Jump to content
American Road Magazine
Celebrating our two-lane highways of yesteryear…And the joys of driving them today!

50 Years Ago This Month


Recommended Posts

50 Years ago in July

 

The official Results for the Mobilgas Economy Run put a Chrysler New Yorker at the top of the heap with 21 MPG. The average of all cars was 18.7.

 

The bug eyed Austin Healy Sprite was touted in a test run as reaching 80 MPH. You could own one for $1795.

 

A big ad encouraged you to get the “Tone of the Rocket Duals… “ dual Rocketone Fiberglass packed Hollywood Mufflers.

 

The Porsche 1600 SS is tested with a top speed of 106.2 and 0-60 of 10.1 and “ …. before long you are forcing the SS into four-wheel drifts, just for the fun of it.” Price $3715.

 

And there is a long story about “Moss”….they don’t even bother to give his full name he is so famous a race driver…but for the youngins, it was Stirling.

 

And to top it off there is a nice photo piece about the filming of the crash scenes in Thunder Road.

 

Fifty Years ago in the July 1958 issue of Motor Trend…do you remember?

 

Keep the Show on the Road!

 

Dave

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Seeing as that was 9 years and 1 month before I was born, no!

 

But I did know about the Mobilgas Economy Run.

 

jim

 

So you do remember!! :P

 

I was going to ask "Were you there," but I knew it would rule you out!

 

BTW, I'm continuing the Michigan Road trip. Great stuff!

 

Keep the Show on the Road

Dave

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ahh yes, those were the days. Chrome, 4 headlights, and fins...........it just don't get any better than that. The results of the mobile economy run are kind of eye opening however. Big luxury cars of today are not much better than the big Chrysler was.............

 

From January or 1958......

 

Bah-bah-bah-bah, bah-bah-bah-bah

Bah-bah-bah-bah. bah-bah-bah-bah, at the hop!

 

Well, you can rock it you can roll it

You can stop and you can stroll it at the hop

When the record starts spinnin'

You *chalypso* when you chicken at the hop

Do the dance sensation that is sweepin' the nation at the hop

 

Ah, let's go to the hop

Let's go to the hop, (oh baby)

Let's go to the hop, (oh baby)

Let's go to the hop

Come on, let's go to the hop

 

Well, you can swing it you can groove it

You can really start to move it at the hop

Where the jockey is the smoothest

And the music is the coolest at the hop

All the cats and chicks can get their kicks at the hop

Let's go!

 

Let's go to the hop

Let's go to the hop, (oh baby)

Let's go to the hop, (oh baby)

Let's go to the hop

Come on, let's go to the hop

Let's go!

 

Well, you can rock it you can roll it

You can stop and you can stroll it at the hop

When the record starts spinnin'

You *chalypso* when you chicken at the hop

Do the dance sensation that is sweepin' the nation at the hop

 

You can swing it you can groove it

You can really start to move it at the hop

Where the jockey is the smoothest

And the music is the coolest at the hop.

All the cats and chicks can get their kicks at the hop.

Let's go!

 

Let's go to the hop

Let's go to the hop, (oh baby)

Let's go to the hop, (oh baby)

Let's go to the hop

Come on, let's go to the hop

 

Bah-bah-bah-bah, bah-bah-bah-bah

Bah-bah-bah-bah. bah-bah-bah-bah, at the hop!

 

Thank you Danny and the Juniors, the music was special then!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ahh yes, those were the days. Chrome, 4 headlights, and fins...........it just don't get any better than that. The results of the mobile economy run are kind of eye opening however. Big luxury cars of today are not much better than the big Chrysler was.............

 

Hutchman,

 

I’ll bet the average driver was lucky to get 15 MPG in that Chrysler! You may recall that they used highly trained drivers and drove at a constant speed calculated to give maximum mileage. No one I knew got even close to the Economy Run mileage except downhill in neutral with a tail wind. :)

 

And BTW, would you believe that my grand daughter thinks our music was “dumb.”

 

Keep the Show on the Road

 

Dave

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dave,

 

You are correct about the mileage. They ran with pumped up tires and my guess is with one eye on a vacuum gauge! However, there might be a lesson for all of us if we think about it. Maintain our vehicles with correct tire pressure and using conservative driving techniques might just get us an extra 20% boost in our mileage and NO COST to us. Yep, zero, zip, notta, none..........no cost to us at all. That's like getting some free gas, and that is a good thing!

 

Hutch

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dave,

 

You are correct about the mileage. They ran with pumped up tires and my guess is with one eye on a vacuum gauge! However, there might be a lesson for all of us if we think about it. Maintain our vehicles with correct tire pressure and using conservative driving techniques might just get us an extra 20% boost in our mileage and NO COST to us. Yep, zero, zip, notta, none..........no cost to us at all. That's like getting some free gas, and that is a good thing!

 

Hutch

 

Hutch,

 

Right on…as they say! You know this stuff, but apparently not everyone on the road has figured it out.

 

The secret is smoooooth. Don’t burn extra fuel with jack rabbit starts and quick stops. Smooooth……leave enough room so that you can go with the flow.

 

For example, every time you lean on the brakes you convert the fuel energy you used to gain speed into heat, and it’s lost.

 

There are hundreds of little “hints” that save gas, and your nerves as well. For example, on the freeway, watch the brake lights as far ahead as you can and start to coast before the cars in front stop and you have to slam on your brakes. Drive in a pocket so you can adjust to changing speeds without heavy braking or heavy foot on the throttle. At red signals, see if you adjust your approach so you are still rolling when the light turns green. Etc, etc.

 

Not only do you save fuel, ....the brakes, clutch, transmission and tires all last longer.

 

It like getting a 10 - 20% discount at the pump. That's not chump change at today's gas prices!

 

Maybe others have some smart driving hints....

 

Keep the Show on the Road!

 

Dave

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I coast with my foot off the gas as much as possible, but not in neutral. This new truck seems to roll easier than most cars I have had. I do keep my tires on the high end of normal. I try to drive no faster than the speed limit, and if I don't have far to go or am just not in a hurry, I drive 5 mph less. One of the tricks I learned years ago was to run a vacuum meter and drive the car for max vacuum, as vacuum is directly related to fuel economy......the higher the vacuum, the less fuel you are burning. I do not run a vacuum meter in the truck though.........

 

A hint I read years ago during the 73 gas crisis was to drive like you have an egg under the gas pedal. This reduces the amount of throttle opening and results in better mileage.

 

One very simple was to increase you mileage is to simply use the cruise control. It is much better than you in maintaining a steady throttle opening and reduces our natural tendency to push the gas pedal too hard. Every time you push on the throttle and the TPS sees an increase in throttle position, the computer will tell the injection system to squirt a little gas to cover up the lean condition caused by the throttle opening. Each one of these little squirts adds up to reduced fuel economy.

 

Correct front end alignment is another way to help.

 

Anything you can do to reduce drag or friction helps.

 

I guess I am done for now!

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...