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Mods for fuel economy

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Spades

15+ Year Contributor
268
2
Apr 29, 2007
Beaumont, California
there are so many mods out there for improving horsepower and torque and drivetrain, but why arent mods made for fuel economy? What is it with new cars that allow it 35+ mpg? Why cant you take an old car and retrofit components and match the economy of newer cars, just as we do with adding larger turbos, injectors, fuel pumps, and engine managements to handle it all, why cant we do something similar to get 35+ mpg? I really like the 2g body style and would love to mod (even a 2G NT) to match the newer cars fuel economy. The only thing i can think of to improve economy is to raise compression and /or advance timing, or perhaps an aftermarket 6-speed transmission. Losing weight can be done, but the newer cars are actually getting heavier and still getting better MPGs.
 
20 years of technology is why the new cars get great gas mileage. Direct injection, 8 speed transmissions, etc. The problem with trying to mod for fuel economy is you will never see a return on those gains. Even driving 200,000 miles after the mods you'd still be hard pressed to see any kind of actual return.

My cruze only weighs 100lbs(2900 vs 3000) more than your 2g n/t in a fully loaded 4 door.

Other than weight reduction (free) and running a bit higher air pressure in your tires, id leave it alone and enjoy it. I run 40psi cold in the cruze, some run higher.

You should be pulling 30+ in your 2g as is though. Thats pretty solid even by todays numbers. If you're really looking for a lot more than that i'd suggest getting a new DD.
 
Yep, efficiency.
No doubt the DSMs were case studies and provided research into how not to do things when involving fuel economy.
Direct injection; manifold design and port design; rotating mass; aluminiumification/lightweightedness LOL of components; timing, ECU, and injector design and control; electronic throttle control.. a billion tweaks that add up to a few extra mpg.
Not everything can be retrofit to a 20 year old car.
 
My 2010 outlander that has the 3.0 with a 6 speed doesn't get much better gas mileage than the eclipse in the city and backroads. Highways are where that extra gear on the outlander shine though. So if you're a highway driver, then the newer cars with the extra gears are the way to go.
 
I used to get 32 mpg in my GS-T. maintenance and a light foot will help. AWD hurts, but it is way too much fun.
 
Buy Link amd fine tune your cruise map.

Quick little story - few years ago many setups ago i had a 20g amd some 1000s and was still fwd, buddy tuned me up and i drove to the shootout and back (~400 miles one way). 37 mpg. Then a month after was when i did my awd swap. Nothing changed tune or setup wise other than the awd swap. Drove down to MOD in Normal Il, 28 mpg. 9 mpg loss just from the swap. Still damn good for a 350whp car though.

Anyways, thats my advice for better fuel economy.
 
I got 32mpg in my heavy ass 1G AWD Auto with full leather interior, spare tire, even had the privacy cover for the trunk. It's in the tune, and it's in how you drive. Not impossible at all.


Sigh, I miss taking cross country trips in my DSM. Damn threads like these making me miss it. I loved breaking the stereotype. Had some dude who "totally had a DSM and it was an unreliable POS so I sold it" blatantly call me a liar and said "no DSM is reliable, either it's a 14 second stock car or you're lying". He got mad when I showed him slips, and videos of me going through the interstate that winds through the smokey mountains of NC romping the hell out of it.
 
Sounds like someone that has no clue about how to make a car reliable. It just takes maintenance, and supporting mods, and a good tune.

I got 32mpg in my heavy ass 1G AWD Auto with full leather interior, spare tire, even had the privacy cover for the trunk. It's in the tune, and it's in how you drive. Not impossible at all.


Sigh, I miss taking cross country trips in my DSM. Damn threads like these making me miss it. I loved breaking the stereotype. Had some dude who "totally had a DSM and it was an unreliable POS so I sold it" blatantly call me a liar and said "no DSM is reliable, either it's a 14 second stock car or you're lying". He got mad when I showed him slips, and videos of me going through the interstate that winds through the smokey mountains of NC romping the hell out of it.
 
Loss some weight(you or the car), opening up the exhaust. Pretty sure colder air helps(more O2), a proper tune, aero dynamics(body kits/stance) basically a TON of things, and the coolest part is you get Hp/Tq too or less Unsprung weight which is just as good. Lay off the mcdoubles XD
 
New cars have seemingly done what used to be considered an impossible trade off: more power & safety & reliability & comfort while consuming less fuel. Unfortunately, despite all this improvement, cars are loosing in popularity to larger, less efficient SUVs and pickups, usually hauling just one occupant and little cargo. Ford now only makes the Mustang! The reason is not only preference, but the loophole in regulations that promotes it. Regulations in the US and Europe are responsible for motivating the advances that clever engineers have invented for their automotive employers to compete in the marketplace. A great example of managed capitalism. Larger vehicles are exempt from some of this critical motivation, so the provide somewhat lower efficiency for somewhat lower prices.
I would also pose DSMs were at the forefront of efficiency in their hayday, packing a lot of performance with a 2 liter turbo motor that could hold it’s own against V8 muscle, and still that get an honest 25mpg on the highway. Also consider from an efficiency of resources standpoint that producing a new car from iron & aluminum ore, petroleum extraction and all the many steps of processing and transporting of materials around the world, preserving an existing vehicle in good order has advantages as well. Particularly if it only for occasional fun use, as probably most DSMs are.
 
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