1/2 ton vs. 3/4 ton vs. 1 ton

[tucsonjwt]

I stumbled on this comparison from a SC Chevy dealer regarding the three different weight classes of pickups. This is for the new Silverados, but I think our old squares are in the same range. I noticed that modern technology has not improved gas mileage on the heavier trucks very much. The best mpg in my 83 C20 454 was 11 city/13 highway. Like the write up says, you pay a significant gas mileage penalty if you want to haul or tow a lot of weight.



http://www.herndonchevy.com/Silverado-Comparisons.html

[77 C-20 Scottsdale]

Interesting. I have a 3/4 ton '77 Scottsdale, and a one ton '78 GMC Sierra Classic. The '77 has a 7,500 gvw, with 2,500 lb. payload. The '78 GMC is a 9,000 gvw SRW, with a 3,660 lbs. payload. Both weighed empty with both tanks full to obtain payload figures. Torque of my 454's is 385 ft. lbs. at 2,800 rpm, which is 5 ft. lbs. more than the current 6 liter engines. More importantly, the 454's torque peak is at the ideal rpm for highway speeds, unlike the 6.0 which needs to rev past 5,000 rpm to achieve peak torque. My fuel mileage is on par with the new HD's as well.

[tucsonjwt]

My 83 C20 is a 454 with 4:10 rear axle and granny 4 speed. It does have a gear vendor but I don't think it helps much with mpg. I run through the scales empty at 5600# and have an 8600# GVWR, so 3000# payload.

[Tom]

Make your mid 70's truck weigh as much as an equivilant current truck and then compare mileage. Between massive emissions, crash standerds, and the need for useless crap like parking sensors, nav and backup cameras that everyone just has to have, weights have gone up massively. Also we have giant power and mileage robbing 18"+ rims from the factory. Those oem 20's are gnarly heavy.