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mpg over 60 mpg potential????
jossey - 4/5/10 at 01:34 PM

is there a chance of getting over 60mpg out of a locost with a diesel engine?

cheers


eddie99 - 4/5/10 at 01:35 PM

Im sure if you use an engine thats say getting 55mpg in a seat leon. Stick it in a seven, Drive sensibly and im sure you can!


Surrey Dave - 4/5/10 at 01:36 PM

Very easily I should think, I mused the idea of a Citroen 1.4 turbo diesel , don't they achieve 60+mpg in a C3?


MK9R - 4/5/10 at 01:43 PM

quote:
Originally posted by jossey
is there a chance of getting over 60mpg out of a locost with a diesel engine?

cheers


I got 60mpg out of my VW Bora last week, sitting at a constant 67 on the motorway, so can't see why not. Can't see the point myself though, drive it like you stole it


Guinness - 4/5/10 at 01:45 PM

I'd imagine the aerodynamics of a 7 might be a hinderance compared to a standard eurobox.

My Leon will return an average 45mpg at an indicated 95% for my 120 mile trip


55ant - 4/5/10 at 01:46 PM

bit of topic but as i have no idea about crotch rockets is there any reason theres not a deasel motorbike?


Ant


jossey - 4/5/10 at 01:46 PM

i like the philosophy..

drive it like you stole it is the way i want it to be. im thinking of having a second one for long drives.

i work 70 miles from home. so 140 a day in my car.

i have a 525D bmw e60 which does 40mpg so the cost adds up.

running on veg oil dont work too well either.


jossey - 4/5/10 at 01:48 PM

i think someone did a diesel motorbike a 1.4 if i remember right.

maybe more than one but i aint sure.

they aint good on fuel either.

i want a new fiesta engine it should achieve over 100 mpg in locost but its a bit expensive so im thinking cheaper


iank - 4/5/10 at 02:03 PM

http://www.dieselbike.net/


philw - 4/5/10 at 02:03 PM

Personally, if you want a car that does 60mpg then buy a tin top that does 60mpg with some relative comfort, the whole point of a kit for me is hooning about and not worrying about getting 12-20mpg as long as i end up smiling, i just don't see the point in being uncomfortable, cold etc and going slow


Irony - 4/5/10 at 02:05 PM

I did some driving to and from Stoneleigh at the weekend in my Golf GTTDI 150 and I get 52mpg. About 45 if I put hammer down a bit. I think if you put the the VW PD 150 engine in a kit it would fly and return probably 50-60mpg, perhaps more. You get a cool turbo noise as well but the exhaust noise is to be perfectly honest, crap.


brianthemagical - 4/5/10 at 02:06 PM

The gains in mpg for new cars come from aero as well as the engine so it's doubtful you'll achive the cruising economy of the vehicle the engine came from. you might have a car that's the same mpg but acclerates faster.


speedyxjs - 4/5/10 at 02:12 PM

Out 1.3 fiat does 56mpg (46 when we switch the freezer on) and should easily do 60+ in a seven.


jossey - 4/5/10 at 02:18 PM

ye i should just buy a cheap tin top.

anyone got a car that will do 60mpg going cheap lol


BenB - 4/5/10 at 02:19 PM

I think it'll depend what speed you're driving at. My tintop happily does MPGs in the 60s at 50-60mph. At that speed the aerodynamics of the Seven wouldn't be a massive problem. I think if you expected weight (or lack of it) to overcome the aero disadvantage of a Seven at speeds greater than that you'ld be disappointed.


Davey D - 4/5/10 at 03:33 PM

i managed to get 30mpg out of my R1 engined VortX to and from Stoneleigh


boggle - 4/5/10 at 03:37 PM

im sure mark allanson was getting some good mpg from his pinto


Mark G - 4/5/10 at 05:12 PM

The smart fortwo diesel will do around 80mpg. Use one of their engines and you'd get 60mpg easily. It's only a lil 3 cyl turbo but doesn't weigh much. Don't know what gearbox you'd use.


Mark Allanson - 4/5/10 at 05:19 PM

quote:
Originally posted by boggle
im sure mark allanson was getting some good mpg from his pinto


Thats right, my Mrs gets scared over 50mph so we do the sunday afternoon type thing. I can stay in 5th because of the lack of weight and potter around the country lanes of Cornwall. I have nearly standard injection setup and get 65mpg.

When on my own and having a howl, I can get it down to 18mpg - but at least I have the choice.


Ivan - 4/5/10 at 05:26 PM

I don't think aerodynamics will have much impact at normal cruising speed as the fronatal area of the 7 is most probably much smaller thana tin top although the coefficient of drag is maybe twice as bad so the one may cancel the other.

Given the above it will all be down to weight and gearing - so if your 7 is less than half the weight and pulls longer gears because of that there is no reason why you shouldn't significantly improve on mileage over that of a tintop.

Mercedes put a modern diesel in an old 230E and gained nearly 20% on mileage on the urban cycle over a modern C class because of a significant saving in weight and despite of a large difference in drag. And the car accelerated like a rocket with 0-60 times of under 6 seconds.

[Edited on 4/5/10 by Ivan]


smart51 - 4/5/10 at 06:17 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Surrey Dave
Very easily I should think, I mused the idea of a Citroen 1.4 turbo diesel , don't they achieve 60+mpg in a C3?


My wife has a C3 diesel. She often gets close to 60 MPG. Take a few hundred kilos off the weight by putting it in a locost and you could get 70 MPG.


MikeR - 4/5/10 at 06:26 PM

i've had 83mpg out of my diesel focus. i did follow a lorry up the m1 from london to coventry to get it.


andkilde - 4/5/10 at 06:55 PM

Jack at Kinetic Vehicles in the states has a high mileage diesel 7.

http://www.kineticvehicles.com/XPrizeIntro.html

They've used it to win one mileage competition and are working on a streamlined body for further improvements.

t


MkIndy7 - 4/5/10 at 07:06 PM

I should imagine it can be done easily,

As Mark Allanson has stated you can get very good MPG figures with well setup petrol injection when steady cruising.

On our Pinto with Megasquirt and R1 ITB's with long inlet trumpets we've had 86miles on country roads and start stop in towns imbetween where the acceleration is hard to map fast enough and got about 25mpg.
But then 50 miles back on the Motorway at a steady 60mph on a Gallon so 50mpg!

And thats an old heavy pinto I should imagine a Duratec could beat that hands down with a better designed engine and lighter weight.. you've just got to weigh up the economy vs performance(fun)


Simon - 4/5/10 at 07:22 PM

I'm hoping, if I ever get my car back on the road with the new diff to see better than 50mpg on a cruise. If Rover could get 38mpg in the V8 vitesse, I see no reason why not.

Enfield India did a diesel bike that did about 150 mpg, but that only had 4 bhp.

I was looking (vaguely) at building a diesel bike, using a 1.4 fiesta diesel and an Ultima box (american aftermarket harley box).

ATB

Simon


brianthemagical - 4/5/10 at 07:25 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Ivan
I don't think aerodynamics will have much impact at normal cruising speed as the fronatal area of the 7 is most probably much smaller thana tin top although the coefficient of drag is maybe twice as bad so the one may cancel the other.


Cd and frontal area have the same factor on the drag, such that if you half one and double the other it'll make no change.
That said, does anyone know the Cd of a 7?

Easiest way to find which has the most drag is top speed for a given power.

[Edited on 4/5/10 by brianthemagical]


Ivan - 4/5/10 at 08:22 PM

The Cd of a 7 is between .7 and .75