I've been known to get a nut out during a break as well.

 

Should I be satisfied with 34mpg @ 78-80mph with the headlights up? I don't know what else to do now.

 

I would be.

Personal best on my '90 is ~ 30.5 MPG @ 65-70 with the hardtop on, windows up, and a mix of headlights up and down.

 

best I've done is a few miles over 300 on one tank all highway, with the 1.6, pre turbo, basically stock '92. Not sure what that equates to, guessing using a gallon or so less than the 1.6 tank capacity? It was on E for a good 40 miles before I got off I95.

 

Thanks for the input. Up next is an R-pack lip, mushroom pan, possibly tire spats, and I may "close" the front control arms with plastic to clean air going under them. I suppose I could also close-up the trans tunnel to clean some air going under the car.

I desperately wanted 40mpg, I don't think its going to happen.

 

Fuel economy should get better in the summer, right?

 

Using A/C?

 

Of course but we're not considering that at this time.

 

I get better MPG in the summer.

Can you deactivate injectors while cruising, see if that helps at all?

 

my 197 hp mini should be capable of 34 mpg at freeway speeds and it's shaped like a box.

does this miata still behave like a miata at other times?

 

And your mini must cruise at ~14.7. Hustler is a master tuner and he probably isn't at 14.7. I hope.

 

Oh yeah, I tracked-it on Saturday before attaining these figures.
16.1:1 is the target. I have no idea what I'm doing at this point, this pis fairly uncharted territory for use MT tuners.

 

You might need to remove two of the pistons to achieve that.

I'd say you're doing pretty well. In the city, my '90 routinely gives me 19-20 MPG, which is ironic as this is considerably worse than the turbo '92. It probably doesn't help that, with no turbo on an aging 1.6, I have to treat the throttle as though it was an on/off switch. The terrain around here is quite hilly, and the lack of power on this engine really shows.

 

Problem solved.

1990 Mazda Miata with 3 cylinder Suzuki engine.

 

What the hell?

That just ain't right.

I owned a '91 Metro LSi convertable for about a year. It was a fun car to drive in city traffic (it's smaller than a Miata) but it was the second most horribly gutless abomination that I have ever owned. Acceleration was absolutely glacial, and the Metro only weighs 1,750 lbs. I can't even begin to imagine how bad that engine would be in a Miata lugging around an additional 400 lbs of excess bulk.

Let me put this into perspective: The G10 engine is rated for 55 hp and 58 ft lbs. That's only 5hp more than a 70's vintage VW Beetle. Hell, the turbocharged version (Yes, Suzuki actually built a turbo variant of this engine) makes 70 HP. 70!

I mean, maybe if you really built up the engine, ran it on E85, and boosted the **** out of it, you MIGHT be able to get up into the powerband of a bone-stock NB with low compression and fouled plugs.


I remember making a joke on M.net a while back. Some guy was asking about installing carburetors on his Miata. I sarcastically said that while he was at it, he should also cut a hole in the firewall so he could run the mechanical distributor from a 323.

Here is a hole in the firewall:




Here is a distributor sticking through a hole in the firewall:




Both of these images are from the build thread of the Miata in the Craigslist ad.

(?!?!?!?!)




On the other hand, I just looked up the original specs for a 1990 Miata, and I see that it's rated for 22 mpg city, 28 mpg highway. I don't feel nearly as awful about 20 / 30 in mine now.

 

That is my plan for whenever I source a cheap or free engine or car. Yank 2 cylinders. Add the GT1544 in my attic. Get 31mpg. Drive it to the junkyard.

 

Pick up two KL engines while at the junk yard. Machine an adapter to connect the back of one to the front of the other. Find a chassis to install it into. Drive it to the junk yard.

 

Then find another hobby. Something simple, like watching tv.

 

14.7 is for emissions, 16.0 is for economy.

 

I really need to Pbox or dyno my heap. I don't think I ever saw better than 25 MPG in mixed driving. Granted, turning 4300 RPM on the highway is probably not helping with that.

It's still about 10 MPG better than I get with the 3-series, so it's got that going for it...