Time for Some Strategic Tinkering

摘要

While my father was a chemistry professor and researcher, he was a natural born tinkerer. As a Depression baby, "waste not, want not" was part of his DNA. His tinkering did yield some successes. During the 1973 Oil Crisis, for example, he rigged our 1968 Ford Country Sedan Station Wagon to drive in neutral with the engine shut off to save fuel. As a result, he squeezed another 5 miles per gallon out of its 390 cubic inch engine. Today's cars employ a similar idea—stop-start technology—to improve fuel efficiency.