miles per gallon

[normanpitkin]

Hi

I drove to Robin's Jiving Jamboree last night ,about 100 miles each way from my house,worked out i got an average of 11.8 miles per gallon (uk gallon).This was driving at 70mph on the motorway and about 10 miles in town traffic.The New Yorker performed faultlessly,even hot starting when i stopped to fill up again,used about £80 worth of petrol!!! What would a smaller engined P15 get I wonder?

[Alshere59]

I have a P20 and get around 20 gallons US with an overdrive on the highway 16 around town.

That seems like pretty low mileage, The UK gallon is a bit more than a US.

1 gal(UK) = 1.20094 gal(US Liq)

What gear ratio are you running? I would think your sunvisor isn't helping much either but it looks really nice on your New Yorker.

[TodFitch]

I have a P20 and get around 20 gallons US with an overdrive on the highway 16 around town.

That seems like pretty low mileage, The UK gallon is a bit more than a US.

1 gal(UK) = 1.20094 gal(US Liq)

What gear ratio are you running? I would think your sunvisor isn't helping much either but it looks really nice on your New Yorker.

I don't remember if he has an overdrive on that Chrysler or not. If not then the 14.2 MPG (US) for a trip with large portions at 70 MPH sounds about right to me.

[Mark D]

My first long cruise after replacing my head gasket was two weeks ago. I traveled 436 miles round trip and averaged 16.7 miles per gallon. (and added a half quart of oil). The car is bone stock as delivered from the factory, with just under 68,000 miles on the odo.

[greg g]

I made about the same trip as Mark and Ruby but from the other direction. We met at Rhinebeck car show, 436 miles on 24 gallons or 18.1. this on non divided highways for the most part my average was on the last leg was 51 mph with a stop for ice cream included.

[normanpitkin]

hi

,not sure if an overdrive was an option on the fluid drive straight eight,never heard of it and wish i had one!Good to hear the mpg sounds about right,I once had a 59 cadillac that would do around 8 mpg round town with the aircon on!!!

[TodFitch]

14.2, or 8.33?

Duh. You are right, I did it backwards and that mileage is quite a bit lower than I'd expect.

[Rusty O'Toole]

Cut your speed to 55 or 60 and your mileage will increase. And of course, heavy traffic stop and go driving is murder with fluid drive and a heavy car.

Your mileage could be a little on the low side but in the normal range for an eight cylinder luxury car of that vintage.

[greg g]

Kind of hard to compare the straight 8 with the 6's especially with a much larger and heavier car. Does the 8 have a 2bbl carb? what is the rear end ratio?

I would think you should expect in the neighborhood of 10, and 8 seems to be the beginning of that heighboor hood. What is the condition of your engine, is it near where it should be for compression? Is it properly tuned? Have you pulled your plugs to see how they look?

Those New Yorkers were owned by Doctors and Barristers and business owners who probably didn't worry much about fuel cost especially when you could fill the tank for a Pound or two back in the day at least in the US. Looks like gas in Britain was 26 pence a gallon not including taxes in 1949. Here it was about 27 cents per gallon. Taxes included.

Looks like the pound was equal to about 4 USD throught the late 50's

[Rusty O'Toole]

Under ideal conditions the Chrysler straight eight fluid drive models might return 15 or 16 MPG. That would be at a steady speed between 35 and 50, no faster, and no stop and go.

It must be brutal filling the tank in England. On the good side you have enough room to take 4 or 5 friends along, maybe you could have a whip round.

[55 Fargo]

Kind of hard to compare the straight 8 with the 6's especially with a much larger and heavier car. Does the 8 have a 2bbl carb? what is the rear end ratio?

I would think you should expect in the neighborhood of 10, and 8 seems to be the beginning of that heighboor hood. What is the condition of your engine, is it near where it should be for compression? Is it properly tuned? Have you pulled your plugs to see how they look?

Those New Yorkers were owned by Doctors and Barristers and business owners who probably didn't worry much about fuel cost especially when you could fill the tank for a Pound or two back in the day at least in the US. Looks like gas in Britain was 26 pence a gallon not including taxes in 1949. Here it was about 27 cents per gallon. Taxes included.

Looks like the pound was equal to about 4 USD throught the late 50's

Hi Greg, Norman's New Yorker, is from California, if I am not mistaken.

I would venture to guess 4000 lb car, straight 8, 2 bbl carb, fluid drive = not so great fuel economy. But heck those cars can cruise all day long at 70 mph, if in good mechanical condition.

[Rusty O'Toole]

After reading road tests and reports in English car magazines for many years I am puzzled by the poor mileage reported. Typically, the same miles per gallon or a little lower than in the US in spite of the 20% larger gallon.

Possibly something in English traffic conditions, or some peculiarity of English gasoline.

[Frank M.]

Hi Norman. The overdrive was availiable on the 8 cyl. Ive never seen one tho. Of course--it would be with a three speed trans.and still be fluid drive. The two barrel carb from Stromberg was first on the 8s, but became hard to get due to heavy orders.

Chrysler then made a casting for the easy to get Carters and that also raised it enough so the air cleaner was level. The intake manifold has an accelerator

lever with two holes. One for the two barrel and the other for the single.

Frank M.

[greg g]

I wonder if you might consider installing a Laycock De Normanville OD which was carried by some Jaguars and Daimlers, big Healeys etc. behind the trans. These were a pretty simple planetary gear unit. You would ned to fabricate some supports and modify your drive shaft but it might be worth taking a look for one and having some one bodge it in for you.

[Andydodge]

I once got just on 20mpg in my 1940 Dodge, admittedly it has a 318 Poly & auto, 600 Holley, 3.23 Chrysler Royal tapered axle rear end, 275/60 x 15 rear tyres and this was over the trip to the Street Rod Nats, Sydney to Mildura, mostly at night and at 60-70 mph.........andyd