Suzuki vitara 5 door turbo diesel 1997.
 

Hi All, Im Ted and in the UK.
Todays fuel check has delivered the majical figure of 40mpg imperial. Thats what ive been aiming for since I started to tune ? it up for economy.
Thats local running about with lots of stop starts at lights etc.
Ive had this vitara just a month, its got 77,000 miles on it.
Purchased on Ebay!! some 250 miles from where I live as a crashed car, it had been kerbed then hit a wall at 40mph. this put the ladder chassis out by 1in between the rear suspension point of the near side wishbone. and the chassis front cross member.
Pulling that out took 5 tons and some heat, but thats another story!!.
It has the Mazda 2ltr turbo intercooled diesel with the denso pump and injectors.
Also put it on a weigh bridge and it scales at 1.5ton kerb weight
Ive checked the boost on the turbo and the waste gate opens at 8psi.
Here in the Uk our fuel tax is prohibitive and as Ive a lot of motoring to do this year. So diesel is the way to go for me.
So what have I done?
I. I took off the stupidly wide tyres and fitted 185 75 16's radials running at 40psi
2. Drive as often as possible at an rpm thats the peak of the torque curve, thats about 2200 rpm, in top gear, its a manual transmission, equals 50mph.
3. Hypermile? ie use the kinetic energy accumulated in getting up to 2200 rpm to coast as long as possible when needing to slowdown. Only brake when I absolutely have to.
4. Use afuel mix of bio diesel and diesel fuel plus some extras .
5. Use rear wheel drive with the front axle disengaged with free wheel hubs.
6. all the other stuff, new best 15w40 oil new filter, new air cleaner etc.
So, were getting there. I expect to get 50mpg at a steady state of 50 mph .
This will represent the best mechanical efficiency of the engine working against the total drag at this speed.
The next stage will look at the aerodynamics.
This will start with the blanking off of the front air scoop in the bumper? as we call it here, then fitting an under tray.
Will update as progress continues.
As an aside, it was in 1944 , as a 10 yr old your american servicmen were billeted next to where I was living. One kind soldier gave me a nux bar and a copy of popular mechanics . This had an article on an economy competition in the USA where everyone was given a gallon of fuel and told to go as far as they could around a course. Remember it well!!.
Also an American comic with mr. Muxtplux and cornucopia. What comic was that?
happy motoring from the UK.
Ted.