Anyone Own A Hybrid Car?

Thanks for the link, unicorn. $4K tax credit for electric-only vehicles is not bad!
 
Originally posted by Hotrod
On the mustang... Whens the last time it had a carb rebuild, plug change, wires cap etc?

>I think I've had the carb rebuilt about four times. It's not a stock Autolite carb, it's a Carter AFB. I think it flows 650 cfm.

It shouldn't be hard to get it to 15/20

>Ya, I read a vintage review of the car. The reviewer said he got 19 mpg. Once, I stripped the car for weight (no back seat even), and drove a steady 55 mph between San Francisco and Los Angeles. I managed 18 mpg, which is a record for me. Driving that slow was like torture, though!

Does it smell rich? Kinda like unburt gas or leave black soot on the inside of the pipes? Might just be a jetting problem on the carb.

>No, I pull my plugs and check them regularly. They look PERFECT. I even got new jets and metering rods to get the car to run a little leaner.

If your really hell bent on getting the gas mileage out of it... slap a fuel injected manifold on her, or find a used 302 with the computer!

>I have an old Edelbrock Street Master manifold on her now. I heard the Edelbrock Performer would help my milage and performance. But, I hate to throw away a perfectly good manifold.

There is no reason for a big V8 to make sub 10mpg anytime... unless you have 4.11 gears out back... a lead foot and a leaking gas tank :D

>Nope, I even went from 3.5 to 2.79 - terrible launch now, feels like a 6 cylinder, but at least I'm not doing over 3,000 rpm on the freeway anymore! I drive like an old lady now - last time I crashed the car it cost me $800 for one lousy fender!!! And, it took me almost a month to find it! It isn't easy finding parts for a car over 30 years old!!!

If you enjoy working on em, track down a rebuild kit for the carb. Get some new plugs... Wires cap... maybe even a rotor too.

>I got nice solid core wires, not resistor. Radio reception is crap, though. Upgraded to electronic ignition, too. Plus I run a MSD unit.

Tried bumping the air pressure up in the tires? 5psi above is about the limit you wanna run around town... keep an eye on em. Can you say "rolling friction"

Same goes for wheel bearings, scored burnt bearings hurt the mileage. You wanna be able to hold the clutch in and coast for what seems like forever only dropping a few mph.

>You know your stuff, that's exactly what I do. I know that's not the problem, because when I coast downhill I'm constantly riding the brakes so as not to hit the cars in front of me. Shouldn't these newer, more aerodynamic cars coast down a hill much faster than me? Maybe it's cause my car is heavier?

On the highway an over drive tranny would help, lowers the rpm that the motor has to turn, the lower the better... within reason... 2k at 65 is about right.

>2k with a stock 3-speed automatic at 65? I guess I could try to upgrade to a newer AOD tranny from one of the newer Mustangs. Course, that doesn't sound like a cheap or easy upgrade. Plus, I don't think those newer tranny are as tough as the old C4 or C6.

Is the choke always on? That'll kill your milage.

>It's an electric choke. I think it's working fine because when the
engine is cold the choke is closed, when the engine is hot the choke is open.

And... save some cash and run 87, unless the compression is above 9.5... which it probably isn't, she'll be just fine. Octane rating only means the slower the flame burns... so it doesn't detonate... detonation sounds like a bunch of bolts rattling in a steel can.\

>I think my compression is 8.5 now. I advance the timing as much as I can without the engine pinging.

If you have a tach, try keeping her below 3.5k or so anytime your drivin and not going for smiles per mile.

>Yes, I do have a tach. I don't exceed 3.5k too often. Of course, it's really fun to redline the engine at 5700 rpm, but gas and tires are expensive, and I do value my life somewhat...I also have headers and a 2 1/2" dual exhaust, so that should have helped my milage a bit.
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Bruise
 
Hey Bruise,

I make the same basic commute as you... (I live in the north end of the San Fernando Valley and drive in to Hollywood). As long as I don't put my foot in it, my Corvette gets 18 to 25 MPG. The hard part is keeping the foot off the gas pedal. On a bad day, I still get 18 MPG though. It doesn't surprise me that you get dismal gas mileage in your Mustang. I had a 1969 Mustang with a 428 Cobra Jet engine and it got less than 10 MPG. There were times I could actually watch the gas gauge go down as I drove.

I suggest you get a throw away--- get a Toyota or Honda, but stay away from the Camrys and Accuras. Those are the ones that the ricers steal. Just get one of the economy models and you should be ok. If you want to get one at a really decent price, see if you can't pick one up at a lien sale at one of the tow impound lots.
 
Originally posted by BobHWD
Hey Bruise,

As long as I don't put my foot in it, my Corvette gets 18 to 25 MPG. The hard part is keeping the foot off the gas pedal. On a bad day, I still get 18 MPG though. It doesn't surprise me that you get dismal gas mileage in your Mustang. I had a 1969 Mustang with a 428 Cobra Jet engine and it got less than 10 MPG. There were times I could actually watch the gas gauge go down as I drove.
Click to expand...

First of all, why did you sell the Cobra Jet!?! You know how much those cars, even just the engines, are worth now?

I still find it hard to believe anyone with an old pre-1973 V8 can get more than 15 mpg. I had a Dodge Dart with a 318 V8, and that got about the same milage as the Mustang. I remember one time when I was towing a trailer over the grapevine when I move to LA I floored it just for fun. I literally could see the gas gauge needle falling. I also honestly got LESS THAN 2 MPG - I think it was about 1.75 mpg. However, I was also able to pass cars uphill with ease! It was amazing!

I've done more research into hybrids like the Toyota Prius and Honda Civic hybrid, and in general they seem to be very well liked by the people who bought them. They also seem to be very practical. However, I need to find out what kind of batteries they use, and how long they can be expected to last. I believe they cost $4,000 to replace, so that is a major factor!

The Volkswagen TDI's seem like a good choice, too. They get excellent gas milage, almost as good as the hybrids. Plus they seem to have very good power. Although my #1 priority isn't horse power or torque, if you can get that AND good gas milage, well that's just icing on the cake!

These cars are relatively expensive, looking at over $20,000. At that rate, I'm tempted to buy a Nissan 350Z V6 at 265 hp and continue my tradition of speed. It should still get twice the milage I get now. Still, that small 2 seater with an alumium engine, suspension components, etc., weighs like 3,400 lbs.! Thats MORE than a V8 Corvette, and even more mind boggling is it's almost as much as my Mustang! Now, I've actually lifted the hood, fenders, engine, and tranny out of my car, and believe me everything about that car is HEAVY. Yet, a lot of these plastic Japanses cars weigh almost the same? Where is all that weight coming from?

I've been looking at conventional cars, too. The Mazda Protege seems to be a good choice. Supposed to have Civic quality at a lower price basically. Plus, less likely to get ripped off by the local losers.

I'm just happy that after all these years there are actually a lot of cars that I actually want to own. I remember wanting to get a new car way back in the early 1980's. There was really nothing I wanted, except maybe the Buick GNX with the 300hp turbo!

Bruise
 
Originally posted by Bruise Lee
First of all, why did you sell the Cobra Jet!?! You know how much those cars, even just the engines, are worth now?

Bruise
Click to expand...

I spent more money on gas and fixing it than it was worth to me. During the year that I owned it, I rebuilt the engine twice. I replaced the TRW crank bearings twice. I rebuilt the Holley carb about three times, and the Carter carb about two times. I replaced the Cloyes timing chain once, and I must have tuned it about 24 times (about twice a month). I also replaced the head gaskets three times, and the clutch three times.

There was a time in my life when I enjoyed doing all those things and I did all the work myself. These days, I'd rather drive and live a trouble free car life than spend my time in the garage. In the two years that I have owned the Vette, I have only had to replace the oil and a set of worn brake pads.
 
My next door neighbor bought a Honda hybrid this past summer and they seem to enjoy it. It is also very quite, i was standing next to it when she got in, and i never heard her start it. I forgot what she gets for milage i believe it was 50 or 60 MPG.
 
As I said, we actually have a Prius. Since I used to work for the DOE and currently work for SAIC doing most of my work with the DOE I was able to get considerable information about the hybrids before we purchased. I had NO reluctance about buying one.

Batteries in the Prius, and the Honda, are nickel metal hydrides. The conservative life expectancy is 10 years while the prectical life expectancy is 15. Not many of us keep cars more than 7 years so there should be no problem there. It you think that you're going to keep the car long enough to have to replace the batteries then the fuel savings and the expected drop in battery cost (more than half by the time you would expect to replace them) will still be to your advantage.
 
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