4 pot in the modified, 2ltr with a 2bbl and 4 speed . V6 with EFi and 5 speed in the coupe. Both will run at 30mpg @60 mph with gas at 8 bucks it sort of makes sense . .
I think entirely too many people bolt a carb on, drop the dizzy in and just go...I see a hot rod with lakes pipes and big black spots on the doors, come on man, its PIG RICH!!! Tuning folks, it goes a looong way. If you have a properly tuned engine with the correct mechanical advance working correct, properly jetted carb(s), Decent gearing and tires, I don't carew what you guys say, mid 20's is just normal mileage. So for you that think a real hot rod doesn't get good mileage, better not tell the tons of people in this very thread getting over 20 they don't own hot rods. The better the tune on your engine, the more EFFICIENT it is. Efficency equals horsepower also man...horsepower and mileage do go hand in hand to a certain point before you pass the point of no return. I know of big blocks in the 500+ horsepower range putting down 20 MPG.
42Hotrod is right on. It is easy to find 3-5 extra mpg on a carbureted V8, just by spending the time and tuning it up. My '51 F-1 gets about 22 hwy and 14 city with a 351W, 4 barrel, 3 spd +OD manual (0.67 OD), and 3.08 rear axle.
I picked up 3 to 4 MPG in my 350-powered A Tudor by: cleaning and gapping my spark plugs switching to radial tires (don't say it, I know) experimenting w. tire pressure K&N air filter I still get 18 mpg or less.
Getting around 20mpg in my blown flathead 37 coupe. Mind you was reasonably sedate driving due to traffic . 3.5 gears and 5 speed.
not really a hot rod but my daily driver 1962 falcon gets 18-20mpg in the city and at best 25mpg on the highway. sucks having a 2spd auto behind the 200 six banger.
My "sleeper" (all stock looking inside and out but is pretty quick) f-1 pickup truck gets 18 mpg highway (even f heavilly loaded) but only 10 (or less) in town and for short trips. It has a 393w with windsor SR cast iron heads a 282 .529 lift solid lifter cam. the tranny is a built C4 with a 3000 stall converter and has 3.50 rear gears. The edelbrock 600 cfm carb has been re-jetted and adjusted. The mallory centrifical advance only dual point is set at 26 total advance. the truck weighs 3,700 pounds with me in it and runs on high test (unfortunatly) My daily driver is an f-1 that I converted to 4x4. It has a worn out junkyard ford 200 inliner with a header, 3.50 gears, a 3 speed manual, also weighs 3,700 pounds and has a big canopy that has a lot of wind resistance. I get 25 mpg on a strickly highway trip and 19 around town and loaded but is is no hot rod.... it is pretty slugish.
Stock L03 305, TBI removed for an Edelbrock 500cfm carb, backed by a T56. Relentlessly tuned with an O2 sensor and vacuum gauge. Re-curved distributor. GPS verified speedometer. 26 MPG freeway (@65), 21 MPG city.
I get about ten gallon per mile in my '34 it seems, but I have big hopes for my F-1. 4.3 V6 motor swap in the works. carb conversion and the rest will be stock. I'm hoping for at least 20mpg's. The stock rear is a 3.90, but I've got a 700r4. Who knows. For all you, "Gas mileage = sissy" people, I don't know what to tell you. I like to drive mine (I mean really drive it) and I can't afford an 8mpg daily driver. To each his/her own I suppose. I've already got a Hot Rod, I'm ready for a fun daily now.
Bone stock 62 Nova hardtop with 194 6, and power glide, and 3.08 getting 23-24 highway. Cruising 60-65mph I plan on getting 30mpg out of my Chevy II build with a 153 4 cylinder, 4 speed overdrive automatic, and highway gears. Links in my signature.
56 Chevy with DNE 4 + 1 3.25-1 rear end and 29" tall tyres. On the Motorway gets around 22mpg at 80mph, drop down to 70 and it gets under 20mpg, 80 just seems to be its sweet spot. Around town it is a different story... Lucky to get 10-12mpg. Mind you, would happily trade 2-3mpg for an extra second in the quarter.... P.
US gal. It's 28.2 MPImp.G I've got a convert program for all units on my desktop. You can download it from http://www.earthanchor.com/
Here's my cars, current and past city/hwy: '32 Ford Highboy Roadster, 350/350. 18/23 '47 Ford Custom, 455 Olds/400. 8/12 '31 Ford Coupe, 502/350. 9/9 My wife's cars. 2006 Corvette, 6spd. 21/27 2009 BMW Z4, Non-turbo 3.0 auto. 16/20 New cars aren't as much fun, and don't really do any better on MPGs. I've had pretty good luck, except the Olds 455. Poor gas and performance - I hated that engine.
I've noticed when my butt gets sore I need to stop and get some gas. So my mileage is just about right.
SKRATCH...man hotrod and good gas milage? true hotrods have BIG cams, BIG valves, BIG heads, and BIG carbs. you can pick milage or hotrod- NOT BOTH! the more hotrod the less milage. it's just that simple. and brother a 235 is no hotrod...POP.
Interesting fact: There are only two kinds of people on the HAMB - those who complain because people don't do searches and find old threads, and those who complain because people do searches and resurrect old threads. -Dave
nice observation, and statement of fact. i'll add to it anyway though.....we have a 39 pontiac with a 305 /200r4 combo from an 84 pontiac donor and gears just under 3.00 that gets around 21-22mpg.
While not a hot rod my stock 53 Cranbrook got 30 mpg without overdrive once. Usually it was in the mid 20s. I figured that was pretty decent for an old car. My 63 Rambler with a six and a three speed got about 21 mpg. Probably would have gotten a bit better if the motor wasn't worn out and burned a quart of oil every 100 miles. My O/T 77 Ford F-100 with a 300 six and three speed gets right around 22 mpg consistently. Best I got was 26 mpg going 45 miles an hour. For how far automotive technology has come I am surprised that new cars don't get better mileage than what they do. Seems to me that a mid-sized car should easily pull 35 mpg with a V-6.
i have a 64 comet with a 200 straight six i get like 17-19 miles per gallon that car waste almost no gas love it its my daily driver
22mpg on the hiway. 307 TH350 278 rear gears. It's a dog off the line,but I don't care. I'm not in any hurry to go anywhere. The fun is in the driving ............
I have a 383 stroker sbc with a 700 cfm holly on a 4:71 GMC blower. I run a 3.5 gear in a 9" rear. I usually tow a blunt nosed teardrop trailer. I also need frequent shots of adrenalin to combat old age. Can only be accomplished by getting 8lbs of boost. I get around 8 mpg with a strong tail wind. Isn't that great?
The Jalopy Journal
