Has nothing to do with being wealthy nor the time being important. I just like to be going along at a faster (normal) speed. Driving under 65 just makes yourself a hazard to other drivers.

I'm sure you can afford to accelerate those extra few mph.

The car will start to ping towards the redline when you start dumping 87. With they way you will probably be driving it, I would not feel uncomfortable putting 87. These engines where designed to be tolerant with crappy fuel.

If or when you ever notice some pinging, start bumping up the octane. The m103 sounds like nails shaking in a metal can when detonating

Actually, 63 mph is the perfect speed for the center lane (of three). The right lane is moving closer to 60 and the left lane is moving closer to 70. Rarely do I need to move to the right lane, and, likewise, I rarely pass anyone. It's a pleasurable drive.

I could, but...........why? The speed of the vehicle has very little relationship to the time of the trip. I've proven it many times in my routine trip from CT. The traffic conditions always win the game............if you get any, all savings that were had from 70 mph are immediately gone.

..........towards the what?:D

...........would that be 3000 rpm?:D

In Michigan perhaps, but remember the speed limit isn't 70 everywhere. Around DC going 70 will get you a nice fat ticket and many points on your license.

-J

You do know the tach actually DOES move past the 12 o'clock position right?!

I can't stand states with slow limits! And then they wonder why they have traffic jams. Its math, faster cars means more go through the same place in a given amount of time.

They increased our downtown freeway speed from 55 to 70 a few years ago and it virtually eliminated the congestion issues we had.

People here can barely drive as is... more speed will not help.

This is 4 traffic lights from my house:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...change.svg.png

I'm trying to find a source, I think it might be the busiest interchange in the USA. There's traffic because people can't merge properly and drive slowly in the incorrect lanes, not because the speed limit is 55. It's even worse in Maryland, where you'll have some people going 80 in the slow lane and a beige Corolla in the fast lane going 45. I try to avoid MD as much as possible...

As you get further out from DC the speed limits go up :)

To tie this back into BC's thread... from the driving I've done in NY the drivers seem to use the correct lane more often. So a relaxed 63 in the middle lane sounds very plausible :)

-J

can't you just add larger rear tires to get your gearing

You might have to eat those words.

On the second tank, the SE went 300 miles before it reached the 1/2 marker. It's currently at 375 and just about at the 3/8 point.

I expect it to go 525 miles on the tank with fuel economy in the high 23's.

We'll see.............

It does..............:eek:

Why would you want to do that...........??????????

I know that place well. Thankfully, they finally built a proper skybridge for the I-95 traffic coming across the bridge to head south. Prior to that it was an absolute nightmare.

Sometimes I'd do the switchback via the Parkway to get on I-395 and go through downtown Washington to avoid that interchange. As you know, I-395 effectively becomes I-95 at the interchange.

Thats pretty good, I just filled up the 420 yesterday and got about 16, but it was 100% city driving, and I wasn't going slow. :D My tach needle says "whats up" to the red marking pretty regularly. :)

I wouldn't have a 4.2 V8 I was only going to pander around at 1500rpm....no point. I can go plenty slow in my 190D 2.2 :D Which averages about 29-31 city and 36hwy....

Even though I have a 1st gear valve body for the car, I've been working lately on getting the original 2nd gear start valve body to start in first. In doing so I found the reason why the V8s will use the kickdown circuit and the others wont. The governor pressure booster valve is different. If the shifter has the "B" switch then it will have a different "gpb" valve. This different valve doesn't have the same diameters and will not swap into the standard housing. To get 1st gear I had to make a modified version of the "gpb" valve that does what the "B" switch valve does, without needing the kickdown to be active. Additionally there is some other valving changes that make the trans happy with this mod.

Well, scratch all of the hope.

After a day of local driving (NMT 25 miles)...........it's at the 1/4 mark with a reading of 400 miles.

Damn thing drinks fuel around town because of the problem with the tune.

My hope for 525 miles is history.