<VV> MPG -$$ are not the point

[boB]

The DustBuster minivans also had a big aerodynamic advantage over the 
Corvair (and almost everything else).  My '94 Z28 gets about 27 mpg on the 
long cruise from Northern Florida to North Carolina, partly due to aero and 
partly due to a cruising rpm of 1300 (6 speed).  The 5.7 liter is running 
at high vacuum and is barely turning, and the road is very 
flat.  Acceleration in 6th is also very flat.

There might be some savings from not powering a cooling fan too.  Other 
than that all of these ideas should work on a Corvair but it takes a lot of 
$$$ and work.  For what we might spend it may be a wash to install a 
complete 911 3.6 drivetrain.  I know, it's not the Corvair way, but it is 
probably what GM would have arrived at had development 
continued.  Especially if the Corvair had taken Camaro's place in Trans-Am!


boB


 >The second big MPG advantage modern cars have is very low RPM cruising
 >speed with overdrive transmissions.  My 95 Trans Sport does 60 mph at 1800
 >rpm whereas my Corvair does the same 60 mph at 3000 rpm.  That's another 
reason
 >why the Trans Sport despite having a 40% larger engine (3.8 liters) and 
about
 >40% more weight can easily better the Corvair's MPG.  On a long trip to 
Jim's
 >I can (and have) gotten 28 mpg by MOSTLY keeping revs from exceeding 2000 
rpm
 >(not always, but mostly).