping trip, fully loaded, 60 mph yeilded another 24 mpg.

Wed Apr 25, 2007 10:27 pm

'69 westy. Doesnt run yet, so either 0 or unlimited MPG, depending on how you look at it. :wink:

Thu Apr 26, 2007 12:10 am

So the average here is about 19 MPG?

Did not someone say VW said that was what you should expect?

Deron.

Thu Apr 26, 2007 2:29 pm

VW quoted on the sticker 16/18

Thu Apr 26, 2007 2:32 pm

69 bay. 16 mpg. weber progressive carb. WFO all the time. after i "lost" 4th gear, from MI's UP to NJ at 45-55 in third 19mpg.

weird. higher rpms but less throttle.

{(edit on 07-04-29@12:20): mork wrote:
there's no way to save on gas.

check out some of the hybrid vehicle forums for fuel conservation driving tips. i am fortunate enough to have been allowed to drive someones insight. since then i took my dad's mercury grand marquis on a 400mile round trip to everybus from the SC/Ga border. on the way there before i got a wee bit of road rage around charlotte . . .

when i left the driveway the previous accumulated mpg were 16. at my highest just before charlotte it was 27, after charlotte i quit trying to economize, and still the entire trip average was 23.

having the new-fangled gauges helps monitor, but i don't know what to install in a bus to gauge consumption rate. maybe a vacuum gauge?

:|}

Thu Apr 26, 2007 3:49 pm

55 in third? Yikes! :shock:

Thu Apr 26, 2007 7:11 pm

I observed 22 MPG on a 2350 mile road trip recently.

This is a fully loaded '76 Westy. 2.0L with Weber Progressive. LT 205/75 R14 tires. Average cruise at 60MPH with some flat sections at 70MPH and big uphills (mountains) at 50MPH. The numbers have been corrected for the tire size and verified by GPS.

I was pleasantly surprised by these numbers. I expected something WAY worse.... Actually we travelled with another bus - 1800 FI - and we saved $5 - $7 on EVERY fill-up over them!!!!