Center Console mpg question.

I've got a question about the center console on my 1990 Olds Delta 88 Royal Brougham (thats a mouthful).

How accurate is it? The MPG used to read 12mpg, but now that I've fixed the dead cylinder, taken out and cleaned the injectors, Seafoam'd it, and now use premium gas I'm getting a usual reading of 28.something. (I live in the mountains of WV) Is that good for this car? Or is that way to good? Like so good that there is no way it's right? It's got lots better performance also, spins a little at the lights. Not much, but a little squeak. I'm sure once I open it up a bit...which brings me to another question...I'm getting a new air intake system (the universal one) from advance auto, and I've got to replace the whole pipe system, but I cant find better headers that what I've got...I cant even find original replacements. The mechanics just laugh when I bring it in to check how much custom ones will be. "Granny car" stuff... Any ideas?

Oh, another little question. The D with a circle(overdrive), D, 3, 2, 1 ? whats all that for? I mean whats the difference? I always drive in overdrive. LOL, it's embarrassing I'm not quite sure, does it have something to do with how fast your going and your load? :shakehead It's a good thing you guys don't know me...anyway...?

Sorry to make this long. :p I guess I could have started a couple threads...seemed a waste of time and space.

Overdrive is just another gear. Its there so that you can go 55mph at lower RPMs than higher RPMs, say like 3000 in 3rd gear.

Aftermarket parts don't exist for these cars. Other than what can be modified from other H-body cars or generic stuff (like fog lights), theres not much we can do. However... you can tweak what ya got with a little bit of work.

You can remove the exhaust manifolds and port the openings, open up the intake with a K&N filter in a CAI box, put on a high-flow cat converter, put on a high flow muffler like a Flowmaster, a strut tower brace from an early-mid 90's H Body to stiffen up the front suspension, replace the sway bar bushings with polyurethane ones, etc.

As for your fuel economy, you should be getting about 28-29 highway and around 18-20 in town driving. So I'd say you got most of the bugs out of the car and are now enjoying the fuel economy that you should be getting.

If you want more info on where to look to make your car go faster, email me at alibi1986@gmail.com. I've been trying to tweak mine for a couple years now :D

Yea, after market parts are non-existant for these cars, which kind of blows. My advice, sell it and buy something with a little more zip, if thats what you want. However, you wont find anything near as reliable. :D

Well...I got half way to work today and going down one of the mountains I heard this horrible metal to metal sound...the caliper had broke and had applied break pressure all the time. I didn't even know, no pull to one side or anything, just when the pad wore out. I put on a new one (thanks Hays repair manual) and pads, the one on the other side were like new. I found another problem while I was there, one of the transmission lines going under the radiator was so rusted it was leaking pretty bad. Good thing I saw it. I'm waiting for the shop to bend me a new one. Don't get me wrong, it sucks I have to pay $200 to fix it, but it's better than a new trans :grinyes: Lucky I guess...:frown:

So far though this car has been a tank. I only payed $300 for it and spent about $1000 in the last two years. Not to bad. And most of the older parts have been changed out. Alternator, radiator, harmonic balancer, I did the trans fluid and filter a few months ago. It already had a few things done to it before I got it, not sure what, the guy I got it from says he cant remember :screwy: the only thing different I can see is that the plastic cover that says "3800" is now metal. Big deal.

I saw the universal air cleaner kit, that goes on next week. :grinyes:
The shop I take it to makes custom headers. It's going to cost...something about front wheel drives, but maybe I'll get them done when I do the exhaust.