[Eli]

Greetings everyone,

I found this forum a few days ago and have kept coming back to read it again and again since then. Very glad to have found it, and thought I would join in the fun. I have been interested in fuel mileage and efficiency ever since I started driving about 6 years ago, and have always kept an eye on my mileage. I also began messing around with HHO awhile ago, but that project is currently on hiatus.

My first car was a Volvo '82 242, I have had many Volvo 240's since then, I love those cars. They are not known for getting the greatest mileage, but they are solidly built and reliable. One that I currently own and have been working on in several stages over the past few years is a '79 Volvo 245 Wagon, I call Mordecai.

Last year I pulled the 2.1 liter 4 cylinder gasoline engine with mechanical fuel injection, and installed a 2.4 liter straight 6 turbo diesel engine, originally out of a '85 Volvo 760. As well as heavily modifying the suspension, adding an intercooler, oil cooler, electric fan, straight through exhaust, swapping the dashboard, hood and headlights. The list goes on.

As of right now it gets about 32-34 mpgs with mixed but mostly country driving. My goal is to get that to 40, and further if 40 comes easy enough. I plan on doing this with aerodynamic mods (which you guys have really inspired me with recently), and replacing differential with a higher gear. The plans also include getting Mordecai to run on Straight Vegetable Oil. I had purchased a kit from Plant Drive about 5 years ago and have never gotten it installed in any of my diesels. Hopefully that will happen soon.

I also have a blog about my Volvo endeavors, but seeing as this is my first post, I am not allowed to post links. I was also going to post a picture of Mordecai, but I guess that will have to wait as well.

I have been every impressed so far with your knowledge, resourcefulness and willingness to share, I look forward to becoming a part of this community.

-Eli