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mailman
Samba Member
Joined: March 24, 2005
Posts: 1663
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 Posted: Wed May 21, 2008 1:35 pm Post subject: Just checked my MPG.... |
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I finally got around to checking the fuel economy on my '64 (gas approaching $4/gallon....wonder why I'd want to check?). It's a stock 40 HP 1200.
Based on checking just one tankful, and understanding that the odometer won't read tenths of a mile, I was still pleased when it calculated out to 30.36 MPG.
Not bad for a tired, 44 year old car! How do you guys compare?
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'64 Bahama Blue Beetle / steel sunroof
'64 Bahama Blue Beetle Sedan (future ragtop) |
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hollywooddippa
Samba Member
Joined: September 12, 2007
Posts: 144
Location: Eglin AFB, FL "Digg'n the beach life!!"
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| Posted: Wed May 21, 2008 1:37 pm Post subject: |
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Very nice brother.
I've got a 1776 with dual 44 Solexes. Not sure how much I'm getting because I don't have a gas gage.
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"Air Force" John
1959 Sedan
1776 with Dual 40s and 019 dizzy.
(O\_!_/O) |
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volky1
Samba Member
Joined: June 13, 2006
Posts: 89
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| Posted: Wed May 21, 2008 1:42 pm Post subject: |
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Well i have a 67 bug 1500 cc im getting about 32 mpg .........Man do i love my bug.........  i bet u guys too ...huh |
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mailman
Samba Member
Joined: March 24, 2005
Posts: 1663
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| Posted: Wed May 21, 2008 1:46 pm Post subject: |
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You don't need a gas guage. Fill the tank to the bottom of the filler neck, and record the odometer reading. Drive the car until time to fill up again, and fill it up to the filler neck again. Note the current odometer reading.
Current mileage reading minus previous mileage reading equals the miles driven since the first fill up. Divide that number by the number of gallons it took to fill back up this last time......BINGO....MPG!
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'64 Bahama Blue Beetle / steel sunroof
'64 Bahama Blue Beetle Sedan (future ragtop) |
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LAYGO
Samba Member
Joined: December 24, 2006
Posts: 142
Location: Cross Roads, TX (Denton)
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| Posted: Wed May 21, 2008 1:50 pm Post subject: |
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| hollywooddippa wrote: |
Very nice brother.
I've got a 1776 with dual 44 Solexes. Not sure how much I'm getting because I don't have a gas gage. |
Drive around a gas station until you run out, top it off (capacity). Note the current miles on the odometer (miles start). Or just note the size of your tank in a manual or website, but top it off.
Drive around until you run out of gas or darn near it, note the miles on the odometer again (miles end).
Then your math is:
CAPACITY / (MILES END - MILES START)
(I'm sure this is DUH, but you don't really need a gas guage to figure out MPG).
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'65 Bug (Project: purchased 01/06/07)
'67 Ghia (purchased 01/07/07)
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'66 Bug (sold somtime in '93-'94) |
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ocdbeetle
Samba Optimist
Joined: March 18, 2008
Posts: 1176
Location: South Carolina
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| Posted: Wed May 21, 2008 2:23 pm Post subject: |
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Ok - my last 3 fillups on an unmodified 67 1500...tuneup 2 weeks ago...
Runs very nicely...Idles at 750...
Heres my mileage per last 3 fills:
1. Around town: 15.4 mpg
-tune up here-
2. Around town: 17.2 mpg
3. Roadtrip: 22.4 mpg
What could be going on? I have very conservative driving habits...
165SR15 Tires - accurate speedometer
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1967 Lotus White Beetle |
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mailman
Samba Member
Joined: March 24, 2005
Posts: 1663
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| Posted: Wed May 21, 2008 4:28 pm Post subject: |
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Other things affect MPG other than engine tune. How's the wheel alignment (all four wheels)? How's the brake adjustment? How's the tire pressure? What's your altitude? What's the local terrain like? At what RPMs do you shift? At what speed do you drive? Any of these things (and others, I'm sure) can impact fuel economy.
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'64 Bahama Blue Beetle / steel sunroof
'64 Bahama Blue Beetle Sedan (future ragtop) |
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ocdbeetle
Samba Optimist
Joined: March 18, 2008
Posts: 1176
Location: South Carolina
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| Posted: Wed May 21, 2008 4:59 pm Post subject: |
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| mailman wrote: |
Other things affect MPG other than engine tune. How's the wheel alignment (all four wheels)? Got it done when i bought it 2 months ago...think its good
How's the brake adjustment? Seems to be fine but that might be something I need to look at.
How's the tire pressure? Always good
What's your altitude? Close to sea level
What's the local terrain like? pretty level
At what RPMs do you shift? Not sure about the rpm because i dont have a tach...I do use the "recommended" shift points...
At what speed do you drive? 35 around town..55-60 on roadtrip
Any of these things (and others, I'm sure) can impact fuel economy. |
As I said above I have pretty conservative driving habits...Not over revving...I don't run high rpm before shifting but I don't lug it either...
I'm at such a loss...
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1967 Lotus White Beetle |
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Max Welton
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Joined: May 19, 2003
Posts: 10697
Location: Black Forest, CO
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| Posted: Wed May 21, 2008 5:18 pm Post subject: |
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| ocdbeetle wrote: |
unmodified 67 1500...tuneup 2 weeks ago...
Runs very nicely...Idles at 750... |
Assuming you are calculating correctly and are driving "conservatively", those mpg numbers are horrible. Either the engine is really pooped, something else about the car is seriously messed up, or that tuneup wasn't worth a piss-hole in the snow.
I firmly believe that the apparent simplicity of these cars makes many more people feel qualified to work on them than actually are. I think the only reliable solution is to learn how to do it yourself. Unfortunately, not everyone can do that.
So ... are you ready to learn? Some simple tools will be required.
Max
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1967 Type-3 Fastback
Under the Knife https://shoptalkforums.com/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=151582
Home Stretch https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=767836 |
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djkeev
Samba Moderator
Joined: September 30, 2007
Posts: 32592
Location: Reading Pennsylvania
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ocdbeetle
Samba Optimist
Joined: March 18, 2008
Posts: 1176
Location: South Carolina
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| Posted: Wed May 21, 2008 5:43 pm Post subject: |
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| Max Welton wrote: |
| ocdbeetle wrote: |
unmodified 67 1500...tuneup 2 weeks ago...
Runs very nicely...Idles at 750... |
Assuming you are calculating correctly and are driving "conservatively", those mpg numbers are horrible. Either the engine is really pooped, something else about the car is seriously messed up, or that tuneup wasn't worth a piss-hole in the snow.
I firmly believe that the apparent simplicity of these cars makes many more people feel qualified to work on them than actually are. I think the only reliable solution is to learn how to do it yourself. Unfortunately, not everyone can do that.
So ... are you ready to learn? Some simple tools will be required.
Max |
I understand what you're saying...
...I have plenty tools and I did the valve adjustment, timing, plugs, and carb adjust...Pertronix ignition so no points to adjust...It runs absolutely wonderful...I'm not leaking fuel and no one is breaking into the garage stealing it...
I think I'll take it to the ONE vw mechanic in the area I would trust and pay him to go behind me and check everything...Not sure what he'd find though...
From starting cold with the choke to warming up to running at warm temps it runs good...just sucks gas...
Hi Dave - I checked the speed again after checking it when "new to me" and its still spot on...
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1967 Lotus White Beetle |
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Russ Wolfe
Samba Member
Joined: October 08, 2004
Posts: 25187
Location: Central Iowa
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| Posted: Wed May 21, 2008 5:45 pm Post subject: |
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The plastic gear that drives the odometer in a VW are known to crack and slip.
Check the accuracy of the odometer.
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Society is like stew. If you don't keep it stirred up, you end up with a lot of scum on the top!--Edward Abbey
Gary: OK. Ima poop. |
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ocdbeetle
Samba Optimist
Joined: March 18, 2008
Posts: 1176
Location: South Carolina
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| Posted: Wed May 21, 2008 5:52 pm Post subject: |
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| Russ Wolfe wrote: |
The plastic gear that drives the odometer in a VW are known to crack and slip.
Check the accuracy of the odometer. |
OK I'll make a 20 mile trip in my Explorer tomorrow morning and then the same trip in my beetle...
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1967 Lotus White Beetle |
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Sid Vicious
Samba Member
Joined: February 03, 2008
Posts: 512
Location: Queen Creek, AZ
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| Posted: Wed May 21, 2008 8:57 pm Post subject: |
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| My speedo broke today, but he odo still work. That's good news... I get about 25-28mpg in my 66 with 1600sp/28PICT-1/SVDA /TypeIII heads combo. |
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Maimas13
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Joined: July 06, 2004
Posts: 642
Location: Redwood City CA
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| Posted: Wed May 21, 2008 9:08 pm Post subject: |
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another way to check speedo error is to use (or borrow a friends) a gps, they have a "speedo" mode that you may have to look around for which is dead accurate. I used this to figure out I had a 10% error in my speedo due to lower profile tires(speedo says 70 and im really doin 63)
with that figured out I can take my 25 mpg and realize im really gettin a decent 22.5 mpg from my mostly stock 1641 with dual kadrons, with the way I drive it I dont think thats too bad... but with the rising gas prices im lookin into a new freeway flyer transmission
Has anyone got one of these? what kind of mpg increases should I expect?
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MAIMAS... read it backwards
(.o\ ! /o.) 62 chopped, dropped, cal looked, oval grafted, 57 styled, ragtop with polk audio sound system, driven daily by an 18 year old
A must read for understanding tires sizes and wheel offsets
Go Bears!!! Mech E |
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Bravo 1
Samba Member
Joined: September 13, 2005
Posts: 407
Location: Richmond, VA
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| Posted: Wed May 21, 2008 9:13 pm Post subject: |
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I just took a roadtrip in my '64 with a stock 1200cc. I was pleased to note that my odometer variance was minimal (checked my odometer versus the mile markers on the side of the road) and I netted a respectable 37 mpg running on 87 gas with 15% Ethanol (only kinda gas I can find in VA). I cruised around 60 mph the whole way and only put the pedal to the floor when accelerating into highway traffic from the ramp.
I'm thinking that with a fresh tune up and running gas without the 15% ethanol added I could probably break 40 mpg. Especially if I "keep my foot out of it". 
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1964 Type 1 Sedan |
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ocdbeetle
Samba Optimist
Joined: March 18, 2008
Posts: 1176
Location: South Carolina
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| Posted: Wed May 21, 2008 9:17 pm Post subject: |
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I think i'm gonna be sick....maybe my odometer will really be screwed up when I check it in the morning...
Come to think of it - My records show me driving it 1000 miles in the 2 months I've had it and i'm not sure where I would have driven it that much... 
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1967 Lotus White Beetle |
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Joey
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Joined: August 12, 2005
Posts: 5366
Location: Nova Scotia - Canada
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| Posted: Thu May 22, 2008 2:46 am Post subject: |
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I get about 37mpg in my '65 with a stock 40hp 1200. That's mostly highway driving though.
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Joey
‘60 Kombi - '74 Bus - '79 Panel - '65 Beetle |
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BarrettBug
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Joined: March 19, 2006
Posts: 82
Location: Concho, Az.
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| Posted: Thu May 22, 2008 4:59 am Post subject: |
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65 T1 40hp 1200 w/28pict-1
I get 31-32 mostly... got 35 on one tank (same routine to work) once when I really tried..(egg under gas peddle type driving)
I go as fast as it will go...always
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Bugs & flying RV's only way to go! |
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Amigo-2k
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Joined: August 06, 2003
Posts: 385
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| Posted: Thu May 22, 2008 5:26 am Post subject: |
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I get 34 on my single port 1968 motor on the highway at about 60mph.
If you are going on a road trip, either Map quest your route to determine the miles or if you have a GPS you can use it to count the miles too.
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1958 Rag Top
http://ryanendres.com
Operations manager with a results-driven passion for process improvement |
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