real world gas mileage

[coyeote]

This has probably been answered many times but I can't find the thread. I'm considering building a baja bug (sacralidge for some I suppose) but am curious what one can expect for highway mileage 60-65 on a stock or mildly build 1300, 1500 or 1600. The car I'm looking at is a 74 with a bad motor. When I was a kid we had an oldy with a 1300 and a "home made" baja kit that if I recall got around 40 mph but can't remember for sure. We also had a dune buggy with a 1300 and to be honest it didn't use that much gas either but again this was long ago and I don't recall for certain.

Also is it possible to run a header type exhaust and heat exchangers? I have a 100 mile round trip comute each day and am looking for something that will be economical, primative and semi-reliable.

[stevethefolkie]

My dad bought a bug in 1962 - at that point they advertised them as getting over 30MPG - which was a big deal. I learned to drive in that car - and had a few air cooled beetles of my own over the past 30 odd years - I recall being able to run maybe 250 miles on a tank of gas (10 gallon) - before the needle got far enough down that I'd start looking to fill up - with a baja - with the altered aerodynamics (which have to be worse than a stock bug) I'd figure 25-27 on a stock carb, jetted up for the header, on single port heads. The aerodynamics and the increased rolling resistance from the larger, more agressive tires you'll doubtless want to run will take a bit of a toll on your gas mileage.
You can get headers that attach to the heat exchangers so you'll have heat, by the way - but if you're going to run off-road be sure to make a skid plate that protects the heat exchagers - as they'll still be under the engine and ancient welds can be a bit fragile. Makes a hell of a racket in the car if they break ....
And don't forget to re-jet when you put on the headers - or you'll burn your exhaust valves - it's really easy (just swap out the main jet for one that's one step bigger or get a jet drill kit and drill it out yourself - I think you needed a phillips screwdriver to remove the top of the float bowl and a flat blade to remove the jet)...
I like your "primitive" comment - I've probably owned 5 bugs in my life - and never considered them primitive until I drove one last year - it'd been maybe 20 years since my last drive in one - they are a bit lacking in creature comforts compared to somewhat "modern" vehicles (if you can call an 85 Saab 900 "modern"!) - but they were easy to work on and keep going down the road -
Best of luck with your project.

Steve