50mpg type 1?

lowrider Officially Full-On Dubber

329 posts · joined Sep 2002 · 6 Dec 2005, 3:28 pm

#435701

Anyone remember the Jon Karcey 'Miler';
featured in several US mags in the early '80s.
Was getting 50mpg plus out of his 68 Karmann Ghia.
There was also an improvement in acceleration performance over stock.
Modifications included a 3.18 top gear & 3.81 ring & pinion.
Engine was a 1500 single port reduced to 1415cc with twin 34ICT Webers, with an 'economy' grind cam & other mods.
He also replaced the crank pulley with a larger diameter jag item.

With fuel only going to get dearer, I'm tempted to experiment on my
1960 KG & I have a spare 12V swing axle box that I was going to get checked out.
Has anyone else tried any of this stuff or have advice?

vw54 Administrator Always Waiting 4 Friday

16,723 posts · joined Aug 2002 · 6 Dec 2005, 5:35 pm

#435736

Stick a tennis ball under the accelerator pedal to stop you pushing down so hard or remove the accelerator pump lever from the carby

I read it on FACEBOOK so it must be true

http://forums.aussieveedubbers.com/viewtopic.php?tid=91278&page=1#pid848630

http://forums.aussieveedubbers.com/viewtopic.php?tid=63561&page=1#pid624099

http://forums.aussieveedubbers.com/viewtopic.php?tid=4832&page=1#pid452603

http://forums.aussieveedubbers.com/viewtopic.php?tid=60650&page=1#pid574409

VWCOOL 23 Windows of Awesome

5,158 posts · joined Jun 2003 · 6 Dec 2005, 9:02 pm

#435839

Freaky shit. Very freaky... I was in the RSL club an hour ago (Tuesday night) drinking beer and winning meat trays and was thinking about that 'fuel economy' KG. No reason - it just popped into my head while I was thinking about how much fuel my new Commodore uses.... The dude lived in Hawaii, I think... I read about in more than a decade ago and haven't thought of it since...:jesus

Pay your debts, CxxT

lowrider Officially Full-On Dubber

329 posts · joined Sep 2002 · 7 Dec 2005, 5:29 am

#435936

:o
ha! maybe a group consciousness thing happening on here ---
or we're all hurting in the hip pocket.
After looking through my old VW mags on the weekend I did a Yahoo search to see if there was anything on the Net about it.
It turned up a copy of the guy's booklet about what he did, going on Ebay. That was a bit freaky too, the auction ended in about 24 hours.
Well, after a bit of spirited bidding, I got it!
(There were obviously a couple of other people with the same idea, heh)
Anyway, if my old gearbox guy hasn't retired yet.......

dyeager Learner Dubber

1 post · joined Aug 2011 · 25 Aug 2011, 3:57 am

#858755

I know this is an older post but I've been looking to build the Karcey engine/transmission for a low weight Porsche Coupe replica. Any help would be welcome. I can't find his book anywhere! If you're willing to share, let me know, and of course I'm wondering if you progressed with this and any and all problems encountered.

dangerous 23 Windows of Awesome

5,901 posts · joined Jan 2005 · 25 Aug 2011, 7:48 am

#858760

John did make further improvements to this combination, and exceeded 50mpg.
Knowing that a US gallon is only 3.78lt when compared with our 4.55lt,
it is pretty impressive.
Ratios were 3.875 crownwheel and pinion with a bus 0.821 fourth gear.
Engine was 76 stroke with 77bore.

An interesting side note is that John Karcey developed/invented the "System One" filter,
and his products helped Mark Deacon's "Red Ryder" Karmann Ghia to run low nines back in the 80's.
among quite a few other projects from his base in Hawaii.

westi wrote:That's mad Alan.

toplessbug Fahrvergnugen

879 posts · joined Aug 2002 · 26 Aug 2011, 12:17 pm

#858916

it could probably be improved a lot since then,imagine if you will , twin tb's and progy fuel inj with a wbo2 downstream set up for lean cruise around 16.5:1 and a good stable crank fired ign ,not hard at all to do with any of todays ecu's

Don't argue with an idiot; people watching may not be able to tell the difference.