Return of the 55 MPH speed limit??? (gasp)

Originally Posted by ford4v429

My 85 camaro averaged 35 mpg at 85 mph going across new mexico in 100 degree heat with the air on...at 55 the car got 24 mpg.

slower is NOT always better, it depends on the car- If they want to do something, have the manufacturers go back ten years and publish the 'most efficient' MPH/MPG/octane/altitude per model, leave it to the drivers as to if they want to stretch thier dollars...I'm sure they had to collect this data when mapping the fuel injection controls.

same as the choice of driving a Prius or a Hummer, I dont want to be told what or how to drive, but would like to know the true 'most efficient' mileage speed at whatever altitude/octane for each car I own without having to take a long trip at various speeds in each to find out. My 06 mustang GT averages 20 mpg mixed on premium, only 18 on 87- yet the wifes avalanche averages 21 highway at 65 on 87 octane, but hers dropped to 18 on hi-test...if the manufacturers would tell us the truth about mileage/fuel/altitude we'd all save.

ford4v429 : I traveled across New Mexico last year driving a '90 5.0 Mustang automatic and got 29 mpg. at 80 mph. I thought that was mighty strange. Would you guess it's the gas or the atmosphere there. Here at home I got 22 mpg at eighty.

Yes vote for liberals like the republican senator that is bringing this up, oh wait hes not a liberal, reading its good for the soul!!!

Originally Posted by 75Squire

I have a Tremec TKO 600 in my Ranchero. Last year just before Labor Day weekend I left for a road trip. Between Richfield UT. and Grand Junction CO I was averaging 17 MPG @ roughly 80 MPH. Im sure if I put a holly on the engine and tuned the piss out of it and the dizzy I could get at east 20 MPG at freeway speeds. Oh and I am running a 400 boat anchor so yes it is possible to get good milage from a 335 series engine.

my mom averaged 17 in our 69 gal 429 4 barrel- long as she kept her foot out of it

Originally Posted by ford4v429

my mom averaged 17 in our 69 gal 429 4 barrel- long as she kept her foot out of it

My mom and I were just talking about gas mileage. Back in the 70s when she had her 71 LTD she said it didn't matter how fast or how slow and not sure on pulling the camp trailer but she said they could never get over 11 mpg out of it. I guess at least it was consistant. Don't remember the engines size and doubt she does either.

Originally Posted by dbu8554

Yes vote for liberals like the republican senator that is bringing this up, oh wait hes not a liberal, reading its good for the soul!!!

Just because he's a Republican doesn't mean he's a conservative. Most likely he's a Re-pube-ican.

There is a huge difference between the 70's gas situation and the current situation. In the 70's there was a problem with the supply of oil due to the Arab enbargo and the price and wage controls Nixon's administration put in place. As a result, there were long lines, short supplies, expensive gas, and conservation was important.

Currently, gas prices are high, but there is not problem with the supply of gas. No long lines, every gas station has gas, and we pay the high prices. Sure, we complain, but we pay the high prices. No need to lower the speed limit.

In the event the Gov't lowers the speed limit, there is a huge cost for new signage on the e-ways. Law enforcement will shift from working local streets to writing tickets resulting is a windfall of cash into the local courts.

We have a brain-dead Democrat Governor here in Michigan who mentioned lowering the speed limit last week, on the National level, Republican John Warner from Virgina has tossed the idea around in Washington.

There is no need to change the speed limits.

Driving to and from work for 5 years now over the same highways and always the same way, ive seen my ranger 2.3 5 speed truck get about 330 miles a tank with the next fill up showing that there was about 1 to .5 gallon left. Granted I'm pretty much always driving to work at 80 to 90 and hauling Ass from stoplight to stoplight barely making it to work on time.

Fast forward to 4.59 a gallon today. I just cant afford to waste gas anymore. Soooo I'm now grandma slow-poke. Keeping it around 60 and taking it easy around town. You know what? I just pulled down over 400 miles on one tank and having about 1.5 gallons leftover. This is with the check engine light on constantly. I think its time to check the O2 sensors after 205000 miles. Once i get those replaced it should be running lean again and then get me another couple o miles per gallon.

I'm not in favor of lowering the speed limit at all, No Way. But its common sense that , Faster= more fuel per mile. I'm sorry but to believe these stories of 35mpg at 85mph and 24 at 60 or whatever id have to be there and document it for myself.

Just as this is pretty much too hilarious to believe. I want to believe it but i just think its like dreaming that you won the lottery and then waking up pissed.

New Engine Gets 110 Mpg - Videos - KNBC

Killer car, but come on. This idea has been around since cars. If it was possible then surely some major manufacure of vehicles that has spent billions on R&D could have figured it out and mas produced it and had the major thing going.
Lets hope.......

Oh and I get sooo tired of hearing the Bush oil man thing. That hes the reason oil prices are soo high. That they should do something about it and that the new president will fix it. etc etc etc. If ANY administration tries that again then all the oil companies will do is embargo again. can we say $15 a gallon and lines that stretch to the moon? They KNOW that we wont drill on our own soil again. SO they will just sit back on thier solid gold chairs and wait till our economy grinds to a solid halt.

Face it,(no, dont like it) we live in a free market system. Captialisim. To capitalize on someone else for your profit. See the foriegn oil and companies in general have realized one thing. We need it . Just like the medical companies and health care in general. We NEED it. We need to get to work, go on road trips , feed our cars in general. Soo they are CAPITALIZING on that. Plain and simple. Unless we can figure out how to make our cars run on something that they cant control.. Like air only We are screwed........

At the current 65 mph limit one can get away with 75...usually. With that 'mentality' we naturally think we can get away with 65 if the speed limit is 55. Why don't they just enforce the current speed limit. Think of all the tickets law enforcement could write while people are getting used to stricter enforcement. Scarry thought!

This has been discussed on a couple boards I go on...thing is, on most newer vehicles, with the factory gearing, the overdrive, and the roller lifters, the engines of today burn better at speed than that of alot of our favorite packages of years past.
I just did a 300 mile run in my mom's 2000 GT mustang to go check out a '72 GT montego...she said it it gets bad mileage, but compared to my '79 4x4 with the 400, it gets AWSOME mileage, IMHO, at 24-25mpg.
I was running most times around 77-78 mph in 75 zones, similar in the 55 and 65 zones as well...I generally don't bother to push the 5+ mph over rule of thumb too much anymore.
There have been major studies done by the railroads on their effiecency; they found their high fuel consumption and wear mostly occours at speeds over 60mph.

To me, this goes back to the damn cell phone deal...texting, or what ever...we already have laws on the books, to deal with a given situation.
Why do these "statesmen" insist we need to have our hand firmly held and we need to be safe guards for our own supposed protection?

My life, my money, let me do WTF I want.
Oh, wait, THAT would be entirely too easy and the simple thing to do.

Even with a 55mph limit they still drive 85-90 through downtown Atlanta, that place is nuts.