True, but the newest V6 engines are becoming increasingly efficient. The new Camry V6 will get 30-32 on the road if you drive 70. The 4-cyl engines of yesteryear (with an output of 130-140hp) would have similar mpg ratings.
What's up with Fuel Prices ....
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True, but the newest V6 engines are becoming increasingly efficient. The new Camry V6 will get 30-32 on the road if you drive 70. The 4-cyl engines of yesteryear (with an output of 130-140hp) would have similar mpg ratings.
I'm surprised that peak oil is only brought up a couple of times in a thread like this, and not even in a serious way. Don't expect energy to get any cheaper, or even stay where it is, in the near future.
Entreprenuer alert!!!!!!!!!!
Hmmmm.......
Lots of brain power on this site. Many different skills. Imagine a consortium of hmmmmm, let's envision 300 astute BITOGERS combining their skills and using a truck-load of common sense, planning, delegating, etc. to form a corporation that manufactures/sells auto/truck add-on components that reduce drag thus increasing those increasingly desirable mpgs.
Many ways to market the items.
But, research would need to be done..... get that lusted-for cost/profit analysis so the milling herd of blithering idiot consumers can be told that for X amount of expenditure they will receive X amount of increased mpg (YMMV) resulting in an expense pay back period of around X months/years/whatever leading to money in your pocket in X amount of time.
Wow..... an "X-rated" thread!!!!!!
Many ways to manufacture, market and distribute the product line.
Maybe have in-company distribution points offering installation at X cost.
Sell to body shops? Distribute through existing retail stores?
Plan from the get-go to become profitable so as to sell out for mega-millions or more to an existing BIG corporate entity?
Coot senses possibilities here.
One drawback...... vehicle manufacturers see results and beat us by price and convenience by offering the same or similar items as extr-cost options.
Sumpthin to consider!!!!!
Hmmmm.......
Lots of brain power on this site. Many different skills. Imagine a consortium of hmmmmm, let's envision 300 astute BITOGERS combining their skills and using a truck-load of common sense, planning, delegating, etc. to form a corporation that manufactures/sells auto/truck add-on components that reduce drag thus increasing those increasingly desirable mpgs.
Many ways to market the items.
But, research would need to be done..... get that lusted-for cost/profit analysis so the milling herd of blithering idiot consumers can be told that for X amount of expenditure they will receive X amount of increased mpg (YMMV) resulting in an expense pay back period of around X months/years/whatever leading to money in your pocket in X amount of time.
Wow..... an "X-rated" thread!!!!!!
Many ways to manufacture, market and distribute the product line.
Maybe have in-company distribution points offering installation at X cost.
Sell to body shops? Distribute through existing retail stores?
Plan from the get-go to become profitable so as to sell out for mega-millions or more to an existing BIG corporate entity?
Coot senses possibilities here.
One drawback...... vehicle manufacturers see results and beat us by price and convenience by offering the same or similar items as extr-cost options.
Sumpthin to consider!!!!!
Holy crikey, I gotta go get ahold of my grape nuts and think about this for awhile.
Offer it to dealers, so they can finance it into the price of the car and bill for the install.
Since most of the public is already leveraged and most buyers look at the car note, that's probably the best way of getting them sold.
Since most of the public is already leveraged and most buyers look at the car note, that's probably the best way of getting them sold.
Local ARCO is still hanging at $3.35 for regular. I suppose I should be grateful.
Engineers.......
Many things to consider.
Wheel well coverings, need to be easily flipped up or removable, whatever to access tires so flat tires can be replaced.
Have to consider speed bumps where contact can be made with ground.
Are there flexible plastics to avoid breaking/cracking?
Are there underbody add-ons that could offer a decent increase in mpg?
Lawyers, any federal regulations an impediment. Avoiding possible litigation... what precautions are needed? Toxic fumes if add-ons burn?
Many many many things to consider but, remember the huge number of items offered for sale during the 1970s gas crunch?
Let gas hit 4 or 5 bucks per gallon and I believe the demand could be immense for REAL mpg increasing goodies.
NOW is the time to start making decisions, do in-depth pondering.
Many things to consider.
Wheel well coverings, need to be easily flipped up or removable, whatever to access tires so flat tires can be replaced.
Have to consider speed bumps where contact can be made with ground.
Are there flexible plastics to avoid breaking/cracking?
Are there underbody add-ons that could offer a decent increase in mpg?
Lawyers, any federal regulations an impediment. Avoiding possible litigation... what precautions are needed? Toxic fumes if add-ons burn?
Many many many things to consider but, remember the huge number of items offered for sale during the 1970s gas crunch?
Let gas hit 4 or 5 bucks per gallon and I believe the demand could be immense for REAL mpg increasing goodies.
NOW is the time to start making decisions, do in-depth pondering.
It's ironic how trip computers tend to come on high-end cars, whose owners probally don't care about mpg. otoh, economy car drivers would probally want such a device.
Around here (DC Area) it seems the weekends bring out MORE cars than the workdays onto the road.
If you do a little searching, you can find examples of some production vehicles that already have "belly pans", as they are sometimes called (and no, I don't have a list of which vehicles come with this underside feature). And you also see this feature mentioned as a fuel saving feature of some "concept cars" that are demoed at various trade shows. So the idea is already out there, even though the majority of auto-makers don't (yet) go with this approach.
And FWIW the reports I've read of DIY types trying their own belly pans, is that the aerodynamic (and therefore fuel economy) improvements from belly pans are usually noticeably more significant than the aerodynamic improvements to the side that wheel skirts provide. Which shouldn't be much of a surprise, if you just look at how much stuff (under most cars) is sticking out at various odd angles, just waiting to grab passing air.
However, belly pans are apparently more of PITA to design right, than wheel skirts are. One of the bigger potential issues you have to watch out for (and properly deal with), is the risk of trapping heat (since many exhaust systems run under the cars). And belly pans can also make you more likely to "bottom out" (again, if you aren't careful about the design), as they do tend to lower the bottom surface of the car/truck some. And I've even heard that some mechanics hate cars with belly pans on them, as you often have to unhook/remove the belly pan before you can work on the underside of the car. So designing a proper belly pan (that does its aerodynamic job, without causing significant other problems such as heat buildup), can potentially be a bit of an engineering challenge.
And FWIW aerodynamic improvements are only one potential area where there is still a lot of room for improvement. Virtually anything that has sound engineering reasons why it could lower the drag on the engine or vehicle, should improve fuel economy (it's then a cost/benefit analysis). For example, while they aren't advertised much, tire makers do make tires specifically designed for "low rolling resistance". And such tires do apparently make a small but measurable boost in fuel economy (although unlike aerodynamic mods which mostly help during faster highway speeds, LRR tires make their biggest difference in slower city driving). Likewise, even something as simple as lubing up your wheel gears (and thereby allow the wheels to turn more freely) can make a noticeable difference.
Of course, just because some parts maker claims that something helps fuel economy, doesn't necessarily mean it does. There is still way too much "snake oil" being sold to the public (those stupid "tornado" air intake gizmos are just one example of a so-called fuel economy mod that is pure junk). And not all the mods that could improve fuel economy make economic sense to pursue (some are actually more costly to do, than the $$$ value of the fuel they save).
And it's even true that many mods that can make economic sense, often only make economic sense for some types of driving styles (so that has to be factored into any cost/benefit analysis). For example, aerodynamic improvements/mods are most cost-effective (i.e. save the highest percentage of fuel) the faster you drive (because air drag increases the faster you go, and therefore aerodynamic improvements to that drag become more significant the faster you go). So an aerodynamic improvement may make a lot of sense for someone who does a lot of 65+ highway driving, but would be of much less benefit to someone who mostly does stop and go driving around town. Conversely, mods to lower unwanted friction are most cost-effective at lower speeds, but their effectiveness tends to get overwhelmed by air drag issues as you drive faster.
Always wondered how much do aerodynamic's play in heavy traffic. Out on the open road it's a no brainer, but in the draft and turbulence of bumper to bumper insanity?
Three cars I had with pans. Old VW beetle and gia, and a subaru. Think ideally you want aprons to keep the air out from under the car rather than trying to streamline the undercarriage.
Three cars I had with pans. Old VW beetle and gia, and a subaru. Think ideally you want aprons to keep the air out from under the car rather than trying to streamline the undercarriage.
Quote:
Quote:
If you want to get crazy with cheap mods for better fuel mileage, you could go this route: CARDBOARD WHEEL SKIRTS
http://www.metrompg.com/posts/grille-blocking-part-2.htm
Cardboard is tacky looking, and will also come off in the rain. But believe it or not, the idea really does have some sound science behind it.
What those wheel skirts are designed to do, is to lower the aerodynamic drag on the car. And especially at highway speeds, that drag can be a significant portion of the work the engine has to do. So anything you can do to help the car push through the air easier, will help fuel economy some.
BTW: If you are really serious about wheel skirts, either plastic or sheet metal should work a lot better than cardboard. Not only should plastic/metal look better (especially if/when you paint it to match the rest of the car), but it would also not turn to mush when it rains. However, as a quick "test" to see how much gas you can save with wheel skirts, cardboard is about the cheapest way to tell if such a car mod would be "worth it".
FWIW: I haven't done wheel skirts yet myself, because I haven't had time to do them right, and I refuse to put a tacky looking mod on my car. But wheel skirts have been shown to produce a useful improvement in aerodynamics (and therefore a useful increase in fuel economy) for others that have installed them in their cars.
Corrugated plastic works better than cardboard, but you have to use duct tape if you want it to hold in wet weather.
p.s. yes, these tacky mods DO improve mpg on the highway. Covering the wheels and blocking the grille gave me an 8% drop in fuel usage at 116 km/h. I like the Mad Max look, especially when it leaves me with more dollars in my wallet.
Just hit 3 bucks a gollon out here.
us$3.77/gallon in Toronto now.
Gas went up 20 ¢ a gallon here in the past two days!
Folks at the station said that with a long weekend coming up the end of this month + a requirement for the "Summer Blend", we will see another increase sometime next week!
Folks at the station said that with a long weekend coming up the end of this month + a requirement for the "Summer Blend", we will see another increase sometime next week!
$3.20 in NYC $2.85 across the river in NJ.
Ok, so there is obviously enough oil to go around but not enough refineries.
No incentive for the oil refiners to build more.
So do we take the long way around & search for alternative fuels? or do we take the other long way & start making our lawmakers earn there pay?
No incentive for the oil refiners to build more.
So do we take the long way around & search for alternative fuels? or do we take the other long way & start making our lawmakers earn there pay?
There's probably a lot of refinery money lobbying for new restrictions on new refineries.
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