Miles per Gallon
#1
Miles per Gallon
I'm just curious, but what sort of mileage are you all getting?
I've got an 84 Trans AM with a 305 H.O. that's carburated and I'm only getting about 22 mpg on the highway and maybe 19 in town. Now it has the 700R4 so I have overdrive...I'm wondering what's wrong? Maybe I Need to rebuild the carb? I keep seeing you guys saying your getting 22 or so in town and 28-ish on the highway...what's your secret? I need to do something...we are sitting at $2.80 for regular here now and I can't keep this up for long.
I've got an 84 Trans AM with a 305 H.O. that's carburated and I'm only getting about 22 mpg on the highway and maybe 19 in town. Now it has the 700R4 so I have overdrive...I'm wondering what's wrong? Maybe I Need to rebuild the carb? I keep seeing you guys saying your getting 22 or so in town and 28-ish on the highway...what's your secret? I need to do something...we are sitting at $2.80 for regular here now and I can't keep this up for long.
#2
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Car: Yes
Engine: Usually
Transmission: Sometimes
Axle/Gears: Behind me somewhere
I don't know who's telling you they're getting 28 out of that combo; but I wouldn't believe it.
22/18 is not too bad. That's about right in fact.
If your car is getting that mileage, I'd leave the carb alone if I was you.
22/18 is not too bad. That's about right in fact.
If your car is getting that mileage, I'd leave the carb alone if I was you.
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Car: Yes
Engine: Usually
Transmission: Sometimes
Axle/Gears: Behind me somewhere
Maybe; maybe it's because they have grocery-cart 2.73 gears, and you have the highly sought-after performance 3.73 gears; or maybe, they're just exaggerating.
#5
You are correct, I do run 3.73 gears! Love them too! I do run 2600 RPM at 70mph...if I dropped to a more pedestrian 3.42, I could probably get that back down around say...2000 RPM? That would help the gas mileage...but my performance, what there is of it, would suffer.
#6
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Sounds like you're getting pretty good mileage to me. I had a hard time getting mileage that good with my L98 GTA. Just about never, actually.
I have a hard time believing anyone is getting 28mpg, at least with a 3rd gen. I could get that out of my LS1 Formula on the highway, but that was with a M6. In 6th gear, it barely turned 2000rpm at 80mph. During everyday driving, I got about what you're getting now.
I have a hard time believing anyone is getting 28mpg, at least with a 3rd gen. I could get that out of my LS1 Formula on the highway, but that was with a M6. In 6th gear, it barely turned 2000rpm at 80mph. During everyday driving, I got about what you're getting now.
#7
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Car: 1992 Firebird
Engine: forged 357
Transmission: 700r4, 2200-2400 stall, vette servo
Axle/Gears: stock pegleg 2.73 drum (temp)
average city/hwy driving:
21 stock, with 305 TBI
13 with modded 305 (cammed, heads, intake)
16 with modded 350 (in the sig)
21 stock, with 305 TBI
13 with modded 305 (cammed, heads, intake)
16 with modded 350 (in the sig)
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#8
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Car: '83 Z28, '07 Charger SRT8
Engine: 454ci, 6.1 Hemi
Transmission: TH350, A5
Axle/Gears: 2.73 posi, 3.06 posi
About 10-12 mpg in town right now, and I have:
'79 350ci Z28 engine
- Edelbrock Torker
- Holley 750 VS
- GM HEI with Mallory coil
- Hedman 1-5/8" shorties
- Hooker catback, 3" cutout
- NWC T5 trans
- 3.73 gears
Upcoming in the next few weeks...
- XE274 cam
- worked over 601 castings for 9.7-10.0 CR
- Edelbrock RPM air gap intake
- MSD Street Pro Billet, 6A box
- Super T10 4-spd trans
'79 350ci Z28 engine
- Edelbrock Torker
- Holley 750 VS
- GM HEI with Mallory coil
- Hedman 1-5/8" shorties
- Hooker catback, 3" cutout
- NWC T5 trans
- 3.73 gears
Upcoming in the next few weeks...
- XE274 cam
- worked over 601 castings for 9.7-10.0 CR
- Edelbrock RPM air gap intake
- MSD Street Pro Billet, 6A box
- Super T10 4-spd trans
#9
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Car: 84 Z28
Engine: 357
Transmission: TH-350C
Axle/Gears: 3.43
Im with sofa, where in the he|| did you hear 28mpg?
you should considder yourself very lucky to be getting the mileage you do. It is very acceptable for a carbed motor with fairly steep gears in the rear.
If you think your car is bad on gas ill gladly let you foot my gas bill for the next week! carbed 350, 1:1 top gear on the TH-350C with the lockup disconnected and 4:11 gears in the rear, This is when a guy should start complaining about fuel economy. On the highway i hit 3500RPM's at 100km/h (60mph...) and get roughly 2.5km to a litre of fuel(6mpg), it really sucks on the highway!
Its cool having a gas gauge that will spin around as fast as the speedo...
you should considder yourself very lucky to be getting the mileage you do. It is very acceptable for a carbed motor with fairly steep gears in the rear.
If you think your car is bad on gas ill gladly let you foot my gas bill for the next week! carbed 350, 1:1 top gear on the TH-350C with the lockup disconnected and 4:11 gears in the rear, This is when a guy should start complaining about fuel economy. On the highway i hit 3500RPM's at 100km/h (60mph...) and get roughly 2.5km to a litre of fuel(6mpg), it really sucks on the highway!
Its cool having a gas gauge that will spin around as fast as the speedo...
#10
I was just reading some of the other posts in the forum and several members mentioned getting 27-28 MPG on the highway. Maybe they got 6 bangers instead of the V8's? Maybe I'm just feeling bad because it now costs me $36.00 to fill up on regular unleaded.
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#11
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I had an 85 305 TBI that i got 30mpg out of consistently on the highway. It had the 700-r4, no clue as to the rear gears, but i'm betting the 2.73's. In a 350TPI car (i've had 3 of em) 24 seems to be the top of the line highway.
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Car: 1989 Camaro RS
Engine: Modified 350 TPI
Transmission: Modified 700 R4
Axle/Gears: Posi 3.42
a little of topic......I have a 2006 Mustang GT. Drove 7 hours on the highway, it climbed up to 30 mpg. Not bad for 300 horses.
#13
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Car: 91 Z28
Engine: 350 TPI (L98)
Transmission: 700R4
You could swap back to 3.43 rear gears... but the cost of that would negate your increase in fuel economy for the next few years anyway.
#14
mpg
I have a stock 305 TPI and only 26,500 original miles on it, I am getting about 16-18 mpg around town here where I live. I am guessing around 20 on the highway.....not much better than that.
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Car: 91 GTA, 91 Formula, 89 TTA
Engine: all 225+ RWHP
Transmission: all OD
Axle/Gears: Always the good ones
Cruised my previously one owner GTA back from SALt Lake City to IN near Chicago and hit 23 to almost 26 mpg per tank depending on my particular altitude at the time and driving habits(screwing around for a tank or cruise at 90+mph)
My 383 Formula got me 21.4 highway. I avg 18+ in it around town/mixed
My GTA will do 20 mixed driving as did my Formula when it was a stock 350.
TBI get quite good mileage in proper running order when stock, especially if a 5 spd or equipped with the lame 2 series gears. Kid I went to school with avg'ed 28-30mpg with a 5 spd 90 RS w/ v8 and TBI.
Going by what I have personally verified and seen from stock 350's I would believe some of these people getitng the mileage they claim with the smaller engine and weaker gears.
later
Jeremy
My 383 Formula got me 21.4 highway. I avg 18+ in it around town/mixed
My GTA will do 20 mixed driving as did my Formula when it was a stock 350.
TBI get quite good mileage in proper running order when stock, especially if a 5 spd or equipped with the lame 2 series gears. Kid I went to school with avg'ed 28-30mpg with a 5 spd 90 RS w/ v8 and TBI.
Going by what I have personally verified and seen from stock 350's I would believe some of these people getitng the mileage they claim with the smaller engine and weaker gears.
later
Jeremy
#16
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Car: 1988 Monte Carlo SS
Engine: 5.7L TPI
Transmission: T5
Axle/Gears: 3.73
1983 TransAm
- ~2.95:1 gears w/TH200-R4 tranny
- stock LG4 with TPI (just finished converting it)
23.8mpg on the last fill up (combo highway and city)
Still tuning the car, so that above number has some heavy throttle goofing around in it, but it's mostly highway.
I have poked through 26mpg with the old carb and strictly highway driving (100% stock LG4 with original exhaust). Only mod I did to get those numbers was switch from the 3spd auto to the 4spd 200-R4.
- ~2.95:1 gears w/TH200-R4 tranny
- stock LG4 with TPI (just finished converting it)
23.8mpg on the last fill up (combo highway and city)
Still tuning the car, so that above number has some heavy throttle goofing around in it, but it's mostly highway.
I have poked through 26mpg with the old carb and strictly highway driving (100% stock LG4 with original exhaust). Only mod I did to get those numbers was switch from the 3spd auto to the 4spd 200-R4.
#17
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Car: 1988 Monte Carlo SS
Engine: 5.7L TPI
Transmission: T5
Axle/Gears: 3.73
Originally Posted by 3.8TransAM
TBI get quite good mileage in proper running order when stock, especially if a 5 spd or equipped with the lame 2 series gears. Kid I went to school with avg'ed 28-30mpg with a 5 spd 90 RS w/ v8 and TBI.
#19
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Car: 92 Camaro
Engine: ZZ4 Crate Engine w/Hot Cam
Transmission: Rebuilt 700R4 with Transgo and MW 3
Axle/Gears: 3.73 Eaton Posi
I used to get 26mpg hwy with my 305 TBI.
Now with the ZZ4 I can get 22mpg if I take it easy on the highway. That is with 3.73s and lockup.
City driving I don't even check because I'm sure it is aweful.
Now with the ZZ4 I can get 22mpg if I take it easy on the highway. That is with 3.73s and lockup.
City driving I don't even check because I'm sure it is aweful.
#21
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Car: '85 TA
Engine: Carb'd 350, ported 416s
Transmission: retrofitted T5
Axle/Gears: 3.42 7.62" 10-bolt, locker
Gas prices are what's keeping me from swapping in the 3.73's I have lying around. I'm running 3.07's, a t5, and a carb'd 350, and I can barely keep up with prices as it is.
#23
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Car: 1988 Monte Carlo SS
Engine: 5.7L TPI
Transmission: T5
Axle/Gears: 3.73
Originally Posted by Ozz1967
So switching to the lower gear seems the way to go...but I am so loathe to give up my 3.73's! lol They make up for quite a bit off the line. LOL Through 35-40mph I can keep up with my friend who's got a 2003 Corvette...then he just roasts me. lol
#24
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Last time I checked, I was getting 18 MPG, all city driving. And that was driving like a 90 year old women.
#25
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Car: 91 Camaro Z28
Engine: 350 L98 TPI
Transmission: 700r4
Axle/Gears: 3.23 posi
Got a 91 Z28 thats stock except for a cat back system. It has 91K miles on the motor and 3.73 out back . It gets 25mpg at 60mph and 23 mpg at 80mph and 16-17mpg around town if I keep my foot out of it. Been around long enough to know thats not that bad compared to the older performance cars.
#29
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Car: 2011 SS/RS
Engine: LS3
Transmission: Tremic6060
Axle/Gears: good enough
with my v6, im getting about 18-19 mpg mixed.. and getting only 180 miles to the tank....
though i am carbed.....
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#30
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2 words. Cruise Control. I set the cruise on my car and im getting 24mpg highway constantly and thats with the a/c blowing and my maf unplugged cause its broken. Ive found that i can let up off the gas a little and still go the same speed but with more manifold vacuum and it seems when i set the cruise control it keeps the most vacuum but still do the speed its set at. I bet it would hit 30mpg with 2.73s, 22lb injectors instead of 24lb ones, a working maf, and highway mode enabled in the ecu programming.
#36
You'd have to redesign the whole motor to do that. See my thread here...
Northstar System...
If you are interested, the best way for a chevy motor, would be to grab a 5.3 out of a Caprice of Envoy that's been wrecked. You'd have to take everything in the motor though. Not sure what kind of mods you could make to it.
Northstar System...
If you are interested, the best way for a chevy motor, would be to grab a 5.3 out of a Caprice of Envoy that's been wrecked. You'd have to take everything in the motor though. Not sure what kind of mods you could make to it.
#37
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Car: '83 Z28, '07 Charger SRT8
Engine: 454ci, 6.1 Hemi
Transmission: TH350, A5
Axle/Gears: 2.73 posi, 3.06 posi
Originally Posted by Formula350Scott
Someone needs to invent an add on cylinder on demand setup for sbc's like the older caddys and the new hemi motors.
#38
Well, it's been a few weeks, but I did that 60mph drive I told everyone about. I actually set it at 55 and watched as people made funny faces while they passed me!
I eeked out 25mph at 55 which, in 1985 is what the car was designed to cruise at so I guess that's not too bad.
It did make the 3.5 hour drive a 5 hour trip but hey, it was worth the test.
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#39
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Car: 86 TRANSAM
Engine: 406
Transmission: 700R4
Axle/Gears: 3.27
406 cubes, TPI, mild cam, 700R4, 3.23 gears, 255/50-R16 rears. All hiway driviing at 55-60 with a/c off gets 20.5. But at 80 with the a/c on, still get 19. Averaged 17 city/hiway on vacation last year for 1400 miles going to Woodward Ave. Dream Cruise.
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Car: 87 IROC L98
Engine: 588 Alcohol BBC
Transmission: Powerglide
Axle/Gears: Ford 9"/31 spline spool/4.86
I got the worst!
Drive from my pit through the staging lanes. Make a full 1/4 mile pass at WOT. Drive down to the end of the track then back to my pit. Total trip is 2 miles. I use about 1-1/2 gallons
Drive from my pit through the staging lanes. Make a full 1/4 mile pass at WOT. Drive down to the end of the track then back to my pit. Total trip is 2 miles. I use about 1-1/2 gallons
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#43
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Car: 1984 Z28 Hardtop
Engine: 383 Carb
Transmission: 4L60
Axle/Gears: 3.54 Dana 44
Actually, you've got the best. You make that entire trip without using a single drop of gasoline.
#45
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Car: 1990 IROCZ Camaro
Engine: 350 4bbl, 200cc Heads, 270hr Cam
Transmission: 700R4 w/ Trans-Go shift kit.
Axle/Gears: GM 10 bolt Posi
13mpg here with EFI, consider yourself lucky you are getting over 20.
#46
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Car: 89 GTA.
Engine: 357
Transmission: 700 R4
Axle/Gears: 3.23 I think?
I took the new engine on a road trip and got an honest 24.5 mpg in about 500 miles...not bad!!
But now the engine is missing on a cylinder, not all the time. just once in a while and I can't find the root of the problem...now I get about 14 in town
.......makes me mad!!!
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#47
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Car: 1987 Monte Carlo SS
Engine: 406 TPI
Transmission: T56 6-speed
I am running a 406 (10.8 compression) with TPI, 3:73 gears I am also running a 6-speed T56 with the double overdrive (6th gear is 50%).. on the highway my RPM's drop down to about 1650 RPM cruising and I am getting great milage.. I need to check it and I will post it here.. myself I would always opt for an OD transmission and run deeper gears.
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Car: NCC-1701-D (docked in AZ)
Engine: impulse drive
Transmission: fusion reactors
Axle/Gears: Rescued from the Borg by my crew
I'm getting 9mpg in the city with my 408ci motor and no complaints from me. I love to drive my car and couldn't care much about gas prices. If it goes to 5 bucks a gallon I will still drive it as much as I do now and enjoy every moment...
Last edited by CaptPicardsZ28; 06-06-2006 at 01:00 AM.
#50
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Car: 92 Precision Red Firebird
Engine: v6->357 vortec xe262h rpm intake
Transmission: t5-> t56
Axle/Gears: 10bolt 3.42s
im getting around 17mpg mixed driving, all city is around 15 i imagine, and all highway was 24mpg one time. overall im ok with it.