How many miles is too much for you?

[Raza]

Well, then maybe you should change your sig to say, "First addition:", since you haven't the guts to be a real enthusiast and blow your money on cars.

Yup, financial responsibility is so 1995. 

[ChrisV]

I bought my daily driver 740iL at 143k miles, as you guys know here. It's over 185k now, and it shoudl make it to 300k. And it's neither a beater NOR did I know how it was treated before I bought it. The dually had 179k on it when I bought it.

Out of the hundred plus cars I've had, only 3 were bought new, and only one other (the Range Rover) had less than 100k on it when I bought it (it was at 60k). Seriously, mileage is not an issue, only condition for the price.

[hounddog]

3700 RPM isn't that much. The MG can run all day at 75 mph, which is something like 3000-3500 RPM (that RPM in the Porsche would be more like 90+ mph ).

I think we would both agree that the majority of production engines would freak out and die if they had to do that.  

3700 is my best cruising speed for fuel comsumption and ride comfort, and is right about 28 mph and 1.7mpg.

I can run my boat engines at 4800 rpms all day long and they beg for more.   Gas, that is, but that is another thread.

[Rupert]

Yup, financial responsibility is so 1995. 

Priorities, my man.

And it's not like I'm irresponsible with money. Almost no debt (student loans), savings, etc.

[Rupert]

I think we would both agree that the majority of production engines would freak out and die if they had to do that.  

3700 is my best cruising speed for fuel comsumption and ride comfort, and is right about 28 mph and 1.7mpg.

I can run my boat engines at 4800 rpms all day long and they beg for more.   Gas, that is, but that is another thread.

No, we wouldn't agree. I think 3700 RPM is fine for most modern and many old cars. 5000 RPM, maybe not so much for the bigger engines.

[Cookie Monster]

No, we wouldn't agree. I think 3700 RPM is fine for most modern and many old cars. 5000 RPM, maybe not so much for the bigger engines.

A lot of newer, smaller cars cruise on the highway at that RPM...

[2o6]

They're also geared retardedly. My old neon was at just below 3K at 60MPH.

[68_427]

My car is at or above 3000rpm at cruising speeds.

It likes to be at ~75mph though.

[MrH]

They're also geared retardedly. My old neon was at just below 3K at 60MPH.

I'm glad you know more about gearing than THOUSANDS OF AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERS!



You never cease to amaze me.

[2o6]

I'm glad you know more about gearing than THOUSANDS OF AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERS!



You never cease to amaze me.

Hey, I could get 40MPG, too.


New MT's feel weird....seems like there should be one more gear or something, especially in small cars. (Although it probably has more to do with acceleration, because my old car was around 1-2 seconds slower, too.)

[Rupert]

Gearing is a matter of personal preference, once you get beyond the basics. I like taller top gears, for lower-RPM cruising, since you need very little power to maintain even 75 mph on flat ground. You don't need to be an engineer to understand that.

[2o6]

Gearing is a matter of personal preference, once you get beyond the basics. I like taller top gears, for lower-RPM cruising, since you need very little power to maintain even 75 mph on flat ground. You don't need to be an engineer to understand that.

That's what I miss about my Neon, and what I hate about a lot of new cars. I remember at 65 MPH, I was at 3500 RPM in a new Scion xB, and that car had plenty of power. It was quick, though.

[Rupert]

Wait a minute; what happened to the Neon?

[2o6]

Wait a minute; what happened to the Neon?

What? I got rid of it about month ago. It needed a lot of work to keep it running, so I sold it while it was still running fairly decent, and I plan on buying another car in a few weeks when I turn 18.

I could have put a lot of cash into a car I halfway didn't like and was not suiting my needs (needed another set of doors and more space) or I could sell it while it was running and save the next few checks and get something better.

[Rupert]

Good.

[MrH]

Gearing is a matter of personal preference, once you get beyond the basics. I like taller top gears, for lower-RPM cruising, since you need very little power to maintain even 75 mph on flat ground. You don't need to be an engineer to understand that.

It takes more power than you think to cruise at 75 mph.

[Rupert]

OK, then how much power? And how is that amount of power not available in an RPM range that I would like? How do you know that's not the amount of power I'm thinking of? Since we're speaking in such specifics.

The Porsche makes 160 hp at 5000 RPM, and even less torque, presumably available around 3000 RPM, and it cruises very well in top gear at 60-80 mph, where the RPMs won't barely exceed 2000.

[hounddog]

No, we wouldn't agree. I think 3700 RPM is fine for most modern and many old cars. 5000 RPM, maybe not so much for the bigger engines.

So, you are saying most car engines today would be completely ok operating at essentially 4,000 rpms for hours on end?

Please.

[hounddog]

I'm glad you know more about gearing than THOUSANDS OF AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERS!



You never cease to amaze me.

I will agree with 2o6 with regards to the ridiculous gearing in the Neons.  

I had a loaner Neon once and it was geared so that it ran much higher rpms than it should have and sounded like it was on the verge of exploding, but the 40mpg thing; no.  

Best I did in that car was about 27ish.

[2o6]

I will agree with 2o6 with regards to the ridiculous gearing in the Neons.  

I had a loaner Neon once and it was geared so that it ran much higher rpms than it should have and sounded like it was on the verge of exploding, but the 40mpg thing; no.  

Best I did in that car was about 27ish.

3AT has no overdrive.


I had a 5MT car with the freeway gearing (3.55).

[ChrisV]

So, you are saying most car engines today would be completely ok operating at essentially 4,000 rpms for hours on end?

Please.

Yeah, actually. 4k isn't that much. Hell, even my old 302 woudl do that all day long (like driving at 75 mph from Seattle to Roseburg, Oregon). That's what 4:10 rear gears and 23" tall tires will do for you..

Most smaller cars are geared to turn about 3500 at 70 mph, and will do that all day long. When redline is at 6-7k or more, 3500-4500 is nothing.

Now, my diesel dually won't even GO to 4k, but that's a different story altogether...

[hounddog]

Yeah, actually. 4k isn't that much. Hell, even my old 302 woudl do that all day long

302 Ford?  Unless it was a balanced and blueprinted or a racing engine you are full of crap. 

Stock 302 redline was about 5200 rpm.

Most smaller cars are geard to turn about 3500 at 70 mph, and will do that all day long. When redline is at 6-7k or more, 3500-4500 is nothing.

Well, I have to admit that could be possible on a "smaller car" but I have never owned a car that turned 35-4500 rpms on a regular basis. 

[SVT666]

So, you are saying most car engines today would be completely ok operating at essentially 4,000 rpms for hours on end?

Please.

Are you kidding me?  My car redlines at 7500 and cruises at 75mph at 3200 rpm.  3700 rpm would be 50% throttle.

[Cookie Monster]

302 Ford?  Unless it was a balanced and blueprinted or a racing engine you are full of crap. 

Stock 302 redline was about 5200 rpm.

Well, I have to admit that could be possible on a "smaller car" but I have never owned a car that turned 35-4500 rpms on a regular basis. 

Have you run a 302 at 4000 RPM and then had an engine failure to prove him otherwise?

And it's not just "possible" on a smaller car, most smaller cars run in the ~3500 rpm range on the freeway all the time. You sound like one of those people who will never ever redline their car.

Hell, you sound like Teuton right now.

[ChrisV]

302 Ford?  Unless it was a balanced and blueprinted or a racing engine you are full of crap.  

Stock 302 redline was about 5200 rpm.

Not stock. 7500 rpm redline (down from 9k when the engine was in the drag car with a different cam and high rise intake). Didn't the 4:10 gear ratio give you a clue that wasnt' talking about a stock vehicle?

Well, I have to admit that could be possible on a "smaller car" but I have never owned a car that turned 35-4500 rpms on a regular basis.  

I've owned dozens. My CRX, that RX7 when it was stock, a Hyundai Accent, my SVT Contour, my BMW 2002, various VWs, etc. 3500 at 70-75 mph is normal on most of these cars that are under 3 liters.

[hounddog]

Have you run a 302 at 4000 RPM and then had an engine failure to prove him otherwise?

No, but I did own a 1985 GT and a 1989 LX Convertible 5.0 so I know more about them and how they behave then most of the people on this board.

At 4,000 rpms the 5.0 sounds like it is nearly explosion, and is clearly not where the engine is at peak performance.  4,600 4,700 was about where the yellow line started, I believe.

And it's not just "possible" on a smaller car, most smaller cars run in the ~3500 rpm range on the freeway all the time. You sound like one of those people who will never ever redline their car.

Hell, you sound like Teuton right now.

 

How much experience do you have with performance driving again?

[hounddog]

Not stock. 7500 rpm redline (down from 9k when the engine was in the drag car with a different cam and high rise intake). Didn't the 4:10 gear ratio give you a clue that wasnt' talking about a stock vehicle?

Non-stock gears does not automatically equal non-stock engine. 

We are clearly not talking about race engines, so your point regarding the 5.0 is moot.

[Cookie Monster]

No, but I did own a 1985 GT and a 1989 LX Convertible 5.0 so I know more about them and how they behave then most of the people on this board.

At 4,000 rpms the 5.0 sounds like it is nearly explosion, and is clearly not where the engine is at peak performance.  4,600 4,700 was about where the yellow line started, I believe.
 

How much experience do you have with performance driving again?

So cruising down the highway with your engine turning 3700 rpm is performance driving now?

And every time I drive on the highway my engine is spinning at least 3500 rpm.

[ChrisV]

We are clearly not talking about race engines, so your point regarding the 5.0 is moot.

Except the car was a street car, with plates, damn near a daily driver for 5 years like that, and the point was that I drove it from Seattle to Roseburg, Oregon and back, running 3500 rpm the whole way. 3500 was normal street driving, 7500 was race use.

And YOUR statement was "I think we would both agree that the majority of production engines would freak out and die if they had to do that. "

And the fact is, the majority of production engines of the last 20 years have NO PROBLEMS spending all day at 3500 rpm, as most production engines (other than trucks) are not old pushrod V8s.

[hounddog]

So cruising down the highway with your engine turning 3700 rpm is performance driving now?

And every time I drive on the highway my engine is spinning at least 3500 rpm.

You were talking about redlining the car engine, son.