If I get an old Ford F-150, do I have to resign? - Page 4 - Fuel Economy, Hypermiling, EcoModding News and Forum

jakobnev · 03-09-2021, 03:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mpg_numbers_guy

You have enough eco cars, link them up like trains and tow the boat.

Like a little mini version of this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XNXnarR4oM

mpg_numbers_guy · 03-09-2021, 12:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jakobnev

Like a little mini version of this:

Smething like that, yes.

Xist · 03-09-2021, 03:03 PM

Wait, you tow it from one lake to another? Is that still cheaper than parking it at the preferred lake?

Trucks aren't the only things that haul. You mentioned vans, but remember that 3/4-ton Caprice station wagon?

Can any cars haul that much? Google only shows lists of trucks and SUVs. This looked more interesting, especially when I saw the Rav4 on the list, but don't get excited, the 2020 requires special equipment to pull more than 1,500 pounds, also known as less than my Accord's rating, although I certainly wouldn't pull 2,000 pounds hard or fast with a 3,300-pound car:https://www.carfax.com/blog/fuel-eff...es-for-towing/

Does anyone know how to create a new thread?

MetroMPG · 03-09-2021, 04:47 PM

It sometimes gets moved from the lake to the river. But mostly it lives at or near the lake.

I wouldn't necessarily rule out a big ol' BOF sedan. But this idea of using a ran-when-parked pickup is a case of it being a bird in the hand. I don't want to actually have to LOOK for something.

oil pan 4 · 03-09-2021, 05:16 PM

You could always mod it for lean burn. Drive it like normal and get a 20% increase in fuel economy, but an 8,000% increase in NOx lol.

freebeard · 03-09-2021, 05:33 PM

Quote:

But this idea of using a ran-when-parked pickup is a case of it being a bird in the hand.

At Permalink #5 it was a Schrodinger's Bird, both in the bush and not until you look?

cRiPpLe_rOoStEr · 03-09-2021, 07:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MetroMPG

I wouldn't necessarily rule out a big ol' BOF sedan.

Considering some folks have been rebuilding Ford trucks from the '70s around Ford Galaxie frames in my country, makes sense.

MetroMPG · 03-09-2021, 07:49 PM

My mechanic put a 70's F150 shell on a Crown Vic chassis/drivetrain/cockpit.

Freebeard: correct! A bird in Schrodinger's hand is worth... ?

cRiPpLe_rOoStEr · 03-09-2021, 08:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MetroMPG

My mechanic put a 70's F150 shell on a Crown Vic chassis/drivetrain/cockpit.

Even though most mainstream cars moved to the unibody structural layout, the body-on-frame configuration which most trucks retain can be easily traced back to the days when there were no dedicated truck platforms on the Ford and Chevrolet ranges. But it was so easier to push the average Joe from traditional body-on-frame sedans and wagons to trucks and SUVs, which by the way are favored by EPA and CAFE rules.

MetroMPG · 03-09-2021, 10:12 PM

Thinking more about this, I've revived 3 "field cars" and one "barn find", so far.

1) My first car could have towed this sailboat+trailer! It was a huge BOF American sedan: 1964 Pontiac Catalina 4D hardtop with a 389 V8. It had "ran-when-parked" status - for an unknown number of years - when I bought it & fixed it up.

(Not the actual car)

2) The MPGiata was parked beside a hedgerow out in the country for 2.x years, essentially abandoned by its previous owner.

3) The ForkenSwift (Geo Metro) was also given up for dead, parked in someone's side yard, though it had been sitting for less than a year I think.

4) The Firefly was parked the longest, but was the easiest to "revive". It was parked for 7 years, but inside a garage, and all it needed was a new battery.