Drivetrain for a 59-64 GM wagon?

Im starting to gather thoughts and ideas for a wagon leaning towards the 59 to 61 GM models. Ive been looking at some. Im not sure what drivetrain though. I know they are a lot of weight but Im not trying to build a 9-sec car here. I want a nice cruiser and would like 17 to 20mpg highway if possible.. Of course I couldnt go wrong with a 350/350th combo. Most these wagons have 3.55 ratio rear end.
I recently acquired a 87 suburban with 454 throttle body too. Its got a 400 trans, I was thinking overdrive though either built 200R or 700r.
Just wondering if the 454TBI would get the same mileage as a 350 aspired 4bbl.
My 63 4dr bel air gets 17 to 20 mpg on the hwy with a stock 283 2bbl 3peed, with only duals and HEI added.

 

Heres a pic of my old 59 Nomad wagon.
It had a 93 tbi 350 with a 4l60 overdrive.

It would flat out fly down the highway and get 22-23mpg.

Just an option....

 

If you want great gas mileage... 283 with a large 2 barrel rochester carburetor. 25 mpg and plenty of pep.

 

Grumpy, I saw your wagon on this site and it really gave me some influences on how to go with one. Did you build it? Your car is on here
http://www.ratroduniverse.com/rats/rat/2746_438.html

 

Grumpy's wagon is pretty far from any RATROD i have ever seen. sure hope that word falls out of favor soon. ignorant *******s!

 

Just wondering if the 454TBI would get the same mileage as a 350 aspired 4bbl.
My 63 4dr bel air gets 17 to 20 mpg on the hwy with a stock 283 2bbl 3peed, with only duals and HEI added.[/QUOTE]


You're wondering if a 454 will get the same mileage? I have a news flash for you! It'd be fun, but it's gonna get about 10 mpg.

My philosophy about fuel economy in an accasionally driven car is that it'll get what it'll get. It's nice if they're not very thirsty, but if they are, it's worth the fun factor.

 

my 60 wagon with a 283, 4 barrel and a 700r4 gets around 17 mpg. I have a highway gear in the rear somewhere close to 3.0. She's not real fast off the line but cruises good, and can p*** a slower car

 

Duramax.

-Dave

 

You'd probably get better as better g*** mileage or at least as good if you would go to a 3.56 gear in that boat and get much more off the line grunt. With a 3 to1 gear in that thing the 283 isnt building any torque at the low RPM its running in high gear. Need to get it up around 2200-2500 in high gear. You must be only turning around 1800-1900 at 70mph in OD as it is.

 

it may be OT but if I wanted to make one of those monsters haul *** and get good MPH I'd look for a 94 to 96 Caprice or Roadmaster to rob the drive train and out of. We have a 96 Roadmaster wagon with 200,000 plus on the clock and it hauls and gets 22 mpg on the highway. I like them LT-1's

 

yeah I need to get a tach on it so I can see where I'm at. I've got a buddy with a 700r4 in a o/t 383 nova, and he gets way better milage. Of course his car weighs half of the wagon
I figured it I got a bit steeper gear, with the way the 7004 is set up it'd be like a 410 in first and a 3.0 in 4th. Now I've got something like a 2.5 in overdrive!

 

I put a 700r4 in my 38 chevy along with a 2.80:1 versailles 9" rear and was only turning 1700 at 70. OD was useless and in the hills was shifting in and out of od all the time. Went to a 3.50 gear and get the same MPH and ****** stays in OD almost all the time. ****** will probably last longer too. Oh and almost forgot to mention how it improved the off the line performance. Way better

 

w motor

 

In my 55 Chevy wagon with warmed up 283/700R4, 3.55 rear, it would launch very hard and shift out of 1st in 2 car lengths. Changed to a 3.36 and 1st would get across the intersection before shifting and the launch was greatly improved for street driving.

 

dont count on that happening in the next 5 years

 

You're wondering if a 454 will get the same mileage? I have a news flash for you! It'd be fun, but it's gonna get about 10 mpg.

Even with overdrive and Throttle body???

 

big block won't get the same mileage as a smaller engine, but it can be ok with proper gearing. And with all that torque, you might not need OD to make it work. A Qjet carb can get surprisingly good mileage on a big block with a mild cam and gearing to keep rpm pretty low.

327-350 ci seems to be the sweet spot for mileage with a full size vehicle with overdrive.

 

Which 59-61 (or 59-64) GM car are you talking about? Remember that back then the ch***is and drivetrain for Chevy, Buick, Olds, Pontiac were all entirely different, so it isn't necessarily the best idea to toss in a generic SBC or BBC.

 

I am not sure I agree with all the big block info,low end torque means it will pull a taller gear.Many late model cars as the vette which does have a good aero package gets very good gas milage 26 hiway by turning very low rpm with a six speed,the duramaxin in a truck will pull down 17/21 mpg with a six speed auto in a 2500 truck,and it is not very areo when compared to a car

 

Where did that car go? I came real close to buying that at Indy GG in 07

 

I don't know if you really need to change the engine, though getting it tuned would be a good first step. I'd look at a 4L60, or if your are handy with a Laptop, a 4L60E. Then I'd change the rear gear to somewhere between a 3.30 -3.60 (3.36, 3.42 or 3.55).

If you're brave with this crowd, get the Caprice drive train as mentioned with the EFI. Or get out your paint brush with a GM 5.3L, 5.7L or 6.0L LS engine. All of them have over 300HP at the flywheel and still get good gas mileage.

 

is that car air bagged? how much was the asking price of grumpy's car? I really dig it.

 

I got the car from a HAMBer from Indiana, then I added the www's and supremes. It had painted steel wheels with portawalls when I got it. I also put a brand-new 4L60 OD in it with new converter, and added a slip-yoke to the 2pc driveshaft, so it would not bind when air'd up and down, total cost, $1859.00...

I then traded it for cash and a bagged truck to another HAMBer in MO.

It stayed down south that way, and I believe thats where it still is.

Yes, bagged all around, with drop spindles and disc brakes up front.

I dont remember exactly what I had it listed for, maybe in the 14K range, I think.

Of all the many cars Ive owned, thats the one my wife loved the most, and still gives me grief.

Heres a 60 Nomad I had this past summer. It had a 70's 350/350 combo in it. Not as nice a car, and no air-ride, but worth doing nicer, and I got 5000. for it.

Its weird. 59-60 Nomads arent exactly on every corner, but Ive been lucky enough to have one of each...

 

I had a bone stock '60 Pontiac 4dr as a driver for several years. 389, 2bbl, dual-coupling Hydramatic, bone stock with manual steering. It would get about 18 MPG highway. 3.08 gear and I put bigger tires on the back, 235/75R15s. I don't know why you'd put anything else in one of those. And it would go like a bat outta hell if you wanted, too.

59-60 Buick wagons are still torque tube, so a new drivetrain is more work.

The only way a 454 is going to get 20 mpg is if everyplace you go, you can coast down hill with the engine turned off.

 

5.0 with an AOD and a small carb will do the trick nicely, and they are cheap and available.

 

I agree, and lean towards the 327, as it always seemed smoother than a 350.
Yet pitting a properly geared TBI 454 with O/D against a carbed 350 for mileage might be closer than you think. T'were multi-port injected, and I might call it a draw. So, if you have the TBI 454 and O/D, I'd definitely go that route.

If you were looking for a drivetrain, go with the Caprice donor suggestion.

Cosmo

 

Another HAMBER in Indiana had it at Goodguys for sale. In my opinion, it was steal. Needed some work but was priced very fair.
I procrastinated too long and Grumpy bought it. He did some nice work to it while he had it.

It also had a late model electric slide sunroof.

 

If you really care about mileage forget the 454.

A well tuned carb'd small block would be much better, and an EFI motor with an overdrive will be even better.

I have a TPI car with OD and 3.07 gears that will better 25 mpg on the highway. My small block TBI pickup has done 17 mpg on a trip and my big block TBI pickup once did 10 if you allow me to round up generously. The comparisons really aren't that simple, but you get the idea.

 

X2
...that word and "School Me"...

 

I had used both a 350/350 and 427/350 in a '62 Impala Convertible a few years back... Either one was a pretty good combo, but if I did it today, I'd go to a injected big block with a 4L80