Record for a N.American TDI powered car?

[wwhalenc]

Have to tell someone. Got 60 mpg!!!! Caveats:
1)Was driving with windows up, no A.C. in scorching weather
2)Mirrors both sides folded back
3)Antenna Removed
4)Windshield Wiper blades removed
5)Didn't exceed low 60s in MPH
6)Light semi-aerodymanic car...'91 Jetta w/ AHU TDI conversion which happens to have all but the driver seats removed.
7)Very SMALL sample size 138.7 miles/2.30 gallons between vented,defoamed fillups.
8)All in all was torture to drive this way.
9)...oh yeah..tires very slightly over-inflated

What is the all time record? I gather someone w/ more patience has been able to get well into the 60s.

 

[RichC]

Someone dig out the obsessed thread ... this guy belongs there!

 

[wwhalenc]

It has consumed my life. I need help. I smell a new twelve-step program.

 

[TDItech]

You are definetly in the obsessed catagory. You need to set out and try for the 1,000 mile club, that's torture. Not many people can stand, or rather sit

it out that long. It takes quite a while to run out a G.

 

[bjmarler]

I think you forgot a few things:

10.) Force self to throw-up so as to reduce additional weight.
11.) Remove shirt, pants, and underwear, if any, so as to reduce additional weight.
12.) Take VERY deep breath from helium baloon before getting into car so the extra lift will reduce additional weight.
13.) Shave head and ALL body hair so as to reduce additional weight.
14.) Rub paint thiner over whole car to remove all the paint so as to reduce additional weight.
15.) Remove tires so as to reduce additional weight.
16.) Siphon all gas out of tank so as to reduce additional weight.
17.) Get out of car before driving so as to reduce additional weight.
18.) Remove engine from car so as to reduce additional weight.
19.) Stand still on the side of road, with naked, clean shaven body, next to all the 1,000's of car parts that I just removed from my car to get the max mpg. Oh yeah, and smile as other cars drive by and wave wonder what the @#$% I'm doing.

 

[Lug_Nut]

What is the all time record? I gather someone w/ more patience has been able to get well into the 60s.

The record for obsession? You are nearly there.
The record distance per tank? You are hindered by a much smaller capacity than the current 1,400 mile+ holder of that mark.
The record distance per gallon? An independently verified, third party, mileage competition result of 83.8 mpg, (officially 82.7 when converted into the competition's equivalent BTU of gasoline), over 249.2 miles distance, has been reported and incessantly boasted by me.
I've done better than that 83 mpg, but without official sanctioning and recognition, I have no proof.

 

[jackbombay]

Jonathan Bartlet and beetle go got 88 MPG on %100 Bio Diesel when he made a run for the tour del sol, windows up, no AC averaging 45 MPH in a 96/97 passat sedan with all the seats etc....

-Jack

EDIT- The man himself posted while I was typing, and I was off 5 MPG in my recolection...

 

[greenskeeper]

too short of a sample to be meaningful...sorry. You need to go through almost a full tank to "minimize" the error in refueling and calculating milage.

 

[Rammstein]

I've got a 1400 miles tank->>> Right here.

Unfortunately, it will go to next summer, because Mr Bell's best was really 1407 and not 1405 like mine...

56mpg on a 1510kg car is respectable.

 

[gdr703]

53,386 miles at 59.4 mpgUS

 

[wwhalenc]

Outrageous. Apparently I'm not obsessed enough. "...mileage competition result of 83.8 mpg, (officially 82.7 when converted into the competition's equivalent BTU of gasoline), over 249.2 miles distance"

 

[PlaneCrazy]

Here's my advice: keep speed to 45 mph, and get something MORE aerodynamic for your TDI engine than that brick s**thouse that is the '91 Jetta.

I can understand setting the record for the pure fun of it, but in daily driving my last tank at 5.09 l/100 km was pretty satisfactory and gave me 1200+ km range (actual fill-up was at 1187 km).

Even without the record setting you will have to go for a wee-wee long before you have to refuel your TDI!

 

[oilhammer]

Hmmmm...I can get that every day in my STOCK '91 Jetta diesel

Best ever with this car was on a local club event mileage run (with mostly air-cooled cars) and I got 67 MPG. Of course, my Jetta "only" had about 210,000 miles on in then. My brother was driving the Silver Bullet (our family's '79 diesel Rabbit) and he got 72 MPG that day and that was a 4 speed!!!

We were all driving very conservatively, possibly a menace to others on the road.

My daily average running 70 to 75 is only around 42 to 44, and that'll drop to 38-40 with the A/C running

 

[Pat Dolan]

My Father-in-law routinely posted 72 imperial mpg (exactly 60 mpg) in his '80 Rabbit 5 spd no air car, and did so for many years. He religiously drove exactly the posted speed limit. I can't bear to slow our TDI down that much (nor could I any of my NA and TD cars). Distances around here are LOOOONNNNG to anywhere (I live in the empty sparce between Edomonton and Winnipeg).

Pat

 

[Papachristou]

i have hit 62 MPG in my stock 03 jetta just setting the cruise at 65MPH commuting. Took me a week and a half to use up my tank about 920 something miles, i forgot.

i stopped commuting though and mileage is horrible now. around 40MPG ithink, i just changed the fuel filter so we'll see if it improves

 

[unclebob]

I got 62 in my 02 Golf, driving 65mph and had a 10 mph tail/angled tail wind