Ok so for a while I gave up on this idea, why? Well one thing being too many cars as it is. Another thing is it is getting harder and harder to find a good candidate (car) it would be one that would need any body work not dents nor rust. Something minor I don't care about but I wouldn't want to fix the body as I'd want to spend time on the under the hood and other eco ideas
Anyhow the next generation mk3 has become one of the cheapest for now, I guess they are now in the "not-new-enough-not-old-enough" category. So I dug up one of my old books and found it to contain the weight *and* drag coefficients.
So here is a comparison of Mk1-Mk2:
Mk1 Weight 1918 lbs (870 Kg) Drag: 0.42
Mk2 Weight 2026 lbs (920 Kg) Drag: 0.34
Mk3 Weight 2387 lbs (1084 Kg) Drag: 0.30
Yes these numbers may vary a bit based on model but I chose Diesel and 2 (aka 3) door versions wherever I found it.
Now in the general picture using the
Aerodynamic & rolling resistance, power & MPG calculator - EcoModder.com calculator I come up with numbers indicating that the Mk3 generation would be even better despite it's heavier weight. Now keep in mind these are STOCK weights, I would dump most of the interior and certain other things like spare tire well etc, taking a few hints from people who go on to the track with their cars, in order to drop weight. We're talking something like 300-350 lbs (+/- 150Kg) extra on the Mk3 vs Mk2 which could be reduced.
Comments? I guess the drag coeff does play in much more than I had ever expected, also explains why some students in Europe were able to achieve something like 3L/100km in a Mk5, can't find a link right now but it was a red car with grill filled in.
[EDIT] Found the link:
http://www.autoblog.com/2007/05/01/9...-3-liter-golf/
Btw looking for that link I ran into this:
Drag coefficient of Mk3 Golfs - Club GTI
Mk 1 Cd.A = 0.83
Mk 2 Cd.A = 0.70
Mk 3 Cd.A = 0.66
Mk 4 Cd.A = 0.70
Mk 5 Cd.A = 0.76
Looks like the Mk3 would be the best thing to start with indeed! I guess I have been thinking too much in racing terms where WEIGHT is "everything", which isn't always the case when it comes to ecomodding!