Worse MPG !

[Mungler]

I bought a mint 1977 Shadow II this week for a car rally I'm doing again this year but also to scratch an itch.

 

It's 6.75 litres, but you 'waft' you don't drive and you quickly learn to measure your braking to keep it rolling forward.

 

Did a long run yesterday to Brooklands round the M25 at a set 70 mph and the return was good - I'll do the maths when I top off the tank today.

 

Whilst low mpg figures look frightening it's all comparative - all cars need fuel and no one wants a Prius

[bubble]

Mungler, tell me more about the car rally you're doing in the shadow, I'm nosey.

I have been looking at a late cloud, but all the elderly owner put me off a bit

[Mungler]

 

 

 

This was last year's web link to the rally - http://www.therosecharitablefoundation.com/events/rose-rally . I went with Matt (ME off here) and I spent the whole time laughing.

 

I've a mate who is mad keen on Rollers and there is no one who knows more (incidentally he's got a lovely series I corniche in midnight blue for sale for not much if you're feeling brave) so I went into it with my eyes open - you're buying the bloke selling the car and it's the oily jobs that need to have been done (brakes and suspension).

 

The one I bought - the bloke had it for the last 20 years, it was stored in a dehumidified garage and maintained by a Rolls specialist. The service history was frightening and the average routine garage bill was £3000 (£1k parts £2k labour). I got a pile of paperwork and every mot for the car. You never buy a Rolls without an MoT (full stop).

 

Everything with the vehicle works and is correct - from the passenger map reading light to the AC to the cruise control. The car had a full bare metal respray, the wood redone (seats have been left alone fortunately) and it came with 4 new tyres.

 

Not bad for £8750!

Edited January 31, 2016 by Mungler

[bubble]

Excellent car ! Good price!

Love the rally idea!

Did a similar one in the Dolomites in Italy two years ago, 2days 1000km

Have fun!

[rodp]

Our work trucks did an average of 7 MPG,

 

Straight 6 430BHP Daf 85 towing 30 ton

 

That's economical, the last wrecker I drove had a 500 cummins and with 40 odd ton behind it (over 60t gross) it was down to the same as the fingers on one hand (not counting your thumb) Green shield stamps were still about then and I used to come out the services with them draped over my arm If I remember correctly it had a 200 gallon tank.

[snarepeg]

Didn't that have the old Rolls Royce 4L engine?

Some did, some didn't.

Swapped my Bren gun carrier for a champ in 53, some had green engines and some black.

I think the black ones where Rolls built the green Austin??

They also had a different tyre width fitted.

5 forward 5 in reverse, thirsty beasts and spent more time in dock with oil seal problems.

Cold to drive in minus15 conditions and side curtains a laugh to keep you dry, but loved them, compared to the carrier they were magic.

[bornfree]

my old boss always had a new range rover every three years and the early pre injection ones used to do about 12 mpg with quite a bit off road.

[rodp]

Some did, some didn't.

Swapped my Bren gun carrier for a champ in 53, some had green engines and some black.

I think the black ones where Rolls built the green Austin? ?

They also had a different tyre width fitted.

5 forward 5 in reverse, thirsty beasts and spent more time in dock with oil seal problems.

Cold to drive in minus15 conditions and side curtains a laugh to keep you dry, but loved them, compared to the carrier they were magic.

I think you may find the "Austin" engines were the original b40 but assembled by Austin Not particularly well up on the Champ though so could be wrong.

[casts_by_fly]

That's pretty terrible tbh, I have a 1997 camaro SS that does 0-60 in 4.8 and averages 18mpg being driven like its stolen all the time, 14mpg is v8 supercharged 3ton range rover territory when it's floored, I think there is a difference in volume between USA gallons and uk gallons which might explain it a little but 14mpg is terrible

This. If he is going by the onboard computer it will be in US gallons. In that case 14 mpg is 16.8 UK mpg. Still not great but a little better than he thinks. Best is to check the next tank and record in liters. Then he will know the actual, plus he will know what units the computer uses.

 

My jeep did comparable economy last winter with a combination of old spark plugs, winter blend fuel, cold temps, and the fact I was only driving it in short distances and stop and go. Now I am around 16 mpg (US) with similar conditions but good plugs and a bit more longer runs.

 

Rick

[snarepeg]

I think you may find the "Austin" engines were the original b40 but assembled by Austin Not particularly well up on the Champ though so could be wrong.

Yes they were I think, all we did was fuel and check lubes and water etc, plus jump in and out with a Vickers water cooled m/g.

The rest came under REME.

[jam1e]

I had a couple of Subaru Impreza WRX STI's many moons ago. Driving like Miss Daisy, I'd get 20 mpg, but having fun, it would return around 14-15 mpg. The monthly fuel costs were outrageous!

[ElvisThePelvis]

He said he could leave most sports cars standing from 0-60mph even when towing.

Errrr, no. Auto box, slow to kick in, would struggle to beat bolster S, never mind anything more serious..

 

My C2s indicates 14 if I'm giving it really hard time ( probably much worse) previous had Merc C63 which was rarely out of single figures if having fun, 17 on a run, didn't keep that long..

 

Many years ago I inherited a Vauxhall Senator which indicated 8 plodding though traffic, that didn't last long either!

Edited January 31, 2016 by ElvisThePelvis

[Vince Green]

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This was last year's web link to the rally - http://www.therosecharitablefoundation.com/events/rose-rally . I went with Matt (ME off here) and I spent the whole time laughing.

 

I've a mate who is mad keen on Rollers and there is no one who knows more (incidentally he's got a lovely series I corniche in midnight blue for sale for not much if you're feeling brave) so I went into it with my eyes open - you're buying the bloke selling the car and it's the oily jobs that need to have been done (brakes and suspension).

 

The one I bought - the bloke had it for the last 20 years, it was stored in a dehumidified garage and maintained by a Rolls specialist. The service history was frightening and the average routine garage bill was £3000 (£1k parts £2k labour). I got a pile of paperwork and every mot for the car. You never buy a Rolls without an MoT (full stop).

 

Everything with the vehicle works and is correct - from the passenger map reading light to the AC to the cruise control. The car had a full bare metal respray, the wood redone (seats have been left alone fortunately) and it came with 4 new tyres.

 

Not bad for £8750!

Lovely car! was that picture taken at Brooklands? it looks like it, hope you went to MB world. The servicing on those cars is very labour intensive but most owners have tried to cut corners so it looks like you have bought a good one

[Mentalmac]

My old RX8 used to return around 14-16mpg when on a short journey, I once celebrated by taking my wife out for a meal when we did a journey on the motorway and got 24, all that extra money was great haha

[Mungler]

Lovely car! was that picture taken at Brooklands? it looks like it, hope you went to MB world. The servicing on those cars is very labour intensive but most owners have tried to cut corners so it looks like you have bought a good one

 

That photo was at Mercedes Benz world - we went there first before the meet up.

 

I really enjoyed both - in particular the old boy knoweldgeable volunteers at Brooklands. We did't get to see it all because we got side tracked (the bar).

 

We're going back to do it again but also to book the kids in for an under 17 driver stint.

 

I fancy giving the skid pan a go too.

[amateur]

 

I fancy giving the skid pan a go too.

 

In the Royce?

 

My father had a Mk1 Shadow, ( in the days when he was allowed to drive ), on the basis that he wanted to have one before he was carted off in the hearse version.

 

A lovely car, and as you wrote above, you just waft around in them - hurrying is pointless.

 

From memory that would struggle to do 15mpg, but who cared?

[MrM]

my old boss always had a new range rover every three years and the early pre injection ones used to do about 12 mpg with quite a bit off road.

 

Friend of mine got one of the original 3.5L V8 Discos down to about 8 Mpg driving through France to Le Mans one year 5 up towing a trailer!

[bornfree]

Friend of mine got one of the original 3.5L V8 Discos down to about 8 Mpg driving through France to Le Mans one year 5 up towing a trailer!

Makes you wonder if they actually had any fuel metering or just an open ended pipe

[Vince Green]

Makes you wonder if they actually had any fuel metering or just an open ended pipe

One of my american cars years ago had an accelerator pump fitted on the carb. Every time you depressed the pedal it would squirt a half a pint of neat petrol directly into the inlet manifold. Thats on top of what was going through the carb anyway. I very quickly had it disconnected, it still went fast enough for me.

[figgy]

Had a series 111 Land Rover twenty five years ago, it was fitted with a Range Rover 6x6 fire tender engine as its previous owners used it to tow traction engines on trailers to shows. Hmmm great thought I when he revved it and the full Land Rover tipped to one side on its suspension. 12 mpg at 50 on a run 6mpg round town and many gallons to the mile on the beach messing around. If I set fire to the petrol tank I don't think it would have burnt the fuel quicker than the engine could use it.

 

A decade ago had a Disco 300TDI auto than no matter how I drove it couldn't do

More than 21 mpg

 

Got a 5.0 V8 XKR that likes a drink if you floor it but have had mid 30's on run so was quite pleased.

 

Every now and again I buy something impractical and thirsty get sick after a while and go economical get sick of no power no fun factor and then go daft again. Never learn

[bubble]

Every now and again I buy something impractical and thirsty get sick after a while and go economical get sick of no power no fun factor and then go daft again. Never learn

 

Yep do the same, big, then small, then big......

 

When I have the big one, I yearn after the economy of a small one, when I have the small one , I yearn after the space and speed

 

Perhaps I should go medium

[Fuji Shooter]

 

Yep do the same, big, then small, then big......

 

When I have the big one, I yearn after the economy of a small one, when I have the small one , I yearn after the space and speed

 

Perhaps I should go medium

 

Or keep both

[dodeer]

Had a 4.0 Jeep Cherokee on a N plate and think that was the most uneconomical vehicle ive ever driven.

[TONY R]

Somer impresively low figures from some of the landrover options .

And as bad as you thought the olds six cylinder series 3s could be i think i have a winner or is that a looser

Series 3 ex army VANBULANCE This monster had the 2286cc (rover 80) petrol engine in it 4.7 diffs and no overdrive it was that bad. purchased by three like minded souls as the next greatest northern firth / tay wildfowl roamer, go anywhere luxury tourer.

Ready for it +++++ 9 yes 9 MPG, dont bother telling me you aunt fanny had one of these it did 40mpg i know, it did 9.

Easily solved thinks me all we need is a overdrive, fitted an overdrive great not reving as high now , BUT 10 mpg much debate and head scratching, we need a webber carb a twin choke thingey one of those 28/36 dcd things off that old GT mk 1 cortina A rolled the other week, yes that will do it, Cheapo alloy adapter ordered from the discount and a tinker about fabing up a linkage choke cable etc. All good 7 mpg .

Hate petrols they are never any good lets get a diesel thats what we need, so we purchased at astronomical expense a 2286cc diesel lump . in it went we were all smiles and about as optomistic as it can get.

BUT 14MPG on a run over the moors to whitby deep dispair set in we were not happy, when we had stopped fighting over who was to blame, we got proactive two rover 90s in two different scrap yards kindly gave up their rear ends (3.54-1 no scrap range rovers back then remember) That will knock the revs down well we got that bit right at least but eccomony just 14 mpg no change at all.

One bright spark who shall remain nameless christopher decided a V8 was what we needed . i decided i needed a wife a roof and a some free time in front of a v8.

The VANBULANCE was last seen crossing the auction block local auctions in harogate . we lost money lots of money but would we have done anything any different?

TOO RIGHT I WOULD HAVE RUN A BL88DY MILE IF I HAD KNOWN WHAT WAS COMING.

[ajb403]

Somer impresively low figures from some of the landrover options .

And as bad as you thought the olds six cylinder series 3s could be i think i have a winner or is that a looser

 

 

The 2.6 straight 6 engine gets a lot of bad press when it comes to fuel 'economy', but they're not that much worse than the 4 pot, I've owned my straight 6 for the last 4 years and kept track of every tank full of fuel, in winter I get about 14 mpg out of it and in summer about 17-18mpg, no overdrive, no free wheeling hubs.