57 mpg 232

[Studeous]

In the latest issue of T.W. under Studebaker Flocks there is a 52 Commander listed with a 232 engine rebuilt to give 57 mpg. Maybe a misprint of 27 mpg? I Curiosity got the best of me and I called about it. Its a non working number.

I remember an article a couple decades ago about a 53 with a 259 or 289 that the owner kept playing with the jets ect to try to achieve some great milage. What do you think.

Richard Burks
Middle TN Chapter
53s
57 Transtar

[Edsel G. Tattooer]

I personal thing it has to do with F.M. (F**king magic). That has got to be how it's achieved.

[silverhawk]

I saw that too, and I forgot to call and ask him about it. Maybe somebody here knows?

[Sdude]

OK, here's the story as I heard it.....

It happened back in 1962...

It seems this guy's freinds decided to play a trick on him and they would sneak over to his driveway and ad a little bit of gas every night. When he told them he was getting phenominal gas milage, they told him about the secret carburators that Studebaker made and that rumor has it that some of these made it in to production cars by mistake. They also warned him to NEVER mention it to the dealership as Studebaker was looking for these units and would swap them back if they ever found one.

They continued to ad gas until they knew he had taken the car to the dealership and then stopped. When he fussed that he was no longer getting the incredible gas milage, his friends told him they must have discovered the secret carburetor when he took the car in.

He believed them and they never told him it was all a gag.

[2R5]

That must be why they started making locked gas caps !

[Jim B PEI]

A variant played by some cruel youths (I was one) 45 years ago was to convince an old fellow than his new car's mileage was dependent on making sure he had 'fresh' air in his tires, because the gas companies were colluding with the car companies to make some extra money. Gradually a little bit of gas would be removed from his car, on a slightly increasing basis until he complained about his new Chevy II 194 six's mileage--when the most poker faced 12 year old told him about 'old' air, and advised him to go down to the Shell station and get 'fresh' air in after letting the old out. Then, craftily (the same, stored in gerry cans) gas was put back in so that the mileage jumped amazingly and then slowly subsided back to normal over the next week. We actually put more gas in than we took out, because we were evil, but not bad, kids. We figured it was worth a bit of our paper route and allowance money. He was warned not to do it too often because then the gas station might find out he knew the "secret" and take action, and not to get air first thing on Monday morning because it would be "stale" since the station was closed on Sunday. Saturday was the best time because they got a new shipment of air on Friday evening (!!!) Oh, and if the dealership found out, they'd fix it so that the air never worked again.

Well, he wasn't a nice person, nor was he a really bad person, just a grumpy old so&so cuss who swore a blue streak especially at kids, and was a boring pompous #ss as well, and it kept about a dozen boys occupied and in stitches (and out of more serious devilry) all summer long watching out for and adjusting his mileage. Hook, line, & sinker. A high point would be to be the designated bicycle tire filler (ie, to report back on the ruse) on a Saturday noon when H made his weekly trip down to flatten all his tires ...and fill them up again. Bonus was when he was overheard telling someone 'how' he achieved his wonderful mileage. Of course, they took him for barking mad....

[silverhawk]

Oh geeze, that is GOOD!!!!

[clonelark]

Of course all this had to be before gas went thru the roof in 1974

[comatus]

...and air was free!