Originally Posted by sixto

Something like 3.73.

Sixto
87 300D

Originally Posted by Benz Fan

Later, I'm going to start a thread about my pet turtle. See if you can try to segue it into a political discussion, ok?

Originally Posted by MS Fowler

Pet turtle is an obvious Obama supporter as the turtle is a net "taker"; not a provider/ entrepreneur. ( How was that? OK?)

Originally Posted by MS Fowler

^^^^^
Best mileage improvement is simple--slow down. The power required to overcome wind resistance is exponential. i.e doubling the speed requires 4 times the power; triple the speed and you need nine times the power. Works the other way too, cut your speed in half and you reduce the power required by 4. That doesn't mean 1/4 the gas will be used--there are other factors, but speed is the big one.
In reading gas mileage threads--here and on other forums--I am amused when someone posts something like this----"Manufacturer claimed 40 mpg highway--I drive all highway miles and I'm only getting 31.03455 mpg. I drive 80 miles each way from home to work, and it takes me almost an hour for the trip"....( Yes, its a made-up quote--but it illustrates how people complain of poor mileage while driving at extremely high speeds. You can't have it both ways.)

Originally Posted by Skippy

While slowing down may be the cheapest way to improve mileage, I don't agree that it's the best. For example, watch the Top Gear episode where Jeremy drives a diesel Audi from London to Edinburgh and back without refueling. Yes he got great mileage, but it was sheer torture. Switching to a more efficient vehicle is the best way to improve mileage. I can drive my 300D like Lewis Hamilton in qualifying and still get 25 mpg. It's probably possible to extract that mpg from an E150, but the driving style required to do that would drive many people insane.

Originally Posted by Skippy

While slowing down may be the cheapest way to improve mileage, I don't agree that it's the best. For example, watch the Top Gear episode where Jeremy drives a diesel Audi from London to Edinburgh and back without refueling. Yes he got great mileage, but it was sheer torture. Switching to a more efficient vehicle is the best way to improve mileage. I can drive my 300D like Lewis Hamilton in qualifying and still get 25 mpg. It's probably possible to extract that mpg from an E150, but the driving style required to do that would drive many people insane.

Originally Posted by MS Fowler

Matching the ports to the intake and exhaust manifold on those small block Fords yields nearly as much as a full porting job, according to something I read years ago.

Originally Posted by Can't Know

Many years ago I had to pull the heads off of my 1984 Z-28 and was amazed at how small the intake ports on the head were by comparison to the intake manifold; in some places it was almost 3/16" difference. The gaskets matched the intake very well, so I used them as a template and marked up the heads and went to work. I think I spent about twenty hours match-porting those heads (the exhaust was fine). The results were amazing across the board and I even saw 26+ on the highway after that. Curiously, the exhaust ports were fine.

Originally Posted by MS Fowler

Some truth in that. However, if you NEED the E150 --to carry tools, or materials, or whatever--then switching to a 300D or a Prius is not a viable answer, either. Sometimes the most fuel-efficient vehicle is the one that gets only 8 mpg, but gets it all done in a single trip, with a single vehicle.

Originally Posted by roflwaffle

Well, I think someone could do it getting a lot better than 8mpg, even if they couldn't use a Prius or a compact car w/ an efficient driveline. In general, weight matters, but not as much as aero and drivetrain efficiency. Rocker ratio don't much worth you know what. A large ~4-6k lb truck could average 25-35mpg in normal driving, but most people don't care enough bother with the mods needed for something like that.