Mpg's

[swvalcon]

Back when the big three were getting 10-15 mpg's on most of their cars Studebaker's where pulling at least 20+. Makes you wonder where they would be if still at it today.

[50starlite]

My 50 Starlight gets a solid 22 mpg. with a normal round trip to town, 30 miles highway, 5 miles town. But my 1998 Buick Park Ave. gets 27+ mpg. I'll not complain about either.

[Chris_Dresbach]

Ely gets 27mpg average, probably better on the highway. My '99 Jeep Grand Cherokee 6 only gets 17mpg and it's basically the same engine but newer and has all the modern emmisions stuff on it. Without a payload the Jeep doesn't weigh a whole lot more than Ely, so how far have we come in the 60 years from when Ely was built to when my Jeep was built?

[rockne10]

22-23 is about normal on highway for my '51 V-8 with automatic and 3.54 rear.
There are often questions about fuel mileage and, perhaps, the greatest variable is the rear end ratio. All Studebakers are not, by their nature, created equal in that respect.
Carburetor and jettings, displacement, transmission models and rear ratios, as well as the weight of the driver's foot, make all comparisons inequitable.

[Milaca]

Is it safe to assume that a Studebaker needs overdrive to easily achieve 20 or more miles per gallon while keeping up with modern day traffic on the highway?

[Chris_Dresbach]

Is it safe to assume that a Studebaker needs overdrive to easily achieve 20 or more miles per gallon while keeping up with modern day traffic on the highway?

Absolutely. I wouldn't drive Ely without OD.

[JimsLeadCommander]

I bought one of those 'Tornados' for my car. (The device that looks something like a cookie cutter made of steel, circular with angled 'blades' inside the outer round piece). I can attest that it actually works! Improved the mileage on my 2008 Sonata by between 1.5 to 2 mpg! Goes inside the air tube from air filter toward the engine ---- swirls the air like a tornado creating better breathing or air flow into the cylinders.....or so the literature says. Whatever, the thing works for me.

[Gunslinger]

I bought one of those 'Tornados' for my car. (The device that looks something like a cookie cutter made of steel, circular with angled 'blades' inside the outer round piece). I can attest that it actually works! Improved the mileage on my 2008 Sonata by between 1.5 to 2 mpg! Goes inside the air tube from air filter toward the engine ---- swirls the air like a tornado creating better breathing or air flow into the cylinders.....or so the literature says. Whatever, the thing works for me.

I'm not disputing what you're saying, but it seems that for generations engineers have been working to smooth out airflow through the induction system for predictable combustion and the Tornado is supposed to create a "vortex" like effect which effectively undoes what the engineers have done. All I'm saying is something doesn't compute with their claims. You can't dispute your results...no question of that.

[StudeDave57]

Is it safe to assume that a Studebaker needs overdrive to easily achieve 20 or more miles per gallon while keeping up with modern day traffic on the highway?

NOPE!!!

Sweet Pea has been known to pull down 22MPGs. On one trip she even managed around 19 with a U-Haul trailer in tow!!! She's got a 283/auto with a 3.07 TT. The trick might be that you have to keep your foot out of it, or not have a four barrel carb.

[jimmijim8]

I bought one of those 'Tornados' for my car. (The device that looks something like a cookie cutter made of steel, circular with angled 'blades' inside the outer round piece). I can attest that it actually works! Improved the mileage on my 2008 Sonata by between 1.5 to 2 mpg! Goes inside the air tube from air filter toward the engine ---- swirls the air like a tornado creating better breathing or air flow into the cylinders.....or so the literature says. Whatever, the thing works for me.

ok but why don't the manufacturers use this snake oil add on to increase mpg. Not like they are pricey. cheers jimmijim

[Roscomacaw]

When I restored my first Stude - a 1952 Champion 4dr W/OD - on nice days - with a tailwind - I couild flirt with 29MPG on the hiway. If I was headed INTO the wind, I got more like 25. All stock - 4.10 gears at the rear.

[Chicken Hawk]

Back in the '60's when I was running the '51 in stock class and drove it to the strip at Indy with 4.89 gears and no overdrive it acutally got 20 mpg.

At that time I lived about 60 mile from the strip so it was 120 mile highway driving and I only went about 50 mph which was about 3000 rpm. I don't recall how many runs I made at the strip but would guess about 6+. Does take a lot more running the quarter mile but slowing down and coming back the return road makes up for some of that. And this was with the cheapest gas I could find.

That little 232 is an amazing engine with the power and economy it produces.

The 289 in the '51 with dual turbos would use half a gallon on every run. Most of the big blocks will use about double that but the 289 had a 3.70 gear and the big blocks probably had in the 4.55 range.

Ted

[gordr]

On a modern car, anything that restricts airflow will also restrict fuel flow. You could get the same effect, for nothing, by putting a block of wood under the accelerator pedal.

By the way, those "tornado" devices were sold back in the carburetor era. But they were mounted in a plate under the carb, so they restricted flow of mixture, not air alone. Same as the "restrictor plates" used in NASCAR.

[Roscomacaw]

There were also the "secret catalyst" screens that fit beneath the carb as well. Didn't do much, but the bragging rights were free!

[cultural infidel]

anyone know what gearing came in the 65 Commander v8? I can not wait to have this car tuned up properly so that I can see some decent mileage out of it. Also, would an over-drive trans improve my mileage?