Gas Prices - Ouch, list good mileage cars

18mpg around town
24mpg highway

350 with auto/od

dual exhaust

Seats 8

My wife's beater. She won't give it up for no little FWD car....

Shhh...don't tell anyone I posted this here!

 

New Chucks for $10?!?!?!? Wow, they must be really stickin' it to us California types. I just bought a new pair of red high tops that set me back 35 or 40 bucks. I need to go out to the Rat's Nest to do my shoe shopping!

Matt

 

I had one just like yours, except mine was a stick with 3.08 gears. I found that advancing the initial timing setting as far as I could (just shy of detonation) made a noticeable difference in the little 215's acceleration times. On a trip to Carlisle (225 miles of 70mph freeway driving), it got 24.6 mpg. If the NY salted roads hadn't eventually done it in, I'd still be running it.

 

I can't tell you how much I miss my VW caddy truck. I just bought a 1981 ford ranger for a $100. I filled it up a week and a half ago and still have half a tank ugly as sin though.

 

I'm getting 35 with this:

153 Chevy with a two speed powerglide. Weighs in a 1600 lbs.

 

just did 206 miles on 6.3 gallons with my 02 Jetta Wagon. 5 speed, around town.

 

I'll take 2

 

Used Geo Metros get better real world mileage than a Prius, and are selling like hotcakes on evilBay.
Can't carry much in em, though.

 

Actually, I've had it for sale many times with no real offers.

 

19 mpg 64 Comet 200 l6 without really trying. Guys at fordsix.com claim closer to 25 with Pertronix and other minor modifications.

I'm considering paying $4000 for a Vespa so I can save money by getting 200 mpg and get lots of thumbs up from "the ladies".

 

My 2006 Chevy HHR... 32 highway at 70 or so. Looks better than a Civic. But one of my bud's CVICs gets almost 39 highway. Still doesn't look as good as an HHR. There is an SS HHR now, too, with turbo for those who always seem to forget the original question when answering. Gary.

 

/Rant-0n:
"I'm going to sell my '51 Merc and buy a Prelude so I fit in with the new HAMB format better." AGREED!
I'm amazed that the mods allow such a crazy amount of OT talk on a traditional hot rod board. And the NASTY way a lot of other posts have turned. My goodness!
They've shut down posts for a lot less.
Now I'll be black-listed.
Rant-off/
Ok. On to the off-topic at hand.
I understand the cost of gas. 1.38 a litre here. About 3.85 litres to the US gallon so it's $5.31 US gallon (currently 1 cent diff Canadian / US dollars). When we talk gallon we us the Imperial gallon which is bigger that the US gallon... 4.55 litres.
Mileage? I am complaining about my daily that only gets 36 mpg on the highway. I just bought a super clean, super comfy 93 Toyota Camry. Friggin lovely. V6. LOTS of toys. Electric seat for my surgically altered back is the best one.
The reason I'm complaining is that I laid up my 94 Toyota Tercel. It gets 47 mpg. Now... if you are interested you can do the math to figure out what the US mpg would be compared to the Imperial mpg since I gave you the numbers above.
OT for the HAMB? Why do I drive this as my daily? It's because I am still building my 30 pickup. I paid a grand for the Camry. The Tercel cost me $1700 2 years ago. No maintenance and LOTS of driving on both. (GF lives 6 hours away for now).
What will I drive daily when the A is done? The Toyota whenever I park-and-leave. That way.. get a ding? Who cares? Out for a fun drive? The A.
BTW.. GF has a 2000 Toyota Echo. 51 mpg. FUGLY but you can pack it for camping for 2 people for a week and stack 2 bicycles on it and go.

Hey! Maybe I can mate the Tercel engine to a T5 and put it in my A.

RYAN>>>>>>>>>>>
WHEN'S TECH WEEK???????????

I've tried hard to sit back and let it all fly but I had a weak moment. Sorry

 

This gets 60-70 mpg if I keep my foot outta it!

 

what about the Morris Minors and old Crosleys? how were they on mileage?

 

Ken, It's all false economy. I don't give a shit. It is worth the extra cost to be in a larger vehicle when you get hit by somebody. Try taking a lick from in a festiva and see what that extra gas money is going to do for you. You may be able to afford a slightly better wheel chair if you are lucky.

 

Morris do kindda 35-45 if you fit a set of mk1 Sprite carbs and a set of headers they do better Petronix and a Sprite 3rd member would do a bunch too Maybe 50

I had Mini mk1/850 customers that claimed 50mpg I think a good one would do that. Un-messed-with they were pretty good little cars

Crosleys get pretty good mpg but they don't stop!

 

Here's what I say........

Some lake pipes and a set of wire wheels are all it needs

 

i had a 92 jetta it got pretty good MPG..you really want to look for the ones that have the 4 or 5 speed. they do better on fuel than the auto trans jetta's.

 

I had a 90 CRX HF, was the High Efficieny model. Got 50+ on a regular basis on regular unleaded. Only a 2 seater, hatch, so you could fit lots o stuff in the back. Drove it to 175,000 miles.

After that I had a 94 Mazda Miata. Ok, a chick car, but chicks loved it, and I met some nice girls driving that car. Got 30-32 with the top down at 80 MPH. Drove that to 215,000 miles and still got $2500 for it when I sold it.

As far as HAMB-friendly goes, I had retro gauge faces in the miata, and had built a retro-carpeted console for it, to make the interior look like an old MG or Triumph (as much as I could). There are guys who pull the whole dash, take out the airbags, and go all wooden retro-style gauges, wood wheels, etc., in Miatas.

Pete

 

my wife is getting about 20 mpg in her 94 jeep cherokee with 4.0 6 cyl

 

As far as a Falcon goes. I was looking at one not too long ago and it had the small motor in it. I asked around and was told it would get 30 mpg.

Sounds about right.

 

T'would be interesting to note what type of vehicles the man owns who would post this on a traditional hot rod forum.

I never bought a vehicle based on fear, and I'm not gonna start.

Most people I've known have never been in a serious auto accident. Odds seems to favour that you never will be in a serious accident.

For best mileage out of a HAMB-friendly car will have you in a six cylinder Falcon with truly horrible brakes, crap handling (curable, true), and be a maintenance headache. All older cars require more maintenance than newer cars, true, but if you're like me, and NEED to be at work when it's time for work, you're far better in a Toyota Corolla, bar none. I personally know of an '89 Corolla with over 150,000 miles that has been owned by a woman of very moderate fiscal means (she's broke, lazy husband left her with two kids, no support, etc, etc.), repaired only when it is broken almost completely (meaning still running, but just...), oil changed infrequently, AND hammered on by two teenagers. The damn thing still starts every day, has never let her down, and returns mileage in the low thirties. Parts are available in every junkyard, as they made millions of the buggers. No one will ever think to steal it, unless they really care about your social standing, so you can park it at the airport, too.
Now as for my personal experience:
Citroën 2CV6 (602cc, 68 mph, convertible) = 34.5 mpg. Never mind the eBay ads, those idiots never converted the KPH odo to miles. It DOES get 50 kilometers to the gallon, but who cares.
'84 Mercedes 300CD turbodiesel = 24 mpg of some really expensive shit ($5.16 per gallon), but can be converted to run WVO. But that means more work for you, too. But you can vacation from Chinese restaurant to Chinese restaurant!!
'03 Ford Taurus, pushrod V6(it's the GF's, and she's hot enough to allow her to keep it = 24 mpg.
Cosmo

 

i have a 110 mile round trip commute, sometimes through nasty weather in the winter, so i bought a Subaru Wagon 2 years ago. definitely not a chick magnet, but it gets 30mpg with all wheel drive. i have put 45000 miles on it in two years and just had oil changes and new tires.

my grandpa told me once he drove a 2 1/2 ton 1940's Studebaker stock truck out of the stockyards here in KC and he got 27 mpg... loaded! of course that was probably 45 mph most times given the roads he was driving on, but still.

 

DIE MILEAGE THREADS!

DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE!

I wish these threads would die like a 3 cylinder Geo being T-boned at 60 by a ratrod deville with the 472's secondaries howling WAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!

 

Shifty, if I play the mileage game, then there's more $ for the rod. And the guys here have much to tell. Sorry. Among the VW's to have are either type 3's from '85 to '92 or the newer type 5's(?) '99 to '04's. Solid cars w/few recall issues. The problem childs are found from '93 to '97 when Vergosian(?) was the infamous cost cutting Prez of VW. '05's and up have more HP but also love the petrol.

 

2007 Chevy Silverado get about 20 MPG on the highway where I do most of my driving. Not bad...Not great but not bad.

 

Full size Chevy Pickup and the wife drives a tahoe. I am talking about where you spend 95% of your driving time. My hot rod is a 46 ford. Not sure what your point is. My point was its better to be in a big vehicle and pay for more gas than to be in a little shit box and save 50$ a week in gas money. I'll spend the extra dough and have some weight advantage if there is an accident.

 

I bought my mom a '62 falcon around Christmas time to replace her big block Ranger pickup (Gross tonage law......) it's a 2-door sport roof, 170ci, 3 speed car and she is getting around 26 to 28mpg in town, short trips, lots of stop and go stuff........way better than the 9mpg in the truck.
The best part is all the attention she gets in that car (little old lady thing I guess....) but she says every time she drives it she feels "special"..........PRICELESS !
d.

 

I understand the net value of buying a used tiny car to get the mileage, but I am a big boy (6'6" 275 lbs.) and a daily driver must have a reasonable level of comfort.

My 2000 X-Cab Sierra Z-71 4X4 (5.3L, 90K miles) will get a solid 20 m.p.g. on a road trip if I drive moderately, and that's with 4 people and luggage in the back. As much as I would love to go longer on a tank of gas, I just can't justify another vehicle to use as a daily that is less comfortable, less practical, that I can't throw parts in or go to the hardware store with at the drop of a hat. And for those that would recommend a compact pickup, I don't fit and my uncle's 1990 Toyota truck (4cyl, 150k miles) only gets 5-6 m.p.g. better than mine.

Not to mention that I don't want to see a random POS in my driveway that I resent having to have out of necessity.

 

I have a '95 Isuzu Rodeo 2.6L 4cyl/5sp. (the 4 bangers only came with manuals) I get 22-25 mpg and I have a class 3 hitch on the back. I can tow 3500 lbs. (no difference in brakes/chassis from the V6 to the 4). That's enough to tow MBLs T-V8 on a single axle trailer just fine...


You can drag your barn finds home....

I tow a 2000lb. camper, the rear springs don't even sag and still get 20 mpg. The U-Pull-its are full of them, they made them from 1991-2004.