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Wow!
THanks for the great welcome, guys!
I guess for a bit more info...
I live pretty much in the FAR South-East corner of ND. Flat prairie lands and virtually ZERO hills. So my only concerns for mileage is Ice/Snow and Wind.
My current vehicles:
1997 Toyota Camry 3.0L V6 (1MZ-FE)
278,000 Miles, averaging just under 30 MPG.
2002 Chevy Impala
250,000 Miles
3400 SFI Engine
Paid $25 for it, sunk in $475 into it for all new engine gaskets, head machining, plugs, wires, serpentine belt, and it's running like a dream. This is my wife's daily driver for hauling our daughter. Averaging 31 mpg with aggressive driving - likely that could improve with changing driving styles.
1979 Chevy K20 Scottsdale (Camper Special)
407,000+ miles
Goodwrench Crate 350 (about 85,000 miles)
Edelbrock intake, carburetor & valve covers / filter.
4-on-the-Floor Manual, 4x4,
14 Bolt rear axle, rear air suspension for campers.
About 9 MPG average, I can get 11 MPG if I'm careful! LoL!
1979 Honda CM400T motorcycle for summer fun.
Pretty much stock bike except for a small windscreen.
Gets 65 MPG if I keep it around 55mph.
At 48 to 50 mph, I can get close to 70 MPG with it.
I also have a 1955 Farmall 400 with 7' Allied snowblower...
It helps me get the 3.7 miles to the nearest paved road in the winter months, and mows the ~11 acre homestead I own. I've been working on a design for a downdraft stratified woodgas generator for backup power on the tractor. Its slow & simple design makes this not too difficult to acheive.
I work as a Quality Technician for a very reputable and popular manufacturer in the area. Lots of co-workers travel from miles and miles around to work at the same place, so many of them have Metros, hybrids, and pickup trucks.
I'm very good with any CAD software, CAM software & tools, I do my own reloading & gun designing & building for a hobby.
I ***HATE*** modern cars with a passion. I hate dealing with electrical wiring, sensor faults / failures, shorts, and other electrical / computer crap in cars. I love simplicity, and ease of maintenance. I want a car that's carbureted, or has such a simple EFI system that it works a lot like a carbureted engine, like some early EFI engines. I love the simplicity of my GM 350, but hate the poor mileage.
I specifically bought my Honda 400 because it's a simple 2 cylinder, carb engine, with kick start & electric start, and is incredibly easy to work on myself.
I'm going to have to look more at the links in this thread, and also look at good, reliable, low-cost, high-efficiency used vehicles.
My budget for my next used car will likely be around the $3000 to $4000 range, and I'm hoping to get something efficient, but with Automatic (I know) transmission - so my wife can use it as a backup vehicle if necessary (she has a disability & needs Auto).
That's why I was thinking perhaps a Metro with Automatic? Or a used Civic, and install something to let me see instantaneous MPG to help me develop my driving habits, and maybe do a couple modifications?
Any other ideas / suggestions?
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