[Demannu]

Hi everyone,

My name is Scotty and I live in Brisbane, Australia. My ecomodding achievements pale in comparison to those of many of the members of this forum, but I thought it might be of interest to some of you. I really enjoy reading this forum, and have learned a lot from it sofar.

I drive a 1989 Peugeot 505 station wagon. It has 8 seats in three rows, of which the last two rows fold flat to create an immense loading space, which I (at 6'4" tall) can comfortably sleep in, and have done so many times.

I travel interstate regularly (4000km+) with heavy loads on board, often towing a trailer with car parts or cars on board, so I need something that is not just economical but also powerful enough to use in these conditions.

The car came from factory with a 2.2 litre petrol engine, developing 130hp and with a stated fuel consumption of about 13 litres per hundred kilometres mixed use.

I have replaced this engine with a 2.5 litre XD3T turbo diesel, rated in standard form to 95 horsepower. It has a 5 speed manual gearbox, and I have retrofitted a 3.077:1 diff.

I have also equipped the engine with a front-mounted intercooler, 2.75" exhaust system with a single, large muffler in the centre, and tuned the Bosch VE injection pump to suit the new configuration. I also run up to 25psi of boost to ensure that all available fuel is being efficiently burned.

I also have an aftermarket cruise control system fitted which I find aids in decreasing fuel consumption in flat, highway conditions.

The result is that on the daily commute to work (entirely city driving), the car averages 7.1 litres per hundred kilometres, and in favourable conditions on a sensibly paced highway run (below 90 kilometres per hour), will usually get below 5 litres per hundred kilometres. In a more realistic test with a load in the car (500kg or so) and sitting at the posted speed limit (110km/h), 5.5 to 6 litres per hundred kilometres can be expected.

The shape of the 505 means that it does suffer considerably at higher speeds from the poor aerodynamics - i've seen office blocks with less frontal area!

My next modification is to fit a variable geometry turbo, so that I can ensure that I am getting maximum fuel burn from the lowest RPM available.

I have considered LPG fumigation systems also, but information out there seems fairly limited, and I am not confident the improvement in fuel consumption would justify the expense and intrusion on my load space.

Anyway, I do hope to continue learning from this forum, and perhaps contribute where I can!

Thanks!

Scotty