How to build a muscle car for better fuel economy?

[oil pan 4]

It's actually very easy to detect electric motor health.
Vibration analysis can sense bearing condition and megger and growler testing can give stator winding insulation condition.
This is fully developed testing science that has been used on industrial motors for nearly 30 years and has been gaining increased popularity with the expanding use of variable frequently drives. VFDs are a little harder on motors than just running them on organic 60hz power all the time.

[Phoenix'97]

Originally Posted by oil pan 4

It's actually very easy to detect electric motor health.
Vibration analysis can sense bearing condition and megger and growler testing can give stator winding insulation condition.
This is fully developed testing science that has been used on industrial motors for nearly 30 years and has been gaining increased popularity with the expanding use of variable frequently drives. VFDs are a little harder on motors than just running them on organic 60hz power all the time.

This is purely a matter of preference and philosophy when it comes to what type of vehicle you want to drive. As ironic as it is that I am trying to get into the field of computer programming, I prefer to drive a lower tech car!

While it is nice and very convenient to have the onboard diagnostic system alert me to problems with the motor that I can not detect, I sure as heck don't want to rely on the computer for everything! I don't need the computer to assist me in braking my car and I don't need the computer to assist me in parallel parking! I sure don't want a car that drives itself! At that point you shouldn't even have a driver's license when you are no longer receiving daily experience from driving first hand!

Well, back on topic, I don't want an electric car! While some try to promote it as the future of motor vehicles, I still see a future where improvements are being made to internal combustion engines and entirely new designs that yield impressive performance, all while running on Bio-Fuel!

[Phoenix'97]

Originally Posted by oil pan 4

I ran a lean burn tune for cruising for 9 months. I had it running 18:1 at idle, 16:1 for cruise, 14:1 for mild acceleration and 13:1 flooring it, with a carburetor and aem wide band O2 meter. I was able to get 10 to 20% better fuel economy with no loss in power.
Where is the down side?

I will conduct more research but I will save this image for reference. If Toyota has found optimal A/F ratios for varying driving conditions and throttle positions, then it should be good enough to tune my LT1 for! Thank you all for your comments and helping to expand the possibilities with my motor!

[Ecky]

So, while ~16:1 probably has the best BSFC when burning pure gasoline, going leaner can still have benefits. Consider, going leaner at part throttle will allow you to open the throttle plate more, reducing pumping losses - it's almost like having taller gearing on-demand. Varying AFR to determine power output during cruise is basically what diesels do, and is partly responsible for their efficiency advantage. Most of Honda's hybrids and even some gasoline-only models (VX, HX off the top of my head and probably more) lean their air fuel ratios out as far as 24:1 under certain conditions.

[oil pan 4]

With out some pretty fancy controls the leanest you can go while driving down the road is going to be about 18:1.
Any leaner than that and you will have to have spark time tied into a wide band air fuel ratio monitor.
It's doable but I think most of the gains are already had if you can drive along at between 16 to 17:1 air fuel ratio.

If I'm going to do an electric car, might as well be a leaf.
A truly fast electric conversation runs into at least the tens of thousands of dollars. Then you still can't take it on a road trip.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by Phoenix'97

I don't want an electric car! While some try to promote it as the future of motor vehicles, I still see a future where improvements are being made to internal combustion engines and entirely new designs that yield impressive performance, all while running on Bio-Fuel!

Apart from the range-anxiety issue with electrics, another matter of concern that makes me also favorable to biofuels is the possibility of using them as a way to close the carbon cycle more effectively. Either in a biogas-fed powerplant or an alcohol-powered car, since organic matter won't stop rotting anyway, why not use it as an energy source instead of just throwing raw methane and alcohol vapors in the atmosphere, right?

[freebeard]

Well, in the world of resto-modding, maybe I can have it added to my 6-speed, IF it is possible.

I consider a car using a blower to be cheating under the definition of muscle car, ..., but I regard the car as a muscle car with a naturally aspirated motor.

How do you feel about KERS? It's a middle ground between crank-and-piston engines and those creepy electrics. Very popular in F1.

This is purely a matter of preference and philosophy when it comes to what type of vehicle you want to drive. As ironic as it is that I am trying to get into the field of computer programming, I prefer to drive a lower tech car!

What are you doing to get into the field? Code monkey or product development?

Thank you all for your comments and helping to expand the possibilities with my motor!

Am I shadow-banned? You have yet to respond to anything I've posted.

[spacemanspif]

It's hard to look good (in the classic muscle car sense) and get good mpg. You're planning on a drag pack look but for mpg you'd be better off with skinnies all the way around using LRR tires inflated on the high side. Wide tires don't help mpg and most likely don't come in a LRR version.

EOC doesn't kill starters because if you do it right, the tires are used to start the engine.

You have no money for exotic fuels so where will the money come from for exotic metal treatments and race car style mods?

[Phoenix'97]

Originally Posted by cRiPpLe_rOoStEr

Apart from the range-anxiety issue with electrics, another matter of concern that makes me also favorable to biofuels is the possibility of using them as a way to close the carbon cycle more effectively. Either in a biogas-fed powerplant or an alcohol-powered car, since organic matter won't stop rotting anyway, why not use it as an energy source instead of just throwing raw methane and alcohol vapors in the atmosphere, right?

The way I see it, NATURE is the most efficient way to help filter the air/soil/water and to help bring our climate back into a stable state. Yes, carbon capture technology is another means to help expedite that which will take nature a little more time to do. We still refuse to grow Industial Hemp on a massive scale to contribute to this effort. You can make paper from Hemp, you can make composite fiber board out of Hemp stalk, you can make plastics out of Hemp seed oil, you can compress Hemp seeds to extract their natural oil which can be used for more Bio-Diesel! Hemp is a great purifier of soil and a great way to reintroduce nutrients into soil for crop rotation! The waste product of Hemp crops can be used to produce more BIO-BUTANOL!

Yes, cars will still produce Carbon Dioxide emissions, but if you are growing more organic matter on planet Earth, the organic matter: the crops, the trees, the restored forests, even projects to grow urban forests using the buildings and lining the streets, it all will help filter out the Carbon Dioxide. Bio-Diesel and Bio-Butanol both have lowered Nox and Sulfur Dioxide emissions than burning gasoline or crude oil based diesel!

What are we waiting for?!

[Phoenix'97]

Originally Posted by freebeard

How do you feel about KERS? It's a middle ground between crank-and-piston engines and those creepy electrics. Very popular in F1.

It sounds expensive to even try to throw on my car! I think tuning for a DFCO and variable air/fuel ratios under different loads and throttle conditions paired with reduced friction parts and coatings, along with the theory of low RPM torque for low RPM cruising shall have to be enough for my quest to increase fuel economy out of my twenty plus year old engine design.

Originally Posted by freebeard

What are you doing to get into the field? Code monkey or product development?

Honestly, I need experience and I need to really know my stuff if I want to be a developer. College is beating me up on the last stretch to get my Associates, but I won't let the Professors weed me out.

Originally Posted by freebeard

Am I shadow-banned? You have yet to respond to anything I've posted.

Well, I am getting to ya! The KERS idea is a bit out of my league!