I finally bought a car for its "em-pee-gees"

do want!

10 years ago, I would have scoffed at that car, calling it a wheezy, boring penalty box.

Today, I think it's really cool, and I'd totally daily drive one if the opportunity arose to purchase one cheap.

Thank you GRM for helping me open that door.

Hungary Bill wrote:

Adrian_Thompson wrote: Cool little car. I hope it's closer to 45mpg for you as you aren't figuring insurance and title in your payback! Low pressure high CR turbo for extra efficiency?

Insurance was a bonus :) Old Impala + Saab insurance was $220 a month Honda + Saab insurance is $180 a month Impala is now on classic car insurance $220 a year I'm still dying to see what this car gets per gallon, but the damn tank wont empty! I bought it at 3/4 tank, and I had to drive it more than 100 miles by now and it's still above 1/4 (just below 1/2 actually). Tell this car to drink something so I can fill it up and start my mileage check!@

you don't have to wait for it to reach E before you fill it up … go ahead and fill it .. then reset the trip odometer …. there problem solved

Wow, you never see old Civics or Corollas for sale now.

oldeskewltoy wrote:

Hungary Bill wrote:

Adrian_Thompson wrote: Cool little car. I hope it's closer to 45mpg for you as you aren't figuring insurance and title in your payback! Low pressure high CR turbo for extra efficiency?

Insurance was a bonus :) Old Impala + Saab insurance was $220 a month Honda + Saab insurance is $180 a month Impala is now on classic car insurance $220 a year I'm still dying to see what this car gets per gallon, but the damn tank wont empty! I bought it at 3/4 tank, and I had to drive it more than 100 miles by now and it's still above 1/4 (just below 1/2 actually). Tell this car to drink something so I can fill it up and start my mileage check!@

ahhh I see... your car is Jewish... and we are celebrating how one days oil supply can last 8 days....

Compared to my old Chevy Scottsdale, one day's oil last 3-months (or 3000 miles)

Think we can celebrate that long?

Tell this car to drink something so I can fill it up and start my mileage check!@

I always fill up every car as soon as I get it, you never know if the fuel gauge actually works correctly.

Truth be told, I was getting a little worried that the gas gauge WASN'T working when I drove it the first day. But on the third day I saw the needle had moved to the other side of the 3/4 line so I figured it must work, it's just a little slow.

I keep promising myself I'll go out there and take pictures, but the carb I'm fighting on my Impala has my attention at the moment.

Em Pee Gee's is the original reason I bought a Miata. Double the mpg of the F150 I was driving at the time. Then I found this place.

Hey! On the bright side I finally filled up today!

So here we go: Full tank @ 188,015 miles

I actually did a search for Miata too. Since I was looking for something to and from work, I didn't need to haul the kids, and thought it would be a bonus if I could auto-x it. But alas, there were none under $2000.

Still. I believe H-Stock may be calling this Honda's name

Refill @ 188483 miles

468 miles traveled

11.5 gallons used

40.7 mpg

Next goal is 500 miles from one tank.

Here goes.

Hungary Bill wrote: Refill @ 188483 miles 468 miles traveled 11.5 gallons used 40.7 mpg Next goal is 500 miles from one tank. Here goes.

Damn thats nice

Very nice

Dang. Looks super clean from the pic! I had an old CRX. Might as well have been a motorcycle with the MPG I got.

Thanks!

There actually is a bit of damage to the driver's rear quarter panel, but nothing you'd really bat an eye at.

I'm actually really surprised at the "pep" this little beast seems to have. I misjudged a hole in traffic (pulling into Harbor Freight) and stood on it...

Holy smokes, it was off like a shot!

Funny to think my old Lada was of similar vintage (1987), similar Hp (67hp?), from a similar displacement (1.3L) and was a complete dog!

Yours must have that special engine. I can't remember the name but the intake has a long thin tube. A friend of mine has one and gets 45 MPG with out even trying with an automatic. He runs premium in his saying it gets better mileage that way.

So nice. Around here that would have been a pile of rust 10-15 years ago.

I did the MPG experiment many years ago. Gas had just hit 1.99 and I got 23 mpg in my Mustang.

Found a $250 Escort Pony that is the stripped, power-nothing car, and love it.

33 mpg while delivering pizza and over 50 mpg for the long trips!

3 years later I noticed my Mustang was averaging 250 miles a year and the Escort hit about 23,000 per year.

My favorite car now has 389,904 miles on it. The really fun part is when you realize that every worn out part is an opportunity for an UPGRADE!!!!!

Bruce

Keith Tanner wrote: I approve. Simple cars like that can be refreshing.

+1. That's going to be a lot of fun.

pjbgravely wrote: Yours must have that special engine. I can't remember the name but the intake has a long thin tube. A friend of mine has one and gets 45 MPG with out even trying with an automatic. He runs premium in his saying it gets better mileage that way.

It's got the 1.5 which was the more powerful of the two engines offered that year. I do get some slight pinging under load in just about any gear so maybe premium is on the list?

I did some reading (as this is my first Civic) and as I understood it Honda has the spark plug recessed behind a shroud with holes in it. They fire the plug early to light the mixture behind the shroud which sends the "burn" through about 6 or so small holes to light off the mixture in the cylinder.

This apparently burns clean enough to pass emissions without a catalytic converter.

Neat!

I really really really like simple, fun, vehicles.

Good times.

I have to say great find. Well done.

The thing that keeps nagging at me when I read posts and finds like this or my 924 is ....

Car companies are looking for ways to increase fuel economy, and are adding electric power plants, increasing weight, wheel size, and adding tons of safety gear. When all they need to do is look at what was working a couple of decades ago. a 1983 Honda Civic getting 40+ mpg without blinking!! My 924 will run me from Ottawa Ontario Canada to Watkins Glen New York with a quarter of a tank of gas to spare for the first run of the weekend. Am I missing something here, or is simpler, lighter better??

Enjoy the find and the mpg's.

the added safety gear and all the added electronic do-dads are in response to customer demand, and government requirements … all that adds weight … the econo cars of the '70's and 80's could never be sold now …

Those light cars were basically tin cans with no safety devices except maybe a seat belt. For comparison, my '13 Fiesta weighs about 2500 lbs. It has seven airbags and all of the other structure stuff. 120 hp. Mileage averages right around 40 mpg.

I like the old cars too. One thing, they are much easier to work on.

The 2004 Fiat Panda my wife and I had in Hungary pulled 44mpg without blinking an eye. It had a 3-star crash rating, electric front windows, a radio, and weighed in at just about a ton.

At the time it was 5 years old and cost us a whoppin $4000

I promise you, that if these ever make it to our shores I'll be the first in line.

keep in mind that that car is 10 yrs old … to be sold in the US they would have to meet the current safety regs.

the car wouldn't be anywhere near as lightweight

Those all returned to the earth years ago up here in the NE. I would kill for one of those. I would have to resist the urge to convert it to EFI through.

I know this is probably weird but I have always thought that one of those with a turbo oil burner in it would be fun.