Auto FE - It's all about driving style

[jcp123]

Scott - all good stuff. That's about all I'm able to do in my Mustang, as with a carbureted car like my Mustang, there's no ScanGauge, no DFCO, and little if any benefit to neutral at stoplights. Indeed...I think neutral for me would be worse as the primaries are open to the same position, but in N it's revving 200rpm higher than in gear. I've inflated my tires to sidewall max (35psi) but won't go any further as they're pushing 14 years of age and one has a plug in it. Using the downhills to build momentum for uphills is an important one here, as we have a landscape dotted with rolling hills, and it usually helps to the tune of 5-7%.

So far, the biggest help to me has actually been installing a fan clutch (these cars didn't come stock with one unless it was a/c equipped, which mine is not), much more than even my right foot. Like the '68 hardtop I had in high school, the car has so much torque for its weight that your acceleratory style has little effect on the mileage - I've noticed less than 1mpg difference in both cars between my granny driving and harder driving. The fan clutch has a double whammy effect in that the car is able to run ~15* warmer and the motor isn't slinging a 5-bladed fan around at 1.8x engine speed everywhere I go. Informal observations about having my top up vs. down hasn't revealed the expected gain from having the top up, either.