GasSavers Hall of shame / Rogues gallery

[MetroMPG]

I thought I'd start this thread for fun so GasSavers participants could publicly vent their consciences, Oprah-style, and seek forgiveness. (You'll have to use your imagination to hear our collective gasps, applause, and empathetic "awwwww"s however.)

This isn't meant to be a guzzler gallery exclusively. Any part of your automotive history, other than your current car, is welcome. Post just for kicks.

Pictures required! (OK, not strictly required - but if you don't have one, I bet Google images does )

I wasn't born with an interest in fuel economy, as you will see from my very first car...

[Compaq888]

Originally Posted by MetroMPG

I thought I'd start this thread for fun so GasSavers participants could publicly vent their consciences, Oprah-style, and seek forgiveness. (You'll have to use your imagination to hear our collective gasps, applause, and empathetic "awwwww"s however.)

This isn't meant to be a guzzler gallery exclusively. Any part of your automotive history is welcome. Post just for kicks.

Pictures required! (OK, not strictly required - but if you don't have one, I bet Google images does )

I wasn't born with an interest in fuel economy, as you will see from my very first car...

I've vented enough in the thread below this one. I could vent some more, I got plenty left.

[MetroMPG]

My first car: 1964 Pontiac Catalina hardtop sedan
389 V8, 2 bbl, 4-speed Hydramatic

I got this when I was 15 and restored it. There's a certain symmetry in my automotive history, since I started with Pontiac, and have gone full-circle and ended up back at Pontiac



I remember finding a mileage log in the glove compartment after I bought it. The previous owner had busted through the 20 MPG (US) mark on one occasion and slapped a bunch of exlamation marks after it. Most of the ratings were low-mid teens though. I never tracked my mileage in this beast.

[MetroMPG]

Originally Posted by Compaq888

I've vented enough in the thread below this one. I could vent some more, I got plenty left.

Let's make this thread for cars OTHER than our current ones. No need to vent more about the Altima in this one.

[Matt Timion]

My first car was a 1989 Dodge Ram 50. I don't know much about this car, except that it was assembled using other cars. The cab was two colors (by design) and the bed was black. The tailgate was blue, but a different blue than the front of the car.

I paid WAY too much for it.

I drove it every day from our house in Yorba Linda, CA to college at Cal Poly Pomona, CA. I then drove to work 5 days a week in Anaheim Hills, CA.

Overall I somehow managed to get 15mpg on a 4 cylinder engine.

This is the best picture I could find thanks to google image. I have a snapshot of my actual car here somewhere. I'll try tofind it and scan it in.



I filled up every other day. If I ever drove in 5th gear I could actually watch the gas gauge go down. It was kind of freaky. Luckily gas was only around $1/gallon back then.

I ended up selling it to the state of CA for $1000 because it wouldn't pass smog.

Oh, BTW... under the hood is a sticker that said, "Made by Mitsubishi for Dodge."

[95metro]

I was never into FE until I bought the Metro and not into fixing cars until a few years ago...I didn't know what I was missing.

Anyway, when I first got my license my Dad owned a 1980 Chev Malibu with a 267 ci V8 and 3-speed automatic, plus a 1980 Pontiac LeMans with the exact same configuration (but it was geared differently or had more torque output...it was more "peppy" than the Malibu).

Both cars actually managed 25-28 mpg US on the hwy when driven carefully (probably low 20s most of the time). I remember my Dad pulling our 1-ton tent trailer with the LeMans summer after summer and still getting 20+ mpg US (I'm converting his Imperial mpg numbers). Not bad for a baby-eight with a big load.



The Malibu was mine for a number of years, but I never recorded mpg figures. This picture is of an '83 Malibu. Mine was identical except for the front grill and twin headlamps.

[Compaq888]

My first car was a 1989 Toyota Corolla DX 3 speed automatic. It got totalled when a guy hit and ran me. It stood in the garage for 3 months wrecked and we ended up giving it to a charity. I didn't have collision on it, only comprehensive. Insurance didn't want anything to do with me. Basically I got screwed.

It was okay on fuel, it got like 26mpg in the city, ROFL I downgraded on the fuel economy. My parents gave it to me and paid for insurance and gas. The gas was like $30 a month and insurance was $16 a month.

Now I'm paying $98 for insurance and $100 for gas a month in a gas guzzler.

[krousdb]

My first car was a 1968 Rambler American 2 Door (baby blue). 199 CID Inline Six worth 128 HP. The tranny was a three-on-the-tree. Later I dropped in a 401 CID V8 with a 3 Speed Chrysler 727 and a Chrysler 8 3/4" rear end with 3.55 FD. Nice Royal Blue metallic paint job. I was 16-17 at the time. FE with the stock six cyl was 25 Max. After the swap it was around 10.



Second car was a 1970 AMX, 390 CID worth 325 HP, four-on-the-floor, white paint job. Rebuilt that engine lots of times including bent valves from putting the timing chain on wrong. I was 18-20 at that time. FE was 8-10 depending on my mood.

[zpiloto]

My first vehicel was a red 1975 Toyota pickup work truck that was passed down from my 2 older brothers who learned to drive in before I got my hands on it. There was not a panel that was not dented on it. The R2000(?) engine was bullet proof. I don't think the oil was ever changed but once a year and it just ran and ran. I remember that the muffler had a hole in it and with the standard I could make it backfire at will. I don't remember what happened to that truck but I drove it for 2 years with no problems. I bought a 280 ZX after that and took much better care of it. But I still have found memories of the old bullet proof Toyota. This is a google pic. I can remember gas for .50 a gallon. Everybody date them selves and list what you remember buying gas for.

[GasSavers_Jack]

My other ride (mostly a lawn ornament now)



My first ride 1983 mazda RX-7. And to date myself I remember buying gas for 67.9 a gallon. And you could get the 109 octane airplane fuel for $1.15 a gallon.