27 MPG hi way, not bad efficiency for a domestic car,...take that Prius!! Lol.:3dSMILE:
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Firechicken
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27 MPG hi way, not bad efficiency for a domestic car,...take that Prius!! Lol.:3dSMILE:
http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k2...irebird_ad.jpg
Firechicken
Yeah and V8 Mustangs in the 1960's quite often got better MPG than the 6cy's.. what's your point? Gas mialage w/ cars has actually stayed relativley the same thru the years, many 4cyl cars from the 70's got better gas mialage than 4cyl cars made in the last 10 years. Prius used to be able to achive 60 MPG in it's first couple years of production, but people did not enjoy driving dogs, so they increased the performance and gas mialage suffered, now they get 35-40 on average. put in perspective that, a Ford Focus, can get 35 MPG. Hybrids are no longer relative in popularity for gas MPG, but only for inshurance discounts and tax breaks.
Oh and the late 70's and early '80's firebirds were dogs.
dads, 96 pontiac grand prix 3.1 <3100> got 31mpg to seattle and back not bad for a v6
i showed this post to burt reynolds and man is he pissed:cool: took the cheesy grin right off his face :LOL:Quote:
Originally Posted by Matt167
Well, they were GM's, no reason to limit your distaste to the late 70's, early 80's!!!!!!:LOL: :LOL: :LOL: :LOL: :LOL:Quote:
Originally Posted by Matt167
Now if only I could get 27mpg with my Firebird... more like 7mpg on a good day :D
Matt,I think he made is point.Quote:
Originally Posted by Matt167
At least I got his point anyway.
All late 70's and early 80's cars where dog's.
That Pontiac shown in the picture weigh's a lot more than the middle 60's Ford Mustang un-less you are talking about the late 60's Mustangs with big blocks.
The Pontiac was a DOG!! And if you recall, the EPA estimates of the era were out and out LIES. The only way that vintage 'bird got 27mpg was down a hill with a tail wind and in neutral. 18-20 was more like it. It was just too dang heavy:3dSMILE: .
There were a couple in town owned by guys that thought they were hot until they saw the taillights of my Turbo 4 Mustang 'Cobra'. That little red 'stang would get 19 around town and 26/8 open road - but it was only an OHC four cylinder with a carburetor and early DuraSpark ignition. The sticker said 24 and 30 mpg :LOL:
Over all MPG of American vehicles has actually DECREASED since the early to mid '80's. President Carter had the most restrictive, for lack of a better word, oil consumption policy when he left office (probably not a bad idea looking back). Look at the size of the many "family" cars today. They're 5,500-6,0000lb tanks AKA SUV's. Not much performance there either. I'll put my '79 firebird w/ it's stock 350 SB up against many of todays V8 American vehicles MPG wise- and I can actually repair it myself relatively easily compared to newer cars.
IC2...you're correct! Their estimates on everything back then was way off.
I bought a brand new 1969 Z-28 with a 302 cu.in. ($4100 out the door with 4:10's) and they rated the horsepower at 290. That thing, totally stock would pull the front wheels!
Pat
It may of not got 27 mpg but it did much better than 18-20.Quote:
Originally Posted by IC2
My fathers 1978 Chevy Impala with a 305 and a 2-barrel carb 2.?? rear gear. did 22 mpg very often.
The Impala out weighed the Pontiac Firebird by an easy 400-500 lbs.
It might not get 27 but I could see 25 mpg.:D
Look at the speeds we drove in the 80's ......55 mph on the hwy.
If you drove a 2007 model car 55 mph, I'm pretty sure it would get some pretty impressive mileage numbers. But who in the hell drives that slow.
My truck (2000 ford F250) gets 18 mpg at 55mph and 13 at 80. My commuter car (2001 toyota echo) gets 47 at 55mph and 39 mpg at 80 mph.
The best mpg car I ever had was a Honda CRX-HF. Miserly little two seater with a 1.5L engine and a 5 speed stick got 55 highway and 40 in town. Used to have shut off the a/c when passing on a hill. At 70 mph, it was turning 1400 rpm's and using only 13 of it's 65 hp.
The best American mpg car was my 91 Taurus, 3.0 L six auto. On a trip to NY via I 81 I got 31 mpg while using cruise control set at 70 mph. It was a good car that unfortunately died at the hooves of a big ass bambi.:CRY: :LOL: :LOL:
We had an old Escort Wagon with the small motor. 1800 maybe 1600?? who knows?? That thing never got less than 30 mpg. Another 250,000 mile car. Never put anything but minor service..oil changes, tires, brakes in it. Wife traded it in on Saturn. Never saw the best side of 22 mpg. A generic 1/2 of a jelly bean. The most non descript car ever in our family.
My old Escort still gets 30 mpg, but heck my Bonneville gets 24-26 on the highway on the cruise at 70mph and rides super good!!!! At about 5 mpg difference and the little bit I drive in a year, guess which one I take when I actually have to go someplace????
youve made me a happy man tonight ! :toocool: 4100 is less then i payed for my 4 wheeler<6k> thats depressing!
Quote:
Originally Posted by PatMonaco
Gas milage has got as much to do with how you drive as what you are driving.Turbo fours can really drink gas too,if you have to keep it up on boost.A big boat like an old Cadillac sedan with a 472 can give 20-22 mpg when driven modestly. Hank
MY 78 bird with a 305 gets 18 MPG @ 80 MPH. But that number was generated a few years ago. Since then I have changed the rear from 2.56 to 2.41 and put many miles on the motor. Would be intresting to run the numbers again, but not too intrested in going back to Nevada to run out two tanks of gas @ 80MPH. However, it was the absolute NICEST cop I have ever had give me a ticket. Nice, guy, really.
Back in early 1983 the late & legendary Smokey Yunick fitted a 150 bhp 2 cylinder engine, of his own design, to a Plymouth Horizon test vehicle producing class leading power and fuel efficiency. There was a presentation to the Society of Automotive Engineers and talks with manufacturers for gasoline and diesel applications. I wonder whatever became of that? I suspect interest died out because by 1985/86 gas was cheap again.:(
Probably didn't have enough torque to pull anything of that day. Every car was a boat in the 80's. Would of been great in a CRX.Quote:
Originally Posted by MattC
well, no matter how I drive my Ford Ranger....hard or easy.......town or freeway....it gets 17-18 mpg and never changes.
I have a Pontiac Bonneville ad from 1978 that compares the 231 V6 powered Bonnie against the Audi 5000 of all cars, with Pontiac talking up the fact their car was 1,000s cheaper and was rated 1 mpg (EPA) higher, 18 versus 17 mpg. It was cheaper and thriftier than the import, technically, so the advert is true, but a Bonneville & Audi 5000 was a bizarre comparison, what were the GM ad men thinking...or smoking?:DQuote:
Originally Posted by 69elko
Yes,that was a bit of a stretch.Quote:
Originally Posted by MattC
then why does my de smogged 80 chevy pick up with a 350 only get 6-8 mpg?!!!:eek:Quote:
Originally Posted by halftanked
.......because it has the aerodynamics of a barn door, a tailgate that acts like a NA$CAR spoiler and a 5.88 set of rear gears maybe??:LOL: :LOL:Quote:
Originally Posted by gassersrule_196
Heck, my V10 F350 only does 10-12 around town:mad: And it must have every smog control device known to man on it!!
I'm considering building a car with a motorcycle engine and lots of lightweight stuff like a tube frame, etc. With gas getting nuts it would be cool to have a little driver that got really good gas milage. I know squat about motorcycles though, so if and when I decide to do it I'll need some input from the bikers among us to help pick one with the right cc's and all to use as a donor.
I'd just buy a moped, but with some of the drivers we have down here I at least want SOME protection around me. :eek: :D
Don
Why not a little ricer 4 cyl engine - some of them will do even better then many bike motorsQuote:
Originally Posted by Itoldyouso
Good thought. I just assumed mc engines like the 750 cc ones would get fantastic milage. But you may have a good point, and the ricers run forever and are cheap. especially wrecked ones.Quote:
Originally Posted by IC2
Don
A number of years ago there was an outfit in, I think, Reno NV that made a T bucket kit that took any one of a variety of 4 cyl motorcycle engines. It was roughly a 3/4 maybe 7/8 scale car. I suspect market demand didn't support their long term existence. It's all about hp and weight in this context so I don't know that the motorcycle engine would have any particular advantage if there were a comparable small car engine (Aveo, Fit, and so on).Quote:
Originally Posted by Itoldyouso
Last year my 96 Eldorado Touring Coupe w/300HP and 104,000 miles on it ran a section of hiway at 70MPH for 300 miles and hit 28.8 MPG. For another 165 miles I wound up to 80 and 85 when possible and it averaged 26.8. Why the hell would I want some squeeky jap car?
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My "late model V-8" LS1 Studebaker has gotten as high as 28 mpg at 70 mph on cruise with the A/C running. Typical Highway mpg is 25-26. Late model Camaros, Firebirds and Corvettes will mostly get mid to high 20s mpg. Computer controlled EFI and overdrive has brought us a long way.
Pat
Either of my now long gone SOHC 4.6 T-Birds would crack 26 open road with the '97 often at 27+. Town was 17-19, depending on the weight of my foot at various stop lights:D .
3:73's i got lucky:whacked: being a stick helps somewhat to i guessQuote:
Originally Posted by IC2
Yes sir ......... that is very true .......... my 2002 Camaro SS averages well above 28 mpg on the road .......... with the a/c running ............ coming back to North Carolina from the Skyline Drive cruise (with the tops off and not using the a/c) it averaged 30.3 mpg ............... at 70 mph in 6th gear, the LS1 is loafing along at 1600 rpm .......... and this beast will average over 18 mpg around town (if you keep your foot out of it)Quote:
Originally Posted by Stu Cool
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There is indeed a lot to say for computer controlled EFI and 0.50:1 overdrive ratios :cool: :cool:
That ratio surprises me - my father in law had a '79 Chevy 2500 with a 350. If I recall, the final ratio and with a granny geared trans was in the 4.50 range and his mileage was horrible - like what you are getting. But by then in his life he only drove it 2 miles for coffee or 15 miles to my house to help me on my additions so it really didn't matter.Quote:
Originally Posted by gassersrule_196
if it had 4.50 it sure seems like it'd accellerate alot better :D on the freeway its not very high up in the rpm's and considering this truck didnt have a tow package i dont think it had the gears for it. 3.73 are pretty common, but these days all these geeks with these fancy wheels on these diesel 6 speed auto trucks <what ever happened to a truck being used for working? and a manual trans in a truck whered that go?> have like 4.10's to compensate for the big wheel sizes. these days it think trucks have become more of a fashion statement then they are useful. i drive a new chevy with a 6 speed auto at work, i hate that transmission with a passion it shifts to damn much! you nail it to get ont he freeway you feel it downshift 3-4 times get real!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I hear ya - with the trans shifting. I'm not sure how many gears mine has - it seems to shift often - even with the high torque V10. This truck of mine with the trailer package has 4.10 gears though 3.73 are standard and 4.30's an option as well as 4.86(???). As far as wheels, I have the stock Lariat 18" (20" were the option) and the stock 275-70's E rated tires which are plenty big enough as well as darn expensive. There was no choice in '06 for the trans - the auto is the only option for this engine, and I really didn't want the cost pain of a diesel (it takes a LONG time to payback an $8500 adder vs the $600 for the V10 gasser) plus the newer diesel 1-2 mpg fuel mileage is really no bargain now with fuel being 40 to 60 cents more per gallon in my area. Even with that load, it is still in the 10-12 mpg range. What really make it interesting is that everything is 'fly-by-wire' electronically controlled including the throttle.Quote:
Originally Posted by gassersrule_196
so is this new chevy i drive at work has a real bad throttle lag, the v10 fords i hear are pretty decent buddy of mine picked up a used xcab f-450 ? with the v-10 and manual trans and put his old tow truck unit on it , gets pretty decent mileage 10-12 as you descibe not to shabby!
Hey Dave, why not just build a dwarf car for the street? Hold back on the engine size a little,add some mileage gears,and enjoy street rod looks with high mileage potential. Hank
They usually run a Kawasaki bike motor. The major drawback of a dwarf car for me is that I'm 6'4".Quote:
Originally Posted by halftanked