Hi all,

Since i bought my bug I realised its got terrible fuel economy...I bought it in Adelaide and was driving to melbourne when it ran out of fuel just after Horsham (yes I ran out of fuel for the first time in my life!) it does about 12 L/100 on cmbined cycle. Its got a dual throat webber & from reading on about it on here I can safely conclude that here is my problem...and yeah I CAN seriously see the needle going down when you plant the foot! So jealous of fellow buggers getting 35 mpg...

anyways cut a long story short, im sick of driving a bug but then paying for a Rolls Royce at the pump so I need a solution as its a daily driver. Im heading to Mexico for a holiday over the break so coould anyone give me an indication if it would be a good idea to get a fuel injection system from over there? would it fit on my 1600tp? would i have to change the heads over? is there an easier/more simple solution? open to advice opinion and banter

cheers

EFI is what I would do.

yes 12L/100km does suck

I used to get about 9 to 10 L per 100 on the highway with a 1776 and twin 40mm dells. all about the tune and setup. In the end the EFI is more precise and fuel efficent. Worst fuel consumption I have seen has been 2km per 1L on a Evo6RS rally car I used to nav in (when on competition stages). the fuel was $5/L to or $100 for a 20L drum, lucky i didn't pay the fuel bills!

Haynes manula puts an 1303 L bug at 25MPG - or about 11L/100kms

I get anywhwhere from 12L/100 in heavy city driving to 8L/100 on the high way

I have a 1303 with a 1916 and dual Dellorto 40's

Anyone who tells you they are getting 35mpg from a bug would only be driving a 1200 like a nun.

Is the engine all stock aside from the carb?

Carb is probably jetted way off, and if the preheat is non existent or all blocked up that will give you crap mpg around the city.

yeah wat jOEL said .
Bug and fuel economy
back when they made my beetle you could buy a litre of petrol for $o.37 $4.00 to travel 100Ks not bad.

My 1961 40hp Beetle [which I bought NEW] averaged 30 - 35 MPG, after it was run in. Once on a trip it returned 40 MPG, which was better than the 36hp Beetle that was my previous car. Petrol was more like 7c/litre, not 37c.

Even after we worked the motor [bored to 80mm, cam, 2 SU carbies, etc.], it still returned almost 30 MPG on a trip. It also clocked 100 MPH at Bathurst.

beetle or bus with fuel economy in the same sentence huh what's that?
if u want fuel economy by a new bluemotion
drive ur beetle for pleasure n fun not for counting penny's thems days are over

12L / 100 is not too bad.

Our stock 1600TP Beetle is about 10L/100, which is good.

12 litres/100km is not terrible for an old car. It's worse than my Beetle does, but I'm not sure how good you were expecting. 10 litres/100km is good. Depending on your driving style and the traffic, anything between 10-12 litres/100km is entirely normal for an air-cooled VW. Saying that it's a Rolls Royce fuel bill is a bit strong, I think you'll find that a Rolls of the same era would be drinking at least 20 litres/100km!

Rolls Royce fuel bill.

Wonder what that would have been exactly in a 70's Silver Shadow with a 6750cc engine with automatic transmission in a 2100kg plus vehicle?

Bug 10-12L /100km Polo 6-8l /100km
Service cost Bug $40 -$100 Polo $200- $1100
If your doing a 1000ks a week your better off in newer car, if your low mileage cheaper in long run with air cooled. But the bug wins hands down in the 'cool' stakes. (unless its the middle of summer coz the polo got aircon)

you also need to check how accurate your speedo is reading

I have had up to 25% low

Hi There, I have just done my L's/100K a couple of times in the last weeks (sold my Passat so it's back to the trusty beetle for a couple of weeks). It is 9.5lt/100K's. 1600cc TP, c/w crank, engle 110 cam, 36mm single Dellorto, merged exhaust. This is about 50%town and 50% Highway.
Thanks
Frosty

That's great Frosty, how accurate is the odometer, or are you all hitech with a gps?

Though as mine's a buggy and can't realy be compared, on a recent road trip to WA covering over 15000 km my 1600 tp with single 34 and twin hot dogs towjng a small trailer got between.......best 9.8L/100k down to worst almost 13 L/100.... almost all highway style driving, the worst when crossing the nularbor against a strong head wind, mostly I was driving at a very steady "grandpa" pace (long way to go and wanted to make sure the wench made the distance so to save face and give the bird to those who said it wouldn't make the distance) though I did get up it a few times for short distances, I must admit I thought I would have got better but under the circumstances I'm not complaining.

Hi Matt, its on the odmeter for the miles, i'm running Michlen 135's on the front this may change things ??

I have a 1916 with twin Kads, and I do drive it fairly hard. On a trip on the highway, I can get down into the 13L per 100, but when I get it 'angry' (especially on backroads and around town), I can get it into the 16s.

When I tow my trailer full of tools (about 7 or 8 hundred Kilos), it goes up to between 20 & 23 L per 100.

I have often checked my Odometer against the 5 kilometer markings on the highway, and my speedo is 400m short over the 5km. I have a correction on my spreadsheet to give more accurate consumption readings.

One day when I get time, I plan to take it to someone who is good with Kads to tune it up a bit - I think my engine builder set it up fairly rich to it couldn't lean out.

I'd try and find a stock carb and manifold for it.

I'm betting it's a progressive Weber, those things are not even fit for paperweights.

A stock 1600 with everything all in order is pretty good on fuel considering its pretty well unchanged technology from the 30s.

My Lbug which is the heaviest model bug out there used to average 10L/100 around town and got down to 7.8L/100 out on the open road cruising at 100-110 and i won't admit to being an economical driver either with a bog stock engine.
Although that was before I verified my odometer as i had 14" wheels but it wasn't too far off.

There are many aspects to vehicle cost

Fuel ,Depreciation, Maintenance

Our Beetle is not the most economical for fuel, but 9'ishL/100km is ok

I don't think it will depreciate, being a 40 year old car

Maintenance has cost about $1500 in the last 7 years/ 35,000km's. That is service, oil, tyres, brakes, repairs etc.

I would not get a 3 year old mini plastic thing that gets 6L/100, and see what I have after 7 years.