I got 2mpg better when i added my westfalia interior.
Mind you i did the brakes at the same time, and were therefore probably
hanging up.....
But i got a solid 2mpg better over the course of a few tanks (couple hundred
miles).
Same car, just more weight. It also has more power...
Therefore if you need to go faster and get better gas mileage..... get a
westy!

(Or just free up your brakes)

-Craig
'85WESTY
'80 Convertible Vanagon

On Thu, Aug 14, 2008 at 11:40 AM, Jim Akiba <syncrolist@bostig.com> wrote:

> Do you travel at the same speed in both? I've observed similar
> somewhat counter-intuitive results from our automatic conversions, one
> of which currently has the best mpg we've had reported at 24mpg. It
> seems the autos are doing the same or better in mpg for our
> conversions because of the lower speeds autos tend to travel because
> of comfort factor. The autos seems to have a built-in speed limited
> effect in that the driver tends to settle into a slower cruise perhaps
> cued by the higher NVH of the auto in 3rd vs. 4th gear of a manual or
> syncro. Just a guess, but it would be really odd if you were traveling
> the same speeds and still saw this... but who knows if there were
> other variables like brakes dragging or tire pressure too, interesting
> though that someone else is seeing what we're seeing with the autos.
>
> Jim Akiba
>
> On Thu, Aug 14, 2008 at 10:08 AM, pedro dos santos
> <pedrokrusher@yahoo.com> wrote:
> > Oops! Forgot to mention an important factor. I usually drive at 115-120
> km/h on highway. Or 71-75 miles per hour.
> >
> > Pedro
> >
> >
> >
> > --- On Thu, 8/14/08, pedro dos santos <pedrokrusher@yahoo.com> wrote:
> >
> >> From: pedro dos santos <pedrokrusher@yahoo.com>
> >> Subject: Re: Syncro vs automatic gaz consumption, with same engine and
> tires!
> >> To: "pedro dos santos" <pedrokrusher@YAHOO.COM>,
> vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM, "Scott Daniel - Turbovans" <
> scottdaniel@turbovans.com>
> >> Date: Thursday, August 14, 2008, 5:04 AM
> >> Hi Scott
> >>
> >> At the bottom of the page of this web site you can convert
> >> liters per 100km, to miles per US gallons:
> >>
> >> http://www.milesgallon.com/converting_miles_to_kilometers.php
> >>
> >>
> >> And the resulst are:
> >>
> >> - 18.094 to 17.424 MPG (13 to 13.5 liters per 100
> >> kilometers) for the 1991 vanagon westfalia automatic, with
> >> 296,000 km (183,926 miles) before removing the engine.
> >>
> >> - 15.947 to 15.424 MPG (14.75 to 15.25 liters per 100
> >> kilometers) for the 1989 syncro passenger , air condition
> >> not connected, with 125,000 miles (201,168 miles) on the
> >> body (the syncro is from Vermont).
> >>
> >> Pedro
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> --- On Wed, 8/13/08, Scott Daniel - Turbovans
> >> <scottdaniel@turbovans.com> wrote:
> >>
> >> > From: Scott Daniel - Turbovans
> >> <scottdaniel@turbovans.com>
> >> > Subject: Re:      Syncro vs automatic gaz consumption,
> >> with same engine and tires!
> >> > To: "pedro dos santos"
> >> <pedrokrusher@YAHOO.COM>, vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> >> > Date: Wednesday, August 13, 2008, 10:09 PM
> >> > can you translate that auto trans gas 2.1 fuel milage
> >> figure
> >> > to  miles per
> >> > US gallon ?
> >> > be interested to see what that # is.
> >> >
> >> > and the syncro one too of course.
> >> > scott
> >> >
> >> > ----- Original Message -----
> >> > From: "pedro dos santos"
> >> > <pedrokrusher@YAHOO.COM>
> >> > To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
> >> > Sent: Wednesday, August 13, 2008 9:30 PM
> >> > Subject: Syncro vs automatic gaz consumption, with
> >> same
> >> > engine and tires!
> >> >
> >> >
> >> > > Hi volks
> >> > >
> >> > > I have an interesting situation where I can
> >> actually
> >> > have a pretty acurate
> >> > > gaz consumption comparison.
> >> > >
> >> > > My syncro presently has the same 2.1 engine and
> >> tires
> >> > that were in my
> >> > > automatic vanagon! I can actually make a good
> >> > comparison. The engine
> >> > > transplant happened with 296,000 km on the engine
> >> this
> >> > past february. So
> >> > > here is my numbers:
> >> > >
> >> > > - In average, I made 13 to 13.5 litres for 100
> >> > kilometers for my vanagon
> >> > > automatic westfalia (it's actually a
> >> passenger van
> >> > with all the camper
> >> > > stuff transplanted, including pop-top).
> >> > >
> >> > > - In average, I made 14.75 to 15.25 litres for
> >> 100
> >> > kilometers for my
> >> > > syncro passenger, manual of course, air cond not
> >> > connected, 7 passenger,
> >> > > no camper stuff, no pop-top transplant.
> >> > >
> >> > > My way to calculate is to keep all the receipts,
> >> and
> >> > to write on each one
> >> > > the actual kilometres of the vehicule, and also
> >> the
> >> > kilometers of the trip
> >> > > odometer that I put to zero at each fill up (the
> >> one I
> >> > use to calculate).
> >> > > Per example, i calculated on my syncro:
> >> > >
> >> > >
> >> > > 415.2 km         100 km
> >> > > ---------  X   ----------
> >> > > 61.048 l         X litre
> >> > >
> >> > > So I calculate 61.048 X 100 = 6104.8 divided by
> >> 415.2
> >> > = 14.70 litres per
> >> > > 100 kilometers.
> >> > >
> >> > >
> >> > > Pedro
> >> > > north shore of Montreal, Quebec, Canada
> >> > > 1991 vanagon westfalia conversion (TDI ALH
> >> automatic)
> >> > > 1989 syncro "rustbucket"
> >> > > ex 1986 panelvan partsvan
> >> > > ex 1985 doublecab project
> >
>