Something I always ponder...a daily driven gas mileage hot rod

After you retire you’re going to need a commuter just to get from one end of house to the other lol
Dan

 

That’s why he wants somethin with good gas mileage!

 

Mainly for ease of cold starting. 10% gasoline lowers the viscosity so the blend flows through a 2-5 micron diesel filter.
When the engine is up to running temperature ,you can use 100% ATF.
I also played with Fuel Heaters

Heating the fuel really helped auto-ignition but played havoc on the filters that delaminated themselves.
Mounting the heater after the filter worked better ,but defeated the purpose of cold filter pour point.

To effectively make use of cold start and 100% ATF you need a twin tank system using a Pollack 6 port diverter valve. and start it and run it on diesel until it gets close to desirable temps and switch it over to heated ATF

My Mitsubishi Pajero took a minimum of 1km distance to get up to desirable operating temp and the filter pump/filter needed to be purged when shut down .
Most of my driving was multiple times, up to 10km short trips around the city.
So it was easier to blend 10% gasoline to the ATF than to run a twin-tank system 10% of the time [both had the same purchased content percentage]
I use to buy my gasoline for pennies on the $$$ from the local servo [usually after some soccer mom accidentally filled her "rugrat wagon" with diesel]

Blending also allowed me to run the vehicle in basic unmodified form without the hassle of twin tanks etc

 

Since you have so many vehicles already, why don't you just drive the 35 or 36 pickup. Change the gearing and trans for commuting if necessary and enjoy one of them..............

 

So, here is the reality check.
2 years and 9 months doesn't give you much build time on a vehicle with a short use time. How fast are your other projects moving along?

With a real consideration of the time frame, making a rear gear and trans change on something that already runs would be a prudent move. It would be lots faster, and lots cheaper, and if you really won't be using it to "to go back and forth to town" after that, what every you swap the rear gear and trans into can be swapped back out.

As much as I love to watch a hot rod build, the time it will take to build this one may almost eliminate its need.

 

Don't remind of this. Now you're starting to sound like Mark. He likes to bust my balls since I am a professional project creator.

 

You guys are talking sensible stuff, not allowed here are you trying to get the thread shut down?
Dan

 

I think I'm going this route with the Hillman(s). I have a couple of early Pinto 2.0s and one of the Hillmans has a 2.3, but I don't want to deal with a timing belt (frequently on the 2.0). I was looking at the 3TC but they're getting harder to find. I have the T5 lying around and like the idea of the parts availability of the 2.5 Duke. I'm planning on getting away from anything new car wise in the near future and don't want something tying me up service wise that my girl can drive everywhere. I want something rock solid and easy on fuel.
I drive my cars nowhere (cruising around) at night a lot and it's getting pricey to so with all the V8s and larger 6s. When it's time to retire I'll have less $$ to spend on gas, parts and tools but more time to try to spend it (plus gas prices will be higher).

 

We all have rolls to play in this game.

Story time.
Somewhere around 8 years ago, I was considering building a new ride to replace our 48 Coupe. We had been driving the coupe for several years at that point. My wife kind of liked the coupe for going on vacations (huge trunk she could bring along everything she ever wanted). She suggested maybe I should build a new shop truck for myself. At that point, I was still almost 4 years from retirement, and the old beater I was using as a shop truck was getting a bit rough, so it sounded like a great idea.
You know how that goes, first I need to do this, then do that, then collect all the parts. I finally got started about a year before I retired, then I got side tracked again. The actual build of the shop truck really got started a few months after I closed my shop. After I got it done, I discovered that I really didn't fit in the 39 Dodge truck cab, and had to build a 2nd shop truck. I managed to sell the first one. The 2nd shop truck was plated in 2022, after a very short 11 months from start to road worthy, just months short of 4 years after my shop was closed. That beater truck I was concerned about? I sold it after the 2nd shop truck was on the road.

My reality check for you was based on my real experience. I had the grand vision 4 years before my shop was closed, and it was completed 4 years after my shop was closed.

 

I can be talked into semi modern drivetrain for SOME cars but I have to draw the line at non carb or non distributor motors (it needs to look oldish for me still). Just because I work on them doesn't mean I have to like them (that's just me). I know you can make a crap ton more power with a lot less, but it's not for me.

3TC = 70s Toyota "Hemi head", carb, distributor, RWD.

If you want EFI then look for a wrecked Mazda Miata and grab the drive train and electronics (sell or junk the rest). Pretty big aftermarket for them.

Stay with a dual cam for power and MPG plus a manual trans.....even more so with a 4 cylinder.

Crap I'm in deep now.......my first post on this side of the board and I'm already talking Toyotas and Mazdas.

 

It gets easier the longer you are here...

 

Very interesting conversation & thoughts,
How much to spend on saving fuel
Only just found the dark side of the board, it helps keep people at home

 

Welcome to the Dark Side or maybe Far Side is a better description

 

It’s not spending money to save fuel it’s making a choice before starting a build for this thread.

 

I'm more interested in having a car that is uber reliable and something you gravitate towards driving over a newer car. Gas mileage is just the cherry on top. Gene is probably right on the timeline. I'll be retired before I get around to building it.

 

I've been wanting to buy a motorcycle again so I can save on fuel on my commute to work, which is only 3 miles through a few neighborhoods. That short little 10 minute commute in either of my trucks nets about 14mpg. One of my old motorcycles got 79mpg. When you start adding up all of the numbers it'll take a few decades of riding for the motorcycle to pay for itself, and I'll be dead by then.

The moral of the story is that I really just want a motorcycle, and I sell the idea to myself it by saying "it's because of the mpg"

 

I've been lurking on this thread, as I will likely have a significant commute hike in my future, but like you, I'm buried in projects. I'm thinking one of the fleet will receive some fuel economy improvements and that's gonna have to be good enough, if I even make it that far. I do like the idea of building like a track nose T with a small engine, 5 speed, chrome moly frame, and treat it as a weight savings exercise/comparison of my current T build. But that's a pipe dream until I can clean the slate.

 

It's not a hot rod, but easily available fuel economy and low buy in price, pick up a used Pri.s.

 

Bite your tongue!

 

Fun car. I wouldn't mind driving around to work in that beauty.

 

I did the same thing a few years ago, longer commute with thick traffic heading home after work. I was afraid for my cars since I'm the one who has to work on them after getting hit, plus the fun factor of a bike.

Plus, it's not just about MPG (for me at least). I'm going to build the car anyhow ($$), I don't want to adjust, tinker with it after it's on the road, I don't need a big novelty engine, and I would like some MPGs. It's not about cost vs fuel savings to offset the cost to build......I'm not splitting hairs like that. It's more about the sticker shock of putting gas in it daily, I'll remember that a lot more then the build cost. Also, it's no show car....the hood will only be popped to check fluids.

 

I am thinking a Vespa.....it's almost a motorcycle.

 

I’d drive a preeus or a Vespa.

id drop the crap out of the preeus

I wouldn’t be skeered to do a hybrid swap for an old daily cruiser

 

Vespa and pri s (hell my phone won’t even let me type it) I thought this was the dark side maybe even the Far Side not the Twilight Zone
Dan

 

@Moriarity sure the P word is enough to trigger a response from a mod! Hahahaha

Many years ago I was traveling 600 miles a week on my work commute, was driving an Aussie Ford Ute, it didn't owe me much but it had a thirst for fuel & oil.

As I had lots of thinking time I started wondering how I could make the commute financially cheaper, I thought I would start the journey with a 'new' VW Golf which was the most economic vehicle on the market, did all the sums, & with no breakdowns it was going to cost me the same $'s per week to run (service & pay the loan) compared to my old hack. It would only work if I kept doing the KMS, & even then the only benefit would be the asset after it was paid off with 200,000 miles on it.
I know buying second hand would have been more cost effective but I had to start somewhere & work back from there.

As for building an A RPU with a economic 4 cyl (could you call them 'bangers'?) how much fun would it be! & As @Roothawg said would have some re-sale to boot. Simple would be the key in my mind, 5spd perfect
Ya just gotta know what you are trying to achieve & work to that

 

With all the hoopla about my shop truck 4 years after the shop was closed, I can tell you without a doubt, it was worth the effort.

This is its 3rd summer on the road (and was my winter driver in between as well), the truck just passed 20,000 miles of use. A few oil changes, and a few minor adjustments, have been all it has required. It was built with this intended purpose (a year around driver). I'm not at all concerned about any value it may or may not have at the end of its time.

If it really is a plan, put all the other projects a side and get on it. The trick is for it to be a purpose built ride, stay on the purpose. Find the ride you want, if it already exists in your fleet, all the better. Find a donor for the parts you need, and get on the stick. Build it fast, repairing only the things it needs to accomplish the goal. If your intent is to build a ride to drive 25,000 miles over the next 3 years, don't build a 100,000 mile, 10 second quarter mile car. Build a 40,000 mile ride that will get you back and forth to work without issues.

When its all done, and you are driving it and enjoying the drive, what it costs to fill it at the pumps can be over looked to some extent. Its going to cost money to get to and from work. As long as the cost of doing it isn't out of line, the old ride can add a lot of fun, relieve work pressures, and provide a glimpse of what will come after you retire.

 

Now you're in for it........you all will pay.

https://dailyturismo.com/1960-morris-woodie-or-a-2002-toyota-prius/


Ok, Ok......I went too far. I got rid of the pics, but you can see for yourself with the link.

 

^^^^who wood-a thunk A Prius Hot Rod on the Hamb & it hasn't been deleted by a mod!! Hahaha