Fuel efficient 200?

Hey, I am not doubting the merits of modifying these cars. Mine is one of the most heinous examples :)

But, if the intent is fuel economy, then most likely the true intent is financial. Just trying to keep it real, so to speak.

I've put TONS of money into my ranchero in the last year, and have probably driven it 50 miles ;)
 
rickwrench":pmtit46w said:
To have a chance of getting into the 30's on the highway:
T5 transmission.
A well tuned Holley 1946.
Tires at 35-38 psi (or the max rated inflation).
Staying below 65mph.
Duraspark, MSD, Petronix, etc., ignition, plugs gapped at .050".

To get 20's around town:
Set idle as low as possible.
Short shift.
Don't be in a hurry.

I get 32-33 mpg on the highway. It took some self training to stay below 65.
Around town, my mileage varies quite a bit depending on my mood...
Rick(wrench)
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In my research and experence with these cars/engines, this is exactly what I've found to be true also. I refuse to swap to a T5, but I really belive that is that last part of my equation to get any better mpg.
 
Bort62 said:
3.50 a gallon,that means you save 1.29$ worth of gas per week.
WOW that's cheap!!
3.50 a gallon, that's about 2.36 euro's a gallon.
a gallon roughly equals 3.7 litres
that's about 60 eurocent's a litre.
I pay at minimum 1,42 euro's a litre.
that equals 5.25 euro's a gallon, which in turn means at an axcange rate of 1,48 dollars for 1 euro in the Netherlands a gallon would cost you 7.77 dollars. :shock: and that is currently the best gas price I've seen in the Netherlands.

Stop complaining, you guys aren't in such a bad situation. :D

Greetz Rinke
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Rinke":nda6u64z said:
Bort62":nda6u64z said:
3.50 a gallon,that means you save 1.29$ worth of gas per week.
WOW that's cheap!!
3.50 a gallon, that's about 2.36 euro's a gallon.
a gallon roughly equals 3.7 litres
that's about 60 eurocent's a litre.
I pay at minimum 1,42 euro's a litre.
that equals 5.25 euro's a gallon, which in turn means at an axcange rate of 1,48 dollars for 1 euro in the Netherlands a gallon would cost you 7.77 dollars. :shock: and that is currently the best gas price I've seen in the Netherlands.

Stop complaining, you guys aren't in such a bad situation. :D

Greetz Rinke
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Sure, and how long is the average commute where you are from? :)

I have to drive 35 miles each way to work - and that's relatively short. We have a big country - we need lots of gas to get around it ;)
 
Bort62":2rkoptwa said:
Also assume you commute 100 miles a week to work in the car. (More like a 100 miles a day for me, oh California)
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Only 100 miles a day? Light weight! My uncle drives 230 a day. Has 350,000 miles on a '00 F150.

My intent to get good fuel economy is absolutely financial. But not in the sense that I don't have the money to spend on gas. I'd just rather get the best economy possible and spend that money elsewhere! I look at the cost of the parts as an investment towards getting better fuel economy. It's much easier to spend a few hundred all at once and gain 5 mpg, which therefore lowers your cost of fuel from there on out, then to live with the cost of lower fuel economy week after week, at least to me.
 
Like Bort said, scales of economy keep our gas prices cheap. Our oil companies make much less profit per gallon (and we have much less tax per gallon), AND we buy in such quantity that the reseller makes much less per barrel.

THEN take into account that most american's have a minimum 20 to 30 minute drive to work, some over an hour no include traffic, with NO public transportation. You end up with alot more driving.

Where I live in northern Michigan, an hour drive is considered short and "local". I work for a computer consulting, managed service company, and driving and hour to 2 hours to a cliet is pretty average, I probably drove the company car a 1000 miles this week, and that was just me, there are 3 of us that travel when we have to. We do ALOT of driving in the US.

Sorry for the mini-rant but when other countries say we have it good for gas, it irks me some, someone in western europe (you guys up north may not have it as well with the low population) who can practically go any where they want and never have to get into a personal vehicle and then say why is my gas 8-9 bucks a gallon... well, you drive maybe a few thousand miles a year, IF you even own a care and bothered to get a license, meanwhile it's a 5-6 hour drive to my sister, and she's in the same state!
 
ALl good sugggestions and ideas...

MPG consciousness was a dominating factor in my recent re-build of my DD - '63. It had a wheezy but reliable original 170/3spd. I replaced engine with a tight '71 170. To keep up the mileage, installed new timing set but stock cam, DSI electronic dizzy, H/W 5200 progressive 2bbl , and most importantly Overdrive tranny. Most six cars have the pre-Interstate driving 3.50 rear. with the T5 OD there is no problem cruising wiith modern traffic It has a radical built hi-compression cylinder head (kudos=Schejhldal bros ! .). Oversize valves, ported & relieved, long tube dual outs...

All the contributing aspects of the build were to allow for the fun of "sleeper" performance while maximizing the "commuter" MPG by exploiting the low rpm torque curve of the ford small six.

Powerband


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Still tinkering too much for accurate MPG figure but good initial results .
 
rickwrench":1acl3r53 said:
To have a chance of getting into the 30's on the highway:
T5 transmission.
A well tuned Holley 1946.
Tires at 35-38 psi (or the max rated inflation).
Staying below 65mph.
Duraspark, MSD, Petronix, etc., ignition, plugs gapped at .050".

To get 20's around town:
Set idle as low as possible.
Short shift.
Don't be in a hurry.

I get 32-33 mpg on the highway. It took some self training to stay below 65.
Around town, my mileage varies quite a bit depending on my mood...
Rick(wrench)
Click to expand...


Just curious which would be easier to work on ,reliable,increase mpg,decent hp, cost? The Holley 1946 1bbl or the Autolite 1100/01 from Pony carbs. This would eventually go on a 67 200 I6 with c4 auto.
 
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