Mountain bike or the free shuttle service from my apartment building to the class buildings on campus. As far as improving fuel economy on the first gen, I'm gonna ditch the improperly jetted Weber DCOE 48 that the car came with for a TWE throttle body and Megasquirt ECU. I'm running DLIDFIS currently with FC leading plugs but will be using the transistor trick as soon as it arrives. I have Racing Beat streetport exhaust which should improve highway MPG once I get the ECU dialed in right. I'm hoping for 25+ MPG on the highway and about 18 MPG around town.

 

No wonder Venezuela quit trading with us. Its the Bushistas that just keep getting richer and richer from these damn gas prices. Anyways,
To save for my gas, I bought another vehicle and are starting a TII swap.

 

I think it is very scary. almost every station around western north carolina is out of fuel. I am going to be replacing my plugs and wires to get more mpg, they have been over-due for replacement.

 

Update, gas prices in TX will rise to 3.19 by the end of the night.

 

I forgot to add... use the stock size tires, 44psi front 40psi rear (this leads to even treadwear unlike the stock 26psi or whatever Mazda calls for). Big importance.

 

I just reset my timing from 12 degrees advance to dead on the mark a(nd hopfully money). Lets see,
At that setting and all of my mods I have been getting 190 - 225 miles per full tank. Lets hope I can see 300 miles to a full tank now that the timing is back to O.

 

What 3.19 a gallon in TX!!!! Crap im in college and broke as hell is there FASFA(Financial Aid) for gas!!!

 

As much as i love my 7, I'll be the first to admit that an X1/9 will out corner anything that mazda has ever made. Perhaps you have limited experience driving them (or none at all) but in the corners I can go at least 20 km/h faster than I can in my rex. I've heard stories about how guys were able to stay ahead of a Ferrari 308 on a track just becuae of how they handled. There's more to them then you think.

 

Mine won't be running for a while, but I'll see how the prices are next summer. Once that thing starts up and has wheels, I'll drive it if gas is $10 a gallon...maybe not quite as much though lol. Maybe I'll get a dinky crx or something else that weights 14 pounds.

 

Nobody has mentioned the final gear ratio ie: a 3.5 rather than 4.1, will mean less acceleration but a lower RPM at 60 MPH so less fuel is being used, fuel injection will save gass, also slightly lowering the springs and a front air dam (if designed properluy) will lower the cd. Lower the overall weight, narrower tires with correct inflation, tuned exhaust and a free breathing air intake.

 

speaking of airdams does anyone know of any companies that "properly design" them

 

It's $2.99 by me. =P

 

2.79 here and people are buying them by the barrel. There are people on the side of the roads selling gas. Its funny as hell. Stations are running out of gas and people are starting to panic, I have never seen so many people riding bikes and buses before in my life. But me, well, i prefer to drive. Im thinking of buying gas in bulk and selling it on ebay when everyone runs out. "1 gallon of gas:RARE LBN starting price $200.00" and they will pay. This weekend i am buying a locking gas cap for my escort, people are gonna start suckin it out of tanks.

Also just reading through this thread, everyone talking about new parts to help with mpg's wouldnt the smarter thing be to use the money FOR gas? Maybe fill up a few 10 gallon gas cans while the prices are still low enough to do so?

 

Mechy, Not always, I drive for my job, delivery of pharmacuticals, it is essential and I cover about 1000 miles a week, 5 mpg diference will save me a fortune over a year. This is now $31.90 a week, at a 10 gallon saving a week, or $1658.80 a year.

 

i just filled up here at $2.80 ....damn gas prices....oh well i love driving....and this is not gonna stop me!!!

 

I can understand that, in the long run you will be saving on gas, but do you think this is really going to last? I dont, the american people wont stand for it, congress will step in and either cap the gas price or strike a deal with venezuela to get us more oil, and refinery use. It will drop again, i give it another 2 or 3 months

 

I cut out unneeded extra trips. Since I average about the same MPG in my 83 RX7 as I do in my 90 Nissan truck (22 around town, 25 hiway), I just drive the car most of the time.
Since I have a medical condition that prevents walking/biking very far, I have an electric scooter that has started to see a little more use lately, but it is not very fast (about 7MPH max) which prevents me from going very far on it (even with a 25 mile range), along with the fact that I live in an area that has very few sidewalks. Heck, it's not very safe to ride a bicycle around here, much less something even slower.

 

Even if fuel goes back to $2.50 a gallon I'll save $1300 a year. Yeah its worth it, also because I don't have to fill up as often. I can't reduce my driving, I have to go when they need the medications.

 

I'm in the same situation. I deliver pizza. Its an easy job, but I can average about 100 km in a night, mabey more. I'm paying more than you guys too. At $1.19 a liter, thats about $4 a gallon, including exchange rate and 4 liters per gallon. It'll cost me about $25 in gas PER NIGHT in my 97 Ford T-Bird. Thats not bad considering i've managed to get 20 mpg in the city on a 4.6L V8. Remember though, all these prices are canadian.

 

Now that gas prices have been pushed over $3.00 per gallon, does anybody really believe that they will ever drop down to $2.50 again? I think it will be just like it was when we passed over the $2.00 mark; they did it for a bit to get us used to it, then made it permanent. The dark ages are coming my friends...

 

I foresee getting a tow vehicle *very*cheap next year

 

During the "energy crisis" of the '70s, my stepdad was buying '60s convertible Cadillacs in perfect condition for $1500. He only drove 'em in parades as like the "Grand Marshall" and "Rodeo Queen" cars. He offered one to me (a super-nice light blue '67) for $2500 in about 1984, but those cars just aren't "me".

I just bought another Fiesta about 3 weeks ago for $1000, bringing my Fiesta total to 4.

Hey, 32 miles/gal. and my green FSP autocrosser whoops the aforementioned Fiat X1/9s regularly.

 

I'm actually sticking with my girlfriends car right now. It's a 2001 Suzuki Swift (1.3L 4 cylinder SOHC 16-Valve, 79 hp, but it only weighs 1800 lbs! ) It gets about 30 mpg city, and 38 mpg highway.

 

peak gas prices in usa was from OPEC embargo regular unleaded gas price from 1981 adjusted for inflation to today's economy is $3.11. Remember the lines your parents waited in to get gas? 1-3 hours!

TV says it'll hit $4.00 a gallon this year due to the usual crud plus hurricane katrina. i might start driving the gf's geo metro 3cyl.

wankelguy, what's the setup on your fsp fiesta? Is it nationally competetive? website for local autox region? brad

 

Bilsteins all around, heavier and lower springs, 16mm rear swaybar, motor lowering kit, European XR2 intake manifold and carb, XR2 front tie-bar brackets, Bosch "full-advance" electronic distributor, engine totally de-smogged, European gear ratios in 3rd and 4th, Sachs HD clutch, 4-2-1 header and 2" exhaust, K&N, hp oil pump, racing fuel pump, Optima battery relocated to right rear, Escort GT seats, and the whole shebang rides on 13X6 Panasport "Rally Pro" alloys with Yokohama A008R rubber. Weight=1,760 lbs. wet.

I took 4th place in our local autocross club's 2004 season, but there are some new Ford Focuses (Foci?) running in FSP that're givin' people fits this year. Last year's FSP champ (GTi rabbit) isn't even running this year because of it.

here's a link to our local club (Emerald Empire Sports Car Club)

http://www.eescc.org/

I'm not even in the points race this year because I've been so busy I've only run a couple of events.