How to build a muscle car for better fuel economy?

[Gasoline Fumes]

I hate start/stop systems! Only because I disagree with them often. I like to choose when my engine runs and when it doesn't. Installing a complicated system just to shut off the engine when it's not needed seems like a waste of time and money. My kill switch was free and easy to install.

[Ecky]

Originally Posted by Gasoline Fumes

I hate start/stop systems! Only because I disagree with them often. I like to choose when my engine runs and when it doesn't. Installing a complicated system just to shut off the engine when it's not needed seems like a waste of time and money. My kill switch was free and easy to install.

Considering you've had an 81mpg tank in a Civic, I'd be inclined to think many of your views on how to save fuel are good ones.

[freebeard]

Originally Posted by Frank Lee

I want my 30 minutes back.

It doesn't work that way (Time's arrow...), you'll have to settle for the next 30 minutes that come along.

I gave it my best shot, I thought "Hoonie and the Blowfish" was pretty good.

I'm hearing that a roll-your-own Stop/Start might be preferable, because you could tune it any way you want. That would be down to the controller. I admire people like HaroldinCR.

A trainable controller designer could follow/fork Geohotz and his open source autonomous car.

edit:
Don't get triggered by *autonomous*, Stop/Start would be a subset. Think about the software algorithms to observe and mimic driver input.

[Phoenix'97]

Originally Posted by Hersbird

Sorry if this has been said, I don't feel like reading 9 pages. IMO trying to make one car do everything is going to cost a fortune and in the end have a bunch of compromises. You would have much more fun building your muscle car to be a muscle car and then go find a fuel efficient car and have a blast making that get REALLY good mileage. You might find taking a $2000 budget, buying a $1500 car, and then doing $500 in inexpensive if not free mods to it, learning how to hypermile and getting 50+ mpg is pretty cool too.

Or drop $40,000 on a used Tesla model S and have it all with no duct tape and coroplast.

What you say is not necessarily true! My car won't be "doing everything". The goal is to try to squeeze out as much fuel efficiency as possible within the given parameters of building a stock LT1 with mild performance improvements! I am not going to go hog wild like other members of this forum, there is only so much you can do with a V8 that you still want to have full throttle fun with!

Basically my focus is replacing parts with newer less friction versions, ceramic parts, ceramic coated parts, having the motor components sprayed with the friction reduction ceramic coatings now in use on factory cars, something not available in the nineties!

The next big thing I can do is having the motor's air/fuel ratio leaned out for light throttle/cruise and full throttle/fun!

All of this, paired with other modifications should give me a happy balance of increased performance and improved fuel economy. It is nothing impressive compared to full body streamlining and turning a V8 into some kind of hybrid, but for me, it is more than enough!

[elhigh]

Originally Posted by Phoenix'97

Yeah, I appreciate all the advice but some of these mods are entering the realm of EXPENSIVE and then to have my engine builder and custom shop try to incorporate them is expensive. The learning curve to do this is also going to be problematic. Honestly, to set my car up for start-stop, I am not sure if it can safely be done and more likely than not it will result in more wear-and-tear simply because the motor was never intended to operate this way and I have a custom shop trying to figure out how to get the system to work. I don't see the benefit and if I am using a cleaner Bio-Fuel anyways, who cares about emissions, mine will be lower from the get go!

Looking back at your very first post and the hundreds and thousands of dollars of machine work you already say you want, and NOW you're balking at the cost?

You lost me.

[freebeard]

Beyond fuel efficiency, consider cryogenic tempering to extend the service life of the machine work you're invested in by 2x or 3x.

[Ecky]

Nothing wrong with big dreams, but yeah for a while I also had the impression this was going to be a build with a generous 5 figure budget.

I'd say that if OP needs to rebuild their engine anyway, some modern internal surface treatments seem very reasonable. A kill switch is superior to DFCO in almost every instance, and far cheaper to retrofit. Adding lean air mixtures at part throttle would probably be my #1 recommendation if you're going to re-tune it, before any head work.

[Phoenix'97]

Originally Posted by elhigh

Looking back at your very first post and the hundreds and thousands of dollars of machine work you already say you want, and NOW you're balking at the cost?

The TPI intake I mentioned from the start of this post WONT REQUIRE hundreds and thousands of dollars in machine work! Come on dude! They only need to add some more aluminum material to the original anchor holes and then drill new ones to mount to my engine heads. This, and an extrude hone of the entire intake manifold. This will hardly cost thousands of dollars!

Originally Posted by Ecky

Nothing wrong with big dreams, but yeah for a while I also had the impression this was going to be a build with a generous 5 figure budget.

I'd say that if OP needs to rebuild their engine anyway, some modern internal surface treatments seem very reasonable. A kill switch is superior to DFCO in almost every instance, and far cheaper to retrofit. Adding lean air mixtures at part throttle would probably be my #1 recommendation if you're going to re-tune it, before any head work.

Instead of start-stop technology, I would be willing to invest $3000 if this kit would work on my rear-wheel drive sports car.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOA_i2qAQq0

https://www.wired.com/2012/08/hybrid-conversion/

[Ecky]

Those hub motors are pretty slick. I'm interested.

[Phoenix'97]

Originally Posted by Ecky

Those hub motors are pretty slick. I'm interested.

The video and article came out in 2012 so I am not sure how this product has come along in five/six years. If it must be fit to non-drive wheels, I am not sure if it can be adapted to work on my front steering wheels, or if it could work on my rear drive wheels.

Too bad it can't be designed to continue augmenting the gasoline engine at highway speeds. I understand that for my kind of car with torque that can easily surpass 300 ft/lbs on full throttle, it may harm the electric motor, but I don't see why under light throttle conditions why it can't continue to operate at highway speeds until 200 ft/lbs of torque is surpassed by the gasoline motor!

Also, I wonder if there is a provision to charge the batteries using the car's alternator? To do this you would probably need a high output alternator as well...