What's your Speedie's MPG ?

I checked my mpg for the first time today and it was 19.9 mpg.

Is this good? bad? or what? To me it seems pretty low from what I remember from owning 4 VW Bugs in my distant dim past. Hell- I get 17 with a Cadillac Deville with auto tranny and air condx.

My Speedster is a VS with the 1915 engine and 3.88 xmission. It now has 1400 miles and recently got new plugs, $80 ignition wires, valves done & Petronix installed. It has twin Kadron 40s and tire pressure is 22 front and 24 rear. All driving was with the top down with 2/3 city and 1/3 highway driving.

I would value anyone's thoughts on the mpg I am getting. If I had to guess what it should be I would have said close to 30 mpg.

Thanks to all!---Jack

Some time back I had a 1914 cc motor with dual 36mm Dellorto's in a glass car, it got a steady 32 mpg.
Pulled and kept the 1914 motor... at resale time installed a bone stock 1600 and a Solex carb = 24 mpg.

The spyder got a solid 28-29 with a bone-stock but carbureted 3.0 that came from my 82 911. When we had the engine over-hauled and displacement increased yadayada to 3.2, the mileage did drop to around 25 on the highway as indicated by the last couple of trips.

A phenomenon I have not figured out is why with the current engine, the car gets better fuel economy at 2,000 RPM than at 1,700 RPM. I have experimented with this several times. No doubt about it, 2 mph plus better at 2,000 RPM than at 1,700.

Any ideas why?

angela

My mill is a 2332 and runs Weber 44 IDFs. I know they are set up a bit rich, and I have to lean out the idle/low-end circuit some. 2,000 mi. on the car and I get right around 20 mpg. Of course, I put my foot in it as often as I can, and so maybe that does not help. I believe that proper setting of the low-speed mixture (which is the part of the carb's fuel supply that is used most of the time, BTW) will improve mileage some. Might get up to around 25 mpg, maybe.

My 2004 VS with 1915 Motor, Dual Kadrons, and 3:88 Trans averaged about 20 MPG.
My current 2007 VS has a 2110, Dual IDF 40 Webers, and 3:88 Trans. It too seems to get about 20 MPG. It only has about 1200 miles on it, so it may improve.
I love to use the extra power when I accelerate onto the freeway, so I tend to put my foot in it a lot. And, I cruise at 70-75 when traffic allows.
My rear tires are 10 inches wide, and the fronts are 8 inches wide; that probably does not help the mileage either.
I'm happy with 20 MPG.

I don't know,as far as I'm concern if the Tubb is running great, and I have no other problems-electrical,handling,braking,ect. I'm way HAPPY! Cabanaboy ~ Gas up and go!

MY Spyder with CE Perf 1915 engine,and dual 44IDFs will give 32+mpg on flat ground if the rpms are held between 2500 and 3500...Light foot on the gas pedal....Around town,stoplight GT's, mixed driving yeilds between 19-22mpg...It all depends on your driving style...

Good luck....

Leon C.

I get very close to 30 mpg with a 2.4/44 Dell'Ortos and a weighted throttle. I don't put my foot into it at all until the higher range (4,100 and up) in fourth.

Angela,
Any idea what your torque curve looks like? It

I get 20-22 MPG HWY/City mix putting my foot down hard. I have a 1600 with dual 40 Webers and 4.11 gear. The car has 10,000 miles on it. I expected more MPG, but my SPG (Smiles Per Gallon) is holding right at 1,000,000. I am real happy with that figure.

So it looks like 20 mpg is not a horror story but it seems that a light little aerodynamic car would do more like 30.

The other VS like mine was the same mpg at 20.

I'm not all that concerned except that with such a small tank, on a long trip 30 mpg vs 20 makes a lot of difference on range.

Should I try to do something --(carb adj?) or just keep grinnin' on down the road? I sure didn't buy it gor gas mileage but like I said--range sometimes matters.---Jack

Jack....You don't say what you have for carbs, but if they are Webers,
you should buy the Weber Tech Manual from C.B.Perf. This will explain how to tune Weber Duals and gives incite as to Carburetors in general.

If you are running Kadrons, contact lowbuget.com...They're THE MAN on Kadrons......

Good Luck...

Leon C.

Wow, this thread makes me feel pretty good. My CB Perf. 2110 gets at least 23 mpg on surface streets and almost 28 on the highway. I have 44 webers with slightly leaned out idle jets and 3:88'S.
So much for dyno tuning close to home? Hmmm, on the other hand, maybe it's just a result of me getting a speeding ticket last spring.
Cheers, Ernie

My VS 1600 single carb gets 19-20 mixed driving. With the 8 gallon tank I average 100 miles per tank. I'll be switching to the 16 gallon soon.

SPG -- now I like that. This rating is very high. SPG vs. MPG? Like the man said: you have to pay to play.

Jack-

A) Your poor mileage (... and 20 MPG is really poor) is related to the Kadrons. If you put some Dellorto 40s (or maybe even 36s), jetted properly, you'd move into the 30 mpg neighborhood. 40 IDFs would get you on the same block, but not in the best house. ICTs are cheap, easy to set up, and would get you at least 25- 30 mpg right out of the box.

B) "Aerodynamic" describes how these cars look, not how they actually cut the wind. Cars have improved dramatically in the last 50 years in this regard.

FWIW: I've got a 2110 with 40 Dellortos. I get about 30 mpg on the road, 25 standing all over it.

Stan---and all---I am wondering if my Kadrons need some adjustment to get additional mpg? The car runs fine ---just the MPG issue.

Are the Dellortos better than Kadrons?---Jack

"Are the Dellortos better than Kadrons?"

Yes. I didn't want to believe it for a long time, but- yes they are.

I appreciate all the goiod input on mpg because at just 20 mpg I am not very happy!

My engine is 1915 cc with dual Kadron 40s. I understand that another brand of carb may give better mileage but would hope the Kadrona can be adjusted to do better that 20 mpg--thst's what I would like to try first.

Anyone with dual Kadrons getting 25-30 or better mpg?

Many thanks for any input on this!----Jack

Jack -

Just to put another perspective on this thread;

Prior to my Speedy, my daily driver was my beater Ranger Rover. I still have it for my monthly camping excursions and continues to be a very formidable off-road vehicle, but not very fuel thrifty. Anyway, one of my justifications for the Speedster was that, although my office is only 10 miles from home, it would save me a ton of money on my commuting fuel costs (a seemingly typical guy-kinda-justification).

Actual fuel savings realized = 0! Why? Because the Speedster is so frigging fun to drive, I end up taking the LONG way home (take the canyon road down to the coastline, and cruise the beach-route on the way home. So, my 10-mile office commute has routinely become a 30-mile joy-ride home.

As for actual M.P.G. on my Speedy - I really don't pay much attention to it unless the car's performance really begins to tail-off (tune-up time), but I think my VS (1835cc/dual-40mm Kadrons/3:88 trans) gets a mean average of 25 mpg (not much racing around with an 1835cc).

M.P.G.? Fugetaboutit - drive it like you stole it and enjoy the ride!!

Peace - Out!

Jim profound and right on target. I am a have my cake and eat it guy though. I do think at least I'll pull the plugs and see if they show signs of over rich mixture. Hey---if it's 20 fine if it has to be---but if I can get more i'll take it.

How can a little 1,400# car with just 1915 ccs get just 20 mpg???---Jack

Jack
When I got my car (VS 1915, Kadrons, 3:88s), I found that soot was actually accumulating at the rear end. I gradually leaned out the idle jets and was pleased to see the soot go away and my mileage improve. I was getting about 25 MPG before changing motors. As I recall, I got at least 35 on the highway......
Give it a try Amigo, Ernie

Jack
When I got my car (VS 1915, Kadrons, 3:88s), I found that soot was actually accumulating at the rear end. I gradually leaned out the idle jets and was pleased to see the soot go away and my mileage improve. I was getting about 25 MPG before changing motors. And, I got over 35 on the highway......
Give it a try Amigo, Ernie

Jim,

My Disco gets around 13 mpg... When discussing the purchase of a speedster with others I always play that "ill save a pile in gas" card. Whatever you gotta tell yourself I guess! My 1600 cc Baja in high school got around 23 mpg with a Weber progressive.

Flying to San Diego next week for a test drive at Thunder Ranch. Stoked!

paul

I have a Pat Downs-built CB 1915 with the wedge-ported heads and Weber 44 IDFs and I got over 28mpg round trip on the Carlisle run (1612 miles total) this year. That's a mix of city and moderate-to-high speed highway driving. I'm pretty pleased. You should certainly be getting at least 25 in yours.

Ernie--thanks--that's what I was really looking for & I'll give that idea a try.

I guess I shudda titled my thread "What to do to my Kadrons to up my MPG" I would love to hear from a dual Kadron owner with a VS who was able to get 30 mpg on the road.

---Jack

28 city / 32 highway it got better as it has broke in. And its a automatic... stock 1600 single 30 solex.

Their ,their Jack Do you need a hankie?

Barry--don't need a hankie---do need to hear from VS owners getting 30 mpg.--Jack

I do't think mine counts anymoe as it started its life as VS and then Mutated into a D.

--Took a 200 mile trip yesterday--65 mph mostly and got 24 MPG.

I am a lot more happy with 24 than 20!

Jack

I think I get around 25 mpg.