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Old 12-01-2014, 04:01 PM
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DavGoodlin DavGoodlin is offline
Motorola Minion
 
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: near Strasburg PA
Posts: 3,400
Nice Mark there Tom, I was wondering what car a true VK'er would select, and I think I may know why...besides all the electric gadgets.
Does it have the standard deep trunk that most Fords did? I used to wonder if a normal-sized roundie console would fit in those trunks?

With gas prices going down, you made a fine selection of ride there. I just hope you dont have to drive 86 miles round trip to work like I do.

One obstacle to better mpg may simply be the three-speed automatic transmission, likely the smooth but tough FoMoCo C-6.
The stock whisper-quiet exhaust, emissions-optimized carburetor and torque-optimized camshaft have an effect as well, but where to upgrade any/all of these and have a meaningful effect on mileage is up for much debate. I have not seen a good cost-benefit ratio to changing these components.

My first car was a 1973 Fury II small-town police cruiser with a 400 (bored out 383) and stock 2 barrel Holley carburetor with single exhaust.
It carried all manner of rescued sets in the trunk and had a Pioneer Supertuner 8-track player with Magnavox 6x9 speakers.
The gas mileage was only 10-12 and everyone in those angst-filled days blamed this on emissions controls and crappy gas which had just doubled in price. Most post-1971 vehicles were hastily adapted (not re-designed) to hit bechmarks of the CLEAN AIR ACT and use unleaded, low-octane gas. Automotive Engineers probably had NO input in crafting the clean air act because it would not have provided the instant gratification required of feel-good legislation.

Us reverse-tinkerers now know that the timing gearsets were "re-aligned", compression ratio reduced about 20% and various vacuum-operated controls were "fitted" to limit the emissions. Soon after came air-injection pumps, catalytic coverters and more weight.
The cars of the late 70s still had carburetors, requiring periodic adjustment and these add-on controls just made things worse when they malfunctioned. Many of us looked at the 1970 and earlier engines as easier to keep running right.
I have tried changing most everything (cam, exhaust, ignition, carburetor and higher compression heads) on my 1969 Grand Prix with a 1972 455-4V and it still gets a best of 12 mpg due to sheer weight, so I put very little mileage on it. Now, if there was an overdrive kit for a THM 400 transmission to get those highway rpm's down....

My best advice on getting better mpg is cheap; replace vacuum hoses, get the carb cleaned up and all linkage free from sticking and advance the ignition timing until it pings (knocks) when climbing hills in warm weather (do only when using 87 octane gas) then back it off until the pings disappear.
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-Dave G

Last edited by DavGoodlin; 12-01-2014 at 04:14 PM.
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