Bought my first car this week!

[Username1]

Sounds like Quad-Man knows a bit about these cars..... And carbs....
Also, if this car has the EGR under the carb like my '73 did, you should be sure
this little trinket is in good shape, not corroded, and that the EGR is actually
working..... If'n yer really into doing exhaust work, cut out the "Y" and go to
a muffler shop, get a "H" made, include the Cats - you have to, they make hi-flo
competition cats you may choose to invest in.... Then get a dual exhaust made, with
separate mufflers.....

Quad is also right as you most likely only adjusted idle mixture... Run mixture is
set by removable gas jets at the bottom of the fuel bowel, and the vacuum bypass
valve for when you floor-it!..... He is also right about the vacuum gauge - think of
it as a VOM for carburetor equipped cars..... Be sure the vacuum advance is working too....


Anyway your biggest roadblock to better gas mileage that it weighs 6600 lbs with you
and some crap in the trunk in it..... And the spare..... And oh-yah the de-tuned 460
and 3 speed auto..... and the 2.5 rear end..... Didn't think they made anything with
numbers like that in a 6600 lb 4 seater back then....

You win the car crash battle at low speed entanglements with in-a-hurry parking lot
idiots and the texter behind you while creeping along at 20 mph in traffic, and by the way
your bumper should be on mini shocks, not really attached to the frame....
Kind of a friction slide....

But at 50 mph and above most likely newer cars will be safer..... but then again....
all that stuff has to be working, most recalls now-a-days are for the way too
complicated SRS systems, ABS, any of which can go off in flight and cause a good wreck.

You may just come out ahead if you just run it as is and save yer money for your
next slightly smaller, safer, newer, more efficient car.....

Went back a little in this thread, saw your tailpipe and tank strap thing,
It's funny because with my old cars I always go through them now before
winter comes as I HATE doing car stuff in the cold.... Now I got spares,
and if a car needs something It sits till spring.... Done lots of middle
of the winter radiator changes, muffler re-wraps, yuk.... All part of
being young and having your first car.... Enjoy it...

When I first looked for a car, my Dad took me to dealerships, and we looked
at a '74 Dasher wagon I thought was cool.... Several '76-78 Mustangs, Yah
I liked those... One '73 Mach 1 that burned oil, NO.... Sorry on that one....
I almost got a '71 Datsun 510 - later on I found out what a cool car it was...
I don't think Mom cared..... Most of what I looked at was '65 - 73 mustangs
that needed several years of rust restoration before they could be driven....
Then One day riding my bike back from Closter NJ I came on this Red '73
Grande' Mustang that had been stolen off a used car lot in NJ driven around
and crashed into the Hackensack river.... $800. for a car that blue-booked
for around $2200. back then I was told.... Never really looked....
Half a summer, A junk yard you could walk around in, and lots of my kid-earned
money and I got it running.... Lots of fun... Lots of work.... Have fun !
Parents were really supportive, I did lots of rust work that didn't save it,
lots of mechanical stuff, and painted it too, all in the yard....
Once I spent all afternoon removing a lower ball joint/arm from the
junk yard - later found out it was a cheap easily obtainable part.....

Remember you'll never get your money back on all the things you're thinking
about doing to this thing..... Been there, done that....

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