Another new FE challenge team...

[GasSavers_BEEF]

my wife has a 3527 pound 4wd SUV that sits like a work van....it is also a 4 cylinder and I personally have gotten 26 mpg in it.

that would be a good one but I don't fore see her mileage getting any better.

epa is 18/22/20 and she routinely gets 23-25 in it.

honda element, good little SUVs.

*edit* she also has to reach forward to get to the radio and she can't touch the windshield from where she is sitting (has to lean up for that as well)

[Jay2TheRescue]

I love the way this thread is going... Yes, I totally adore the column shifter, and a split bench seat. Now here's a strange one... My regal that most would consider a "tank" weighed 300 pounds less than my grandmother's old 1981 AMC Spirit. It was built like a tank though. Seemed like everyone in the family had mishaps in that car, but it seemed impossible to dent. I even ran into a tree at about 30 MPH backwards (Long story, maybe I'll tell it later) and it didn't even scratch the car. I also remember the doors didn't shut right, so dad & I had bought new hinge pins & bushings to rebuild the hinges. After we took the doors off the car, my dad & I could barely carry them into the garage.

And back to the Buick... I recommend getting a distributor out of a 75 GM vehicle, and put a high performance coil in the cap. That's all you need. Then get some AC Delco Platinum plugs and some quality wires and you're good to go. I always loved the Niehoff wires. I haven't bought wires for my older vehicles in a while, don't know if Niehoff is still around, but the wires were nice, and even had the nipples on the tops of the boot for the distributor ring. New AC Delco wires for these vehicles no longer have the nipples.

-Jay

[theholycow]

Column shifter + split bench FTW!!!! My favorite combination, too. Although, I wouldn't want a column-shift manual transmission.

Niehoff is definitely still around. When I looked up carburetor rebuild kits for my Buick a month or two ago, that was one of the brands available at local stores.

[Jay2TheRescue]

Before I bought my first truck (The 74 Chevy) if we needed a truck my dad would borrow his friend's beater, a 74 Ford F100 with 3-on-the-tree. It was kinda fun to drive, even though the play in the steering box was 3/4 turn of the wheel.

[GasSavers_BEEF]

mvp,

you talk about these mileage increases....what do you drive?

bobC,

your 10-20-30 plan. what about just a big shot of nitrous (staged of course) that way you can still get the 20 mpg that you desire. just don't blow anything up.

(re-read the thread and thought that one up)

[Philip1]

Looks like we have enough interest to form a team. Now choose your vehicle I think a 3000# minimum curb weight is enough to qualify and big.

I'll be first to officially sign on with the wagon

1. Philip1 Saturn LW200 curb weight 3083# EPA 19/27/24

[Jay2TheRescue]

3,000 pounds? My Regal would qualify... The only problem is that even adjusted the original EPA figures are way out there unless I do some extreme hypermiling, and I'm not doing that with a car nearly 30 years old.

I will enter my 1998 GMC Sierra K1500 4x4.

-Jay

[Philip1]

1. Philip1 Saturn LW200 curb weight 3083# EPA 19/27/24

2. Jay2TheRescue 1998 GMC Sierra K1500 4x4 curb weight 5500# EPA 12/16/13

[Jetta90GL]

I'll add my 97 Ford F250 HD, I just don't know if my EPA rating from a F150 is acceptable? I don't think there is one for this model.

[Philip1]

1. Philip1 Saturn LW200 curb weight 3083# EPA 19/27/24

2. Jay2TheRescue 1998 GMC Sierra K1500 4x4 curb weight 5500# EPA 12/16/13

3. jetta90GL Ford F250hd 4x4 curb weight 4316# EPA 11/16/13