i couldnt give a monkeys about the planet well to a point, more the amount of fuel used!!

Sam, tsk tsk! You should always be in gear whilst braking - it stabilises and helps control your car, hugely reducing any risk of wheel-lock especially in slippery conditions. And, the engine braking helps to slow you as well.

Anyways, James - electronic ignition is good. But it won't transform anything. What it'll do is help to maintain your ignition system in peak condition. Without elec-ig, your points will start to go 'off' very soon after being reset. If you check, file and reset them every, ooh, 3 or 4 months or so, then your system will already be kept in peak condition and I doubt you'd notice much benefit. If you leave points servicing for a year, tho', there's a good chance that your ignition system timing will be noticeably out and your whole engine efficiency (power, fuel consumption) will be reduced by (plucks figure out off thin air...) 10%?

A higher ratio gearbox probably won't help either, unless you are doing a lot of one particular type of driving - say long motorway journeys. Perhaps then - and only if you don't try and go flat out - you'll notice a difference with the higher ratio. But with a normal range of driving? I doubt it.

As previous - you can almost certainly save the best part of 20% by changing your driving style. Thinking ahead - changing gear earlier and more gently - engine-braking to a halt with gentle foot brake - squeeeeeeezing the throttle, not stamping on it, etc.

And, when you go around corners, try leaning you head away from the corner instead of into it as you would instinctively do.

(That last one won't help - but James May says it's fun...)

The main decider is the right foot, thrash mine and I can beat it down to 30/35mpg if its empty. Drive it like a nun and I get 55mpg, or 60mpg with the boot extension on.

Check your tracking, remove a roof rack etc, add/make a boot extension, consider if the four foot long pair of bolt croppers under the passenger seat is really vital for roadside repairs...

As for brakes, if I'm broke I try to never touch them, and keep the car out of gear if I'm not accelerating or maintaining speed. There are good arguments against this regarding the way the car handles, but when I am feeling broke priorities get skewed.

does a boot extension help aerodynamics??????

Aerodynamics is a dirty word in the world of 2cv

yep

«Eat My Turbulence»
Is a bumper sticker I thought would be good for a 2cv.

Excellent.

It's my wallet I'm concerned about, €1,67 per litre isn't funny when you do at least 600km per week.

Wiltz and I had a conversation on these lines... I swear it does