1967 OLDSMOBILE Cutlass 330-2/bbl MPG= 8.7 City/ 18.2 Hwy/

Story and photographs copyright D. S. Brown, AMA specs and protecto plate copyright Oldsmobile, GM, credit card slip copyright Gulf.

Metric= 5.4 L engine- 27 L/100 km City and 12.9 L/100km Hwy

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In this article we dissect a 1967 Cutlass owned by Magnus King. Look for "DESERT OLDS", the story Magnus wrote about a long journey taken in this Cutlass in the TRAVEL STORIES part of the DESTINATIONS section.

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GAS MILEAGE TESTS OF 1967 CUTLASSES WHEN THEY WERE NEW. 13.1 City/ 16.6 Hwy

The May 1967 POPULAR MECHANICS Owner's Report places the average 1967 Cutlass City MPG at 13.1 and Highway MPG at 16.6. Drivers covered 919,922 miles with the 330 engine and Jetaway two speed automatic transmission. Most owners had the four barrel high compression 330 which has the greatest MPG potential. The high compression creates higher engine efficiency and the four barrel can squeeze out more MPG than the two barrel when driven on the small primary bores of the carburetor. Total cost of fuel increases somewhat due to the need for premium octane gas.

A little known feature of the four barrel subdues drivers during the initial cold startup conditions encountered in city driving, saving a little more gas. The four barrel stalls if you give it more than half throttle before it's fully warm. A letter to POPULAR MECHANICS Jan, 1970 complained about this. The rear barrels are kept closed by a thermostat. Flooring it when cold starves the engine for fuel and stalls it. Thus, the 4 barrel has a built- in 'moderator' preventing it from being driven as hard as the two barrel when cold.

The four barrel automatic advantage fades slightly out on the highway. The four barrel uses a 3.08:1 axle causing the engine to turn faster at highway speed than the two barrel engines which run through the 2.78:1 axle. Magnus' car came with the 2.78:1 axle.

Magnus' Cutlass Town Sedan body style accounted for 22.5% of the respondents in the Owners Report in POPULAR MECHANICS. The other three similarly shaped body styles accounted for roughly the same percentages, with the less wind friendly, heavier convertibles and wagons only counting for 9% of the answers. Most of the respondents outfitted their Cutlasses identically to Magnus with 330, automatic transmission, power steering, power brakes and radio.

41.5% of the respondents in the POPULAR MECHANICS article had Air Conditioning. Magnus' Cutlass is a typical Canadian car of the era without A/C, saving energy loss and extra weight.

Check out the articles in the GAS LOGS under these titles: "1967 OLDSMOBILE Cutlass Supreme Turnpike Cruiser" and "1967 OLDSMOBILE 442" The 400 engines in the Turnpike Cruiser (revolutionary for its time) and the 442 (considered one of the best balanced muscle cars of the era) gave surprisingly good MPG compared to the little 330 engine.

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MAGNUS KING'S 1967 CUTLASS HISTORY

Magnus' 1967 Cutlass Town Sedan was built Dec 20, 1966 at the GM factory in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada. This was a Tuesday which is traditionally a good day for quality assembly practices. The Cutlass was painted D code Nantucket Blue with a 923 code blue interior. It had the basic 330-2bbl- single exhaust 250 HP, M33 two speed auto, open 2.78:1 axle and 7.75x14 tires.

Nine Options:
1) N40 Power steering
2) J50 Power brakes
3) B80 Roof drip molding
4) B85 Molding belt reveal
5) P01 Wheel trim cover
6) P62 4 Ply Whitewalls
7) U63 Pushbutton AM radio
8) A02 Tinted windshield
9) A39 Deluxe seatbelts

The Cutlass was shipped Dec 21, 1966 to Victory Motors Ltd. 1675 Pandosy Street in Kelowna, BC, Canada. A short history on Victory Motors appears in the DEALERSHIPS section of this website. Protecto Plate records infer that the Cutlass was sold late February, 1967.

The Protecto Plate and gas receipts place the Cutlass in Penticton, BC during the 1960s and 1970s.

Provincial records indicate that the first owner didn't sell the car until 1980. However, the 30 month Protecto validation and later ones are unused. The owner ceased warranty maintenance. This may be related to the low mileage on the car in later years. The first owner seems to have passed through the latter portion of the warranty period without driving much.

In 1980 the Cutlass was sold in Osoyoos, BC with 70,000 miles. Osoyoos is a desert area in the BC interior which preserved the car from major rust. Four years later at 84,000 miles the Cutlass was sold to a woman in Osoyoos. In six years she logged 45,000 miles on the car, the most miles per year the car had been subjected to thus far. Her neighbor, a truck driver bought the car at 129,000 miles. He used the car to move his belongings to New Westminster, BC.

A few months later the trucker sold the Cutlass to Magnus King at 132,000 miles making him the fifth owner.

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MAGNUS KING'S 1967 CUTLASS SPECIFICATIONS, MODIFICATIONS AND CONDITION

Magnus King's Cutlass has typical options found on the majority of brand new Cutlasses back in 1967.

Magnus' 1967 Oldsmobile Cutlass 4 door Town Sedan is original except for the modern tires, shocks and battery. The carburetor was rebuilt and it has new original configuration exhaust, brake pads, tires and radiator. The Cutlass has original interior, glass, drive train, alternator, master cylinder, water pump, steering box, springs, brake drums and exhaust manifolds. Magnus' Cutlass retains the original steel wheels and hubcaps. It has four wheel drum brakes which create less drag than the front disc option.

Incredibly the Cutlass made it through all this time without ever having an accident or even a minor insurance claim for glass. The car has a minor dent in the top front bumper but the frame seems to be unaffected. Cars with perfect alignment get better MPG and this one tracks true.

Magnus's 195R70-14 Michelin tires deviate from the stock 7.75 x 14 bias ply tires. Magnus' tires were produced in the mid 1980s. They are only 70% as tall as wide: 'low profile' by 1960s standards. See the article about tires in this GAS LOGS section for more information.

Tire diameter of the radials works out to 24.7" (696 mm). This tire revolves 840 times per mile while the original Cutlass tires only revolve 780 times a mile. The Cutlass has to turn the wheel an extra 60 times per mile when shod with a radial of the same width as the old bias ply. Theoretically this will force the engine to rev about 8 % faster than with the stock tires costing the Cutlass 8% MPG and also some engine longevity.

This is compensated somewhat by the fact that radials improve gas mileage by about 3 to 8 % (depending on what source you consult) over bias ply tires. Whatever the exact amount, those 1967 tires didn't have modern compounds to further lower rolling resistance so the new tires probably equal or improve the situation.

To confuse this issue, the rear radial tires on the Cutlass were snow tires with the squared off taller tread joined to the leading edge of the tire. The extra deep snow tire treads might have increased the sidewall height and hence tire diameter. Of course, snow tires have far more rolling resistance due to the aggressive tread pattern, which may knock MPG right back to square one.

Magnus states that Interstate mile markers indicated "the odometer was reasonably accurate." Magnus' off the cuff observation assures us that the odometer wasn't grossly out of whack, which was a common problem on 1960s cars. Later when Magnus switched to 225R70x14 tires, the odometer didn't vary noticeably, so the differences these tire switches caused in the real world were probably not significant.

The Cutlass original 1967 factory issue bias ply tires had a suggested inflation of 24 PSI, while modern radials are safe at 35 PSI, which further reduces rolling resistance and improves MPG a few more points over the original showroom stock cars. In the end, the smaller diameter radial tire MPG loss was probably regained by the radial configuration and high air pressures.

Below are some pages out of the AMA specs provided by Oldsmobile for the 1967 Cutlass. To see other pages of this booklet, see the story on the 67 Turnpike Cruiser in the GAS LOGS section. AMA sheets are available through the Oldsmobile History Center, Lansing Michigan and also GM Canada Historical, Oshawa, Ontario. The model numbers below were selected to give an overview of the lineup. 33369 is the base six cylinder four door sedan F85, 33469 is the 330 two barrel four door sedan F85 and 33869 is the 330 four barrel four door Cutlass Supreme.  

Magnus' Cutlass weighs in on the lower end of the scale when it recorded poor City MPG, but paradoxically, Magnus' car was loaded down for Highway trips and still exceeded average highway MPG despite hauling excessive weight.

According to the AMA sheet above, the basic V8 330 Cutlass Town Sedan weighs 3,387 lbs, fairly light for such a large car. 1960s cars didn't weigh much considering that they have extravagant non functional heavy steel design cues in the bodies and use almost no plastic anywhere. Weight is held down with an absence of airbags, 5 mph bumpers, and safety steel beams in the doors, roll over standards roofs, catalytic converters, GPS, stability control computers, engine management computers, quadraphonic stereos etc. 

The Automatic transmission adds 11 Lbs over the standard transmission. Power steering adds 35 Lbs, while Power Brakes add only 10 Lbs. The Radio weighs 8 Lbs. Magnus' Cutlass with options is 3,451 Lbs with all fluids topped up. In Metric that is 1,565 kg.

The modern battery weighs about 35 to 40 pounds, in the same general range as the original 1967 Delco, so it alters nothing. Technically, Magnus' Cutlass had a few more pounds because radial tires weigh more than Bias Ply. The 195 sized radials on the Cutlass weigh 21 pounds each, while the 225s mounted to the car later are around 25 pounds each. The unsprung weight of tires creates more work than the few extra pounds would as dead weight in the trunk. Unsprung weight gets complex because the larger diameter tire created with the 225s bring rotational inertia into the picture. We'll leave that formula for the diehard experts.

When we add Magnus' driver weight we end up with a 3,550 Pound car with oil, coolant, no passengers and partially full gas tank. In City driving Magnus's weight is offset somewhat by frequently running on a quarter tank or gas or even less. As he says, "right down to the fumes sometimes." With a 20 gallon gas tank constant quarter tank status removes approximately 15 gallons or even more out of the cars curb weight. (The top 3/4 on the gas gauge covers more gasoline than the other quarter marks on the gauge like most GM 1960s cars). That translates to 90 to 100 pounds of weight out of the car during city driving.  

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MAGNUS KING'S DRIVING CONDITIONS FOR CITY DRIVING

Magnus' atrocious city MPG may be attributable to the cold weather in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Magazines typically tested cars in warm USA locales which boosts MPG. The readers reporting MPG in Popular Mechanics Owners Reports lived in the USA. California has a huge population. The sheer volume of warm weather condition drivers reporting might have skewed the figures enough to improve the overall average. 

Back in the 1960s a drive across town averaged 35 mph without the perpetual gridlock of modern cities. To this day, Vancouver lacks a highway through town. Every inch of travel is an endless series of ill timed traffic lights and enforced waiting at intersections generally devoid of advance left turn signals. 

The 8.7 CITY MPG figure is averaged from 1,000 miles of aggressively driven short trip winter stop and go that yielded 8.9 MPG and 1,000 miles of faster driving in spring that registered 8.5 MPG. There are 2,000 missing winter miles from this period due to Magnus not keeping a regular gas log, but the fragments recorded are in sequence, so the figures are accurate.

Several other sporadic logs were made over the years. Magnus kept track for a fill or two to ensure the car was in tune and then dropped the practice again for months. Thousands of miles of city driving are not documented at all.

The trips were usually made carrying just Magnus' driver weight. The Cutlass was always parked outside. Vancouver winter average temperature hold at 2 degrees C (36 F) but Magnus states that year had exceptional snow and cold. The car was driven about 3 miles or less for each trip which isn't sufficient to achieve operating temperatures where MPG begins to optimize.

Oil changes using Quaker State or Esso brand 10W30 oil were done every 3 months. Oil top ups used Quaker State or Motomaster 10W30. Motomaster is the Canadian Tire franchise house brand oil which is a National oil brand with Motomaster written on it. Gas was 87 Octane unleaded with an occasional infusion of leaded gas. Magnus used reputable National brands but didn't have any favorites. A Shell station near his house was frequently used due to its proximity. Wipers, fan, radio usually on. Snow tire Radials at 35 PSI.

The stock Cutlass was 25 years old, with 132,000 miles on the original 330 engine. The Michelin radial tires on the car had only 20,000 miles of use, but the DOT date of manufacture was mid 1980s. The old rubber lacks the lowered rolling resistance formulas developed in the late 1990s.

Here is the raw data from Magnus' gas log.

First column lists odometer mileage, second column is the number of gallons. Third column specifies octane. Unleaded gas is the default unless leaded gas is listed. Fourth Column 'X' indicates that the tank wasn't filled up, a regular occurrence due to Magnus' constant state of poverty. Column Five lists the MPG when it was possible to calculate. 

ODOMETER  GALLONS   Octane/ Lead?  Full Tank?   MPG

32,525         4.5                                X 
32,540         4.5                                X 
32,593        18.5     Leaded 87 oct        Full tank 
32,737         9.1                                X 
32,770         3.1                                X 
32,837        15.0     Leaded 87 oct        Full tank     (8.9 MPG)
32,968         2.6                                X 
33,010         5.2                                X 
33,056         5.2                                X 
33,095         2.6                                X 
33,118         5.2                                X 
33,154         5.2                                X 
33,197       10.4                                X 
33,282        5.2                                 X 
33,339        5.2                                 X 
    
33,388        5.2                                 X 
33,422        4.7                                 X 
33,450        2.3                                 X 
33,460        5.5                                 X 
33,494        9.5                                 X 
33,562        5.2      87 octane            X  
33,597        5.5                                 X 
33,646        6.8                                 X 
33,693        2.2                                 X 
33,705        6.4                                 X 
33,769        5.3                                 X 
33,800       15                                   X 

Cold weather forces the choke to stay on longer, and winter gasoline formulas produce lower MPG. Cold engine oil creates more resistance inside the engine while wet roads offer tires more rolling resistance. Even the cold air's increased density creates more air drag on the car. 

Taking all of this into account we would assume that the warm weather (13 to 15 degrees C which is 55 to 66 F) in spring should improve mileage, but the Cutlass springtime MPG drops to 8.5 MPG. Now that the roads were dry, the Cutlass was being driven faster and harder which may account for the lower MPG.

ODOMETER   GALLONS   Octane Full Tank?   MPG

35,871           5                                  X 
35,929           3                                  X 
35,996           1.7                                X 
36,009         10.1                                X 
36,139           2.2                                X 
36,164           2.2                                X 
36,189           2.2                                X 
36,300           4.3                                X 
36,353          17.0     Leaded 87          Full tank    (8.5 MPG)

A later excerpt of gas logs produces higher City Mileage but the figures are tricky, because they include about 60 miles of highway cruising. That leaves 475 miles actual city driving. Assuming that the car registered 18 HWY MPG as usual, we can deduct 3.3 gallons from the total, leaving us with 38.4 gallons to go 475 miles which translates to 12.3 MPG. Maybe the Cutlass was actually getting better city MPG.

ODOMETER   GALLONS   Octane Full Tank?   MPG

50,310         17.7         Leaded 87     Full 
50,526          2.2                                X 
50,545          4.8                                X 
50,600          6.6                                X 
50,700          12                                 X 
50,700          6.6                                X 
50,845          9.5                                Full   (12.8 MPG)

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MAGNUS KINGS BIG TRIP NUMBER ONE- 14,000 MILES= 18.2 HWY MPG HIGHWAY

Magnus had the advantage over new Cutlasses back in the day on the highway driving portions with a well broken in engine and a highway axle. Most Cutlasses tested in magazines ran a 3.08 axle, not Magnus' 2.78. Modern tech gives us superior oils and tires allowing cars to extract more MPG than owners and road testers from back in 1967. Magnus logged HWY miles in weather comparable to the warm areas used in magazine tests. Only a small proportion of his highway miles occurred in low temperatures.

The 18.2 HWY MPG figure was achieved over 14,000 miles of cruising at 70 mph (112 kph) on Western and Southern Interstates in spring, summer and fall. There are some sustained periods of 90-100 mph cruising. The only time there was a very significant drop in Interstate MPG occurred during a long 110 mph run netting less than 12 MPG.

Mileage was also racked up on secondary highways taken to dodge toll roads. The city driving entries mixed in here occurred late at night on deserted roads, which won't affect MPG the way daytime stop and go does.  With such a huge total these deviations from 70 MPH Interstate cruising are absorbed into the average.

There are occasional fluke high readings like 27 MPG, likely related to premature fuel shutoff on the gas pump giving a false 'full tank' condition which skews calculations. Gassing up at different places changes the angle of the pad the car is parked on, creating a different 'full shut off point'. The car was sometimes loaded to the point that the rear end was almost dragging. At other times all the stuff was stashed leaving the car sitting high, which changes car angle and the gas tank position.

The Cutlass was always parked outside with temperatures ranging from 70 to 115 degrees F (21 to 46 degrees C). Magnus' involuntary road trip diet shed 10 pounds, dropping driver weight to 175 Lbs (80 kg). For most of the trip there was also a 175 Lbs (80 kg) passenger and about 500 pounds (225 kg) luggage. At the start of the trip there were 3 passengers and much more luggage. At the end of the trip the 175 pound passenger and luggage was replaced with a 100 Pound passenger and minimal luggage. Later still, the load comprised just Magnus, no passenger and a virtually empty car, as things were sold off to finance the gasoline.

The lack of Air Conditioning saves extra work for the engine in absent A/C unit weight and parasitic power drain. This advantage was negated by constantly driving with all windows rolled down. Open windows create a parachute effect as the engine strains to pull against the resistance of the rear window. The vent windows were always fully open, creating an obstruction which lowers the co efficient of drag. The radio was always on requiring some extra engine energy, while the antenna was fully extended which might add a smidgen of drag. Frequent night driving meant the lights were on for much of the trip: another power drain. Half way through the trip, the antenna was broken off. The hubcaps flew off from hard driving, shedding some more weight.

Sixteen entries in the log indicate leaded gas, which was usually 87 octane. Whenever possible leaded gas was used and sometimes this is indicated in the gas log, sometimes not. There are about sixty entries that are possibly unleaded gas, but likely some of those were leaded gas that simply weren't noted as such. Only one entry specifies 92 octane gas, meaning that all other entries were likely 87 octane.

Unfortunately for this article, Magnus can't recall any of the stations used.

"When we pulled off the road to gas up, we used whatever was there."

He did fill up almost exclusively with National chain brands. Oil changes were 10W40 and 20W50 using the house brand of the garages doing the change which isn't indicated in the garage bills. Top ups used Motomaster and Quaker State 10W40.

The 195R70-14 radial snow tires incredibly survived sustained driving in desert heat at high speeds with heavy loads. Magnus couldn't justify spending the $30.00 to mount and balance the summer tires which were in the trunk for emergencies. Magnus ran the snows set at 35 PSI until forced to switch after he blew out both rear snow tires at 110 mph within a few miles of one another. The last 4,000 miles of the trip used regular 195 radial tires.

ODOMETER   GALLONS Octane/ Lead?   Full Tank?   MPG

36,353          17          Leaded 87        Full  
36,581          15          Leaded 87        Full         (15.2 MPG)
36,867          13          Leaded 87        Full         (22 MPG)
37,167          15          Leaded 87        Full         (20 MPG)
37,500          13.5       Unleaded 87      X 
37,660           3.5                                X 
37,700           7                                   X 
37,805           7                                   X 
37,918           7                                   X 
38,044          14                                  X 
38,335           1.4                                X 
38,355           1.7                                X 
38,400          10.7                               X 
38,488          12.2                               Full     (16.9 MPG)
38,765          12.5                               Full     (22.1 MPG)
38,000          15.2                               Full  
39,137           7.7                                Full     (16.2 MPG)
39,437         16.6                                Full     (18 MPG)
39,685         14.1                                Full     (17.5 MPG)
39,997         11.5                                X 
40,038         11.4                                Full     (19.6 MPG)
40,301           5.6                                X 
40,385           8.3                                X 
40,437         12.2        92 octane         Full    (15.2 MPG)
40,719         15           Leaded            Full     (18.8 MPG)
41,000          4.4         Leaded             X 
41,000          2.1         Leaded             X 
41,150         4.4          Leaded             X 
41,204        17            Leaded             Full    (17.3 MPG)
41,476         8.9          Leaded             X 
41,700       14.5          Leaded             Full    (21.1 MPG)
41,940       16.2          Leaded             Full    (14.8 MPG)
42,272       13.5           87 octane        Full    (27.5 MPG)
42,500         7.3          Leaded             X 
42,620         8                                   X 
42,678         8            Leaded             X 
42,947       14.8                                Full     (17.7 MPG)
43,236        12                                  Full      (24 MPG)
43,454         8.5                                X 
43,635        5.3                                 X 
43,902       15                                   X 
43,900        9.2                                 X 
43,900        3                                    X 
44,355      12.1                                  Full    (21 MPG)
44,653      15.3                                  X 
44,850        3.8                                  X 
44,997        3.8                                  X 
45,095        3.8                                  X 
45,118      15.5                                  X 
45,389      16                                    Full    (18.1 MPG)
45,690       6.1                                   X 
45,758       6.1                                   X 
45,900       3.8                                   X 
45,976      19                                     Full   (16.7 MPG)
46,250       7.6                                   X 
46,418       7.6                                   X 
46,563      12                                     Full   (21.5 MPG)
46,733       7.4                                   X 
46,959      12                                     Full   (20.4 MPG)
47,200      13                                     Full   (18.5 MPG)
47,335       8.5                                   Full   (15.8 MPG)
47,480      12                                     Full   (12 MPG)
47,698       7                                      X 
47,950       3.5                                   X 
48,031      11                                     Full   (25.6 MPG)
48,300       3.5 0                                 X 
48,375      11.8                                   Full   (22.4 MPG)
48,700       3.5                                    X 
48,756     10.5                                    X 
49,050     10.5               87 octane      X 
49,177     10.6               87 octane      Full   (22.8 MPG)
49,444     15.2               Leaded          Full   (17.5 MPG)
49,772     15.2                                     Full   (21.5 MPG)
50,100      15.2              Leaded          Full  
50,000       2.7                                     Full   (18.3 MPG)

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MAGNUS KINGS SECOND BIG TRIP- 6,000 MILES= 17.1-18.6 MPG HIGHWAY

This road trip produced either 17.1 or 18.6 MPG. The uncertainty of the mileage is due to an apparently missing fill up receipt. If it was missing, the figure is lower, if it wasn't, it is higher.

This road trip was done in winter and spring on approximately half Interstate and half secondary highways. Sustained speeds were possible on most of the secondary highways, but the road surfaces were rough and patchy which cuts MPG. Mountainous secondary highways were twisty and slow creating long periods at 20 or less MPH. Elevations up to 7,000 feet alter fuel air/ ratios, affecting MPG.

There is a segment of the trip where the car was running rough, and MPG hovered around 17-19 MPG. The mileage jumps to 21 MPG after a garage troubleshot the fairly new points that were too tight, causing engine 'missing'.

The Cutlass was pulling more weight this time. Magnus was pushing 195 lbs. There were two passengers weighing 115 lbs and 145 pounds. The luggage was at least 500 pounds. Average cruise speed on secondary roads was usually 65 MPH while interstates averaged the familiar 70. There were long stretches of steady 90 MPH cruising whenever isolated roads were good quality.

The car often had the heater and defroster fan on, radio on, wipers on. The windows were usually rolled up. The temperatures were consistently below 0 C (32 degrees F) at the start of the trip and gradually made it up to highs of 60 F in the desert areas during daytime. The Cutlass was always parked out in the elements, actually getting buried in snow drifts overnight up in the mountains a few times.

At the very start of the trip the Cutlass was running P195R70x14 summer radial tires at 35 PSI. About 2,000 miles into the trip the tires were switched to P225R70x14 Mud and Snow all season tires, also set to 35 PSI. These tires had a larger diameter which could cause the odometer/ speed to read lower than it really was. 1960s cars had a built in exaggeration factor in most speedometers, so the bigger tires probably closed the gap between reality and indicated speed.

Gas and oil was unchanged from the patterns established on the prior trip. No attempt was made to distinguish leaded from unleaded in the gas log. Magnus was apparently wearying of details.

Odometer    Gallons               Fill up?    MPG 
50,845         9.5                   Full   
51,214         5.6                   x  
51,292        18.4                  Full         (18.6 MPG)
51,480         missing entry ?  
51,663         11.3                 Full         ? 
51,745           8                   Full         (10.2 MPG)
51,966         13.7                 Full        (16.1 MPG)
52,191         12.5                 Full        (18 MPG) 
52,406          8.3                 Full         (25.9 MPG)
52,526          8.2                 Full         (14.6 MPG)
52,796         16.2                Full          (16.6 MPG)
53,060         10.7                Full         (24.6 MPG)
53,309         14.6                Full         (17 MPG) 
53,538         12.2                Full         (18.7 MPG)
53,732         10.4                Full         (18.6 MPG)
53,972         13                  Full          (18.4 MPG)
54,260         13                  Full          (22.1 MPG)
54,490         12                  Full          (19.1 MPG)
54,700         12                  Full          (17.5 MPG)
54,933         12.3               Full          (18.9 MPG)
55,058          6.6                Full          (18.9 MPG)
55,182          6.3                Full         (19.5 MPG)
55,471         16                  Full         (18 MPG) 
55,706         11                  Full         (21.3 MPG)
55,876          8                  Full          (21.2 MPG)
56,014          6.4                Full         (21.5 MPG)

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MAGNUS KINGS THIRD BIG TRIP- 14,000 MILES= 18.8 MPG HWY

The first 600-800 miles of this trip weren't recorded, but the surviving receipts are complete and chronological. Existing records work out to 18.8 MPG HWY.

This trip was taken in the Summer and Fall with temperatures varying from mild to miserable. Windows up, very wet roads and cold, damp air. Average speed was mostly 65- 70 MPH with relentless rain requiring continuous use of heater, defrost, fan, lights and windshield wipers. The trip was divided between Interstates and secondary highways, many of which were quite rough with high crowns, and patchy surfaces. But at all times the roads allowed continuous cruising. 

The Cutlass moved a lot of weight for the first 6,000 miles; driver Magnus was hovering at 200 Lbs, passengers at 180 and 115, plus 500 pounds luggage and 100 pounds of canned food and drinks for total cargo weight of 1,100 pounds. Tires were 225R70x14 M+S radials at 35 PSI. Oil was 10W30, with changes using unspecified house brand oil of local garages. Top ups used Quaker State 10W30.

The middle 4,000 miles of this trip were made without the 180 pound passenger with luggage weight dropped to 350 pounds and most of the food gone. Total passenger and cargo weight was around 700 pounds. The weather was warmer and drier. Cruising briefly adhered to the traditional 70 MPH, but quickly jumped to long stretches of 90-100 MPH.

The final 4,000 miles of the trip had the same driver and passenger, but added massive amounts of cargo filling the trunk and rear seat. Original luggage was supplemented with six milk crates full of LP records, as well as a dozen boxes of books. Cruising speed was a steady 70 through quite cold, but dry areas in the Midwest.

Surviving receipts from this trip show that Magnus had good reason when he says that he couldn't remember the gas station brands he used on trips.

Here is a partial list of stations used on this trip: Amaco, Arco AM/PM, Big Country Oil, Blair's Truck Stop, Chevron, Citgo, Coffee Cup Fuel Stop, Common Cents Food Store gas, Conoco, Gasamat, Husky, Mobil, Philips 66, Pik Kwik, Quick Trips, Rebel, Road Hummer, Shell, Sinclair, Superamerica, Texaco. There were more, but not all original receipts survived. Magnus recalled only using National Brands, but some of these stations seem unique to certain rural areas.

91 and 92 octane was used a few times, but the default 87 octane appears most often. Only one reference to leaded gas means the other sixty gas stops are presumed to be unleaded. Receipts often don't specify more than the amount and cost per gallon, so there may be more leaded gas use mixed into this list.

Odometer          gallons   octane    Fill up?  MPG
56,817              15.4       92         Full  
57,115              13.7                   Full  (21.7 MPG)
57,310              10.5                   Full  (18.5 MPG)
57,584              16.6                   Full  (16.5 MPG)
57,904                5.2                   X 
58,052               16                     Full  (22 MPG)
58,154                5.5                   Full  (18.5 MPG)
58,348                9         Leaded   Full  (21.5 MPG)
58,610               12                     Full  (21.8 MPG)
58,835                3.8                   X 
58,897               13.5                  Full  (16.5 MPG)
59,175               15          92       Full  (18.5 MPG)
59,437               13                     Full  (20.1 MPG)
59,681               11                     Full  (22.1 MPG)
59,953               12.8                   Full  (21.2 MPG)
60,107                 8                     Full  (19.2 MPG)
60,346                 5                     X 
60,500               11                     Full  
60,562                 8                     Full  (20.6 MPG)
60,500               13.5                   Full  
60,500               10                     Full  
61,132                7          91        Full  (18.6 MPG)
61,340               11                     Full  (18.9 MPG)
61,594               14.3                  Full  (17.7 MPG)
61,801               13.1                  Full  (15.8 MPG)
62,049               11.7                  Full  (21.1 MPG)
62,230                2.4                   X 
62,253              14.3                   Full  (12.2 MPG)
62,491              11.9                   Full  (20 MPG)
62,721               9.7                    Full  (23.7 MPG)
62,958              12.6                   Full  (18.8 MPG)
63,102               6.9                    Full  (20.8 MPG)
63,394               7                      X 
63,561               3.5                   X 
63,582             13.2                   Full  (20.2 MPG)
63,875             14.7                   Full  (19.9 MPG)
64,168             13.9                   Full  (21 MPG)
64,405             12.3                   Full  (19.2 MPG)
64,693             13.8                   Full  (20.8 MPG)
64,955             13.3                   Full  (19.6 MPG)
65,263             16.4                   Full  (18.7 MPG)
65,545               3.5                   X 
65,622             14.9                   Full  (19.5 MPG)
65,893             11.5                   Full  (23.5 MPG)
66,004              6.6                    Full  (16.8 MPG)
66,300              5.2                    X 
66,334              5.2                    X 
66,382             17.4    0              Full (13.5 MPG)
66,666             17.2                    Full (16.5 MPG)
66,869               7.6                    Full (26.7 MPG)
67,117             15.9                    Full (15.5 MPG)
67,314               8.4                    Full (23.4 MPG)
67,000              13.9                   Full 
67,831              14.9                   Full (17.9 MPG)
68,112              14.9                   Full (18.8 MPG)
68,330              13.2                   Full (16.5 MPG)
68,553              15                     Full (14.8 MPG)
68,801              12.2                   Full (20.3 MPG)
69,065              14.5                   Full (18.2 MPG)
69,388              14                     Full (23 MPG)
69,622              10                     Full (23.4 MPG)

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LATER ROADTRIPS= APPROXIMATELY 18 MPG HIGHWAY.

Magnus found record keeping on road trips impeded spontaneity. He stopped keeping gas logs but fragments of paperwork establish that the next trip was approximately 7,000 miles long. Magnus was 205 pounds now. There was a 115 pound passenger, 500 pounds luggage plus 100 pounds of food and drink. The cruising speed stuck pretty much with the standard 70 MPH. The temperatures were 70 to 100 degrees F and the windows were down most of the trip.

Most of the conditions mimicked the previous trips. Magnus recalls that the Cutlass seemed to be getting "about the same MPG as previous trips". He knew roughly how much distance equated with each quarter tank marking on the gas gauge from experience.

There were later trips in the Cutlass that have no direct documentation. Several thousand miles of driving is lost to the mists of time. Magnus' memory is that there was nothing different about the car's MPG on the later trips or the general circumstances of the weight or driving conditions. The Cutlass engine ran just as smooth and strong as ever. The 225 tires bought in the 1990s are still on the car, so we don't know how much better the MPG might get if the new low rolling resistance compound tires were mounted on the car. Since the oil is changed every 3 or 4 months, the car always has the latest up to date energy efficient oil formulations.      

The overall mileage covered in logs is 37,097 miles, minus 2,874 miles of gaps which provides 34,223 miles of records. 1,965.2 gallons were needed to cover this distance, which translates to 17.4 MPG overall for all driving. This figure is skewed by the sheer volume of Hwy driving relative to city driving records, so it's not included in the comparative figures listed for other OOCC cars.