Would Massive Switching to Synthetic Oil Lessen Petrol Dependency?

Interesting though, but the fact is that by far the biggest factor in our dependancy on oil is fuel consumption at the gas tank. Switching to synthetic would barely cause a blip on the radar.

A better idea would be something like what Japan once did. Their government declared that the largest engine any manufacturer could build was 3.0 liters. That's part of the reason why they made some very very good 3 liter engines. Great incentive.

CD

The first Honda I recall seeing--perhaps in the circa 1960s--was smalllll.

I recall a condescending descriptive term, "roller-skate."

So much dam has gone over the water since, and we're now in the future-to-the-back a la the Franco-German (Damlier?) "smart-car" et cetera they soon are soon into the States.

I suppose that Honda, circa 1950s-1960s, was a 3 cylinder.

I've got a luvly red $1200 sit-down mower approximately the same size (or seemingly nearly so).

Easy predicti> Robert Cohen wrote:

They started as they meant to go on. First Honda cars were 4 cylinder. High tech alloy engine cases, water cooled, DOHC and 4 carbs. Over 90bhp/L in 1963.

for $19,500 Later FWD cars were air cooled.

I can't recall Honda ever making a 3 cylinder engine.

-- Peter Hill Spamtrap reply domain as per NNTP-Posting-Host in header Can of worms - what every fisherman wants. Can of worms - what every PC owner gets!

The first Honda I ever saw was back in 1973. It was a two door coupe with a two cylinder engine. The shifter was on the dash. There was a back seat but not even a small kid would want to ride there. These got around 40 mpg IIRC. They would do 65 mph on flat ground. maybe 70 but not much more. No AC of course and a simple AM radio. The cost new was maybe $2000 or less.

"Reece Talley" quipped:

I had one of those in Japan. They were called "N360's"

Totally gutless and cramped but it got great mpg. Gawd forbid if anything bigger than a skateboard hit you though.

I did a search here and found that in the US they were called Honda 600s. The US version was 35 hp, the Jap/HI version was 45 hp. The advertised mpg was 30-40 and the claimed cruising speed was 65 with the ability to run at

75 mph on freeways. The engine was an air cooled, twin cylinder, SOHC 4 stroke. No PCV just vented back into the valve cover. The base price in LA was $1499. Several custom shops here in the San Fernando Valley and down in the Torrance/South Gate area did special paint and wheels for about $400 more.

These engines were carbureted. I would imagine that today, with computer managed fuel, and direct injection systems, that these would get up to 50 mpg or more with much more hp. I guess we'll never know. Cute little cars though. In a crash there would be an added side benefit. Like typical Japanese transformers, if you hit something big, the car transformed into a custom metallic coffin. No need for embalming, or a funeral home:)