old Burbs and Panels mpg

[chris mc bride]

While talking about my old camaro and the fact that if I kept my foot out of secondarys I actually got as good or better milage than my newer high tech engine(LT-1 was high tect 15 years ago anyway).
I started thinking that with good tune reasonable drivetrain,which isn't normal for us dragracers. It would be possible to get close to or maybe better milage than newer large vehicles,you know those boring a$$ SUVs with the soccer ball on back. Admit we dont have power evertything but we look cool in our old pieces of rolling American automotive history,plus when done they are paid for and only go up in value.
My build stll going on so cant say about milage. I know the 454 with stroker crank isn't going to help,but it will not have to work its butt off towing my race trailer with two dragsters in it.
Powertrain plans are 482 bbc with 10:1 mild towing cam,dual pane intake vacum secondary carb(quadra mess if can find someone to build good running one Kind of black magic thing seems) headers,with dual w/ crossover tubes, turbo 400 with a overdrive unit and either 3.42 or 3.73 gears in rear.
Anything in the mid teens when not towing well be great and if any dbl digit while towing I'll be happy,but then mines little bit of extreme situation with trailer and two cars plus equipment probaly close to 7000 lbs being towed.

[CMACDONALD1]

The way I see it you hit the nail on the head with your coment about it being PAID FOR. As my dad always said the new vehicles don't run on free air and they probably have payments to go along with it. I would put the motor in that does the job and fill it up when it is empty. Even if it is not as good on fuel as some it still looks cool going down the road and I'm sure it will be a hit at the race track when everyone has to come over and have a look at your tow rig. Just my opinion.

[chris mc bride]

Figure the crowd at track will love the 69 panel towing front engine dragster Im in process of building. Kind of flashback to 1969. Now if I can old lady to dress like Jungle Pam and back me up after burn out we will be rocking. Throw on some beachboys dragcity and your home. Amazing most of this was before I was born or only 3 years old.

[capev86]

what are you talking about....a big block with a stroker crank won't be a sloach! i have a 406 sbc we ran in my dad's 84 burb (c10, 350, 700r, 3.73 rear) and it ran like a scalded camaro, but on cheap gas! mpg was about 16-17 (versus 18 with the old 350).

my 72 burb c20 307/3 on tree used to get 10-11mpg with a 4.57 rear and no o/d. i did a 4.10 3rd member swap and now the truck gets 14+ in mixed driving. that should be 18 on long highway drives (if i keep it to 55-60) with my b/w equipped saginaw i got waiting in the wings.

depending on the tune/setup of your truck, it should probably do 12-14 on the highway solo and around 8 w/ the trailer. the big engine won't have to work very hard unless you like to tow at 90mph (in which case i'd call you crazy) so mpg should dip less. i'd run a roller rv grind cam....economy and great low end power which is perfect for a daily driver stroker motor (want to retrofit that setup in my 406 which was originally built for a sport truck with higher rpm aspirations).

[Street Smart]

Don`t laugh at the civic on my trailer(11.20 car my son built), but i tow to the track with my 70 panel and my 67 GMC all the time. CRAZY looks on the highway too. My panel has an old 305 TPI w/7004r from a 89 camaro. 15-16 MPG regular driving, little under powered with my Monte on the trailer behind it, but gets albout 12mpg towing. Haven`t towed yet with my GMC since the 6.2 LS swap, but its way better on gas then the old 350 4/bbl 700r4 combo. Can`t figure out accurate mileage until i have a working odometer, lol, hoping Santa brings me some electronic gauges.

[capev86]

cool combo there Street Smart.

i'm building a tuner car also (86 Aries wagon resto-mod) but after trips to the body shop and back and all back together, it will only be behind my 72 Burb C20 on the way to some of the car shows i go to (large all inclusive events where there are categories for both). there is only one of me so i can't drive both at the same time!

my burb has won me a trophy both times i've gone to the Sanford Sound bikini car wash. but it is more a tuner show even though a few old school rides usually show up. and then there is the various import events at the new england dragway (1/2 hour from my house). i refuse to lower or pimp out my truck so it stays home. and rain ruined the chevy fest weekend

i did take my 72 cb350 to the spring import event because they take motorcycles, it's an import, and it's modded (top end machine work and electronic ignition) but the only stock style american truck that is exotic enough to fit with the tuner crowd is the viper powered ram srt-10 (there was one there by the way).

[chris mc bride]

How appropiate a American work horse having to help a jap toy to the show.Then again can you imainne the reverse,that be funny as hell. At least my panle will be pulling either a American motorcycle to big rally(doubtful I normaly ride my bike to trailer week)Or towing my as American as it get front engine dragster with good old American hemi power(cant drive these things on the street make Barney mad)

[rjsdad]

My Burb with a 6" lift and 35's, gets better fuel mileage than my stock '08 F450. The 450 had 4.88's, but still. In fact, the burb get about 2 miles/gal less around town than my '05 Powerstroke.

Jeff

[chris mc bride]

KInd of my point for post. If you tune it right and drive w/o foot n it all time these old thing can get close to milage of new stuff that cost you 40 g's and loose about 10 to 15% a year in value. Oh yea and e eyone has one of the new ones not near as many cool old rides on the road.

[haskell]

That is a nice set up. Hope to get mine to that level of dependability at some point.

[Blue Tank]

I think the key to overall mileage is a lockup converter or manual trans. I almost pulled the trigger on an overdrive and then thought about the converter slipping all the time. In the fj62 Landcruiser it feels like 5th gear when the converter locks. It locks at 53mph and the motor gives up until you hit 52 mph and it unlocks revving the crap out of the industrial 6 cyl.
Gains back the 2 mph slooowly and then locks, repeat until you're ready to strangle somebody.