Mileage?

[Fid]

If the metering rod rubs on the jet it can slop it out making the hole larger. This will decrease the mileage some but not significantly.  What I find interesting is all the literature that boasts 30 mpg from a Henry J!  I own three of them and have driven many more, all with overdrive and I've never gotten better than 17 mpg in town and usually get 14 in town.  When I drove my '53 to Auburn in 2004, the best I got on the hiway was 22 mpg.  Yes, I realize some Henry Js had four cylinders and mine are all sixes but the Mobile gas run was done with a six cylinder model. I don't know what they were smoking but I've never gotten 30 mpg in a J of any type.

[blackcat429cj]

Try o drive at a constant 45-50  MPH on level ground - no hills  -

[ben-tex]

The Mobilgas Economy runs were done under unrealistic conditions as far as everyday routine driving would be concerned. That is the drivers were trained to coast etc.

[Fid]

Probably true. I do notice when my car's not running, I get very good fuel economy.

[Gordie]

Try putting fifty or sixty pounds of air in your tires too but the Mobilgas run drivers never bragged about that trick.

[dusty]

sOME OF THE CRITIQUES THAT WERE WRITTEN ABOUT THE 53 K CARS WERE THE TIRES WERE OVERSIZE, FILLED WITH MORE AIR PRESSURE AND THE TRED WAS MODIFIED , IT WAS GROUND OFF THE OUTSIDE EDGES FOR LESS FRICTION, THE CARBS WERE MODIFIED TO RUN A MORE LEAN MIXTURE, THE DRIVERS ANTICIPATING WOULD PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL ANY CHANSE THEY GOT, SPEED WAS 35-45 MAX IT MATTERED NOT IN THE LEAST IF THEY CAME IN LAST, EVEN THE DRIVER HAD TO BE SKINNY AND NO SPARE,NO JACK, WINDOWS ROLLED ,NO WINDSHIELD WIPERS ,NO DRAGING BRAKES,NO HUB CAPS ALL THIS AND MORE WHILE ON THE ROAD, PICTURES WERE TO BE TAKEN AT A DISTANCE EVEN WHEN PARKED AT A RELAY POINT. SEE SOME OF THE TOM MC CAHILL ARTICLES

[Jim B PEI]

I have a copy of a typewritten chart from Studebaker for the 59S and 59V models S=flathead six, V=ohv V8) 20/30/40/50/60 for standard. overdrive, and automatic with all the possible r/a ratios The best mileage was nowhere near 50--they had it pegged down at 30MPH, and the V8 figures were little different than the sixes.

I think the HJ would be similar. It might be instructive--if tedious--to measure HJ6 o/d mileage 'cruising' at 30 instead of 50 or 60.

Nowadays, with my Jetta TDI diesel wagon, I can over 60 mpg if I keep it at 40 mph/ 65 kph, but since I always drive much faster, even with high pressure tires, I'm blessed if I can get over 40 miles per US gallon if I'm going freeway speeds.

[kaiserfrazerlibrary]

The Mobilgas Economy Runs in the 1950's were done like a rally in that you had to hit certain checkpoints on schedule based on your starting time and if you strayed off the course at all or were delayed for mechanical problems, etc, you could be disqualified.  Sure, each driver had their litle "tricks" to get the most out of the cars they drove...most (if not all) companies paid a bonus for a good showing.  The cars were also checked, certified, and parts of the vehicle sealed by AAA representatives to minimize non-normal activities. 

It is worth noting that MOTOR TREND's test of a 1953 Kaiser Manhattan did a little better in terms of fuel economy than the Mobilgas car.  Best results on their 45 mile driving loops was at 45 mph, 25.7 miles per gallon in the "overdrive" hydra-matic range.  There are several members who, on occasion when traffic and road is straight and level get around 25 mpg in their cars.   put this in context; some cars in the Kaiser's price class got less than 20 mpg; when their weight was figured in for that TON-MILE thing, the figures inproved, but you really have to go with straight.

If anyone is interested the 1953 Kaiser Dragon entered did the best in its class with 21.4488 actual mpg; I have the trophy General Petroleum awarded K-F for its showing.

[Jim B PEI]

25! That would be over 31 mpg in my Canadian conception of mpg  We had a larger gallon A US gallon is 3.778 Litres (I think) and the Imperial gallon is 4.54609 Litres, so you do the math. That is really quite impressive, all things considered, such as low compression and carburetors. Shame about the HJ/Allstate in this context. But, weight and aerodynamics is important, and no doubt the full size Kaisers were much better in that respect than the smaller HJ, proportionately, and also much better than the earlier bodies.

As the Studebaker engineers knew intimately, know your target market, gear accordingly and you pull out some very impressive figures, test and real life as well. Especially with the fortuitous design of the Borg Warner overdrive of 0.7 which just so happened to be just about exactly right for the torque and power characteristics of their 6 and V8 engines