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01-29-2005, 10:32 PM
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#1 |
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7000 #'s of american IRON
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: north tx
Posts: 883
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Truck Plan Update
Well Here's an update: We've narrowed our selection down to a dodge ram 1500 or a van..no joke. We couldn't even find a ext. cab with 75+" of bed length. We test drove a Ram 1500 Lone Star edition with a HEMI :drool: and it's the most likely to be bought...considering it's the only crew cab we could find with a big enough bed (dodge doesn't make extended cab's anymore- they replaced that half door with a normal door thats the same width).
There's one thing- the ram was 14/18 on the fuel sticker, the chevy HD's (the other option- crew cab 8' bed, but much more $$) were 9/12 on the sticker. My dad figures he could just use our dually since it's actually got a decent turning radius- he just doesn't know if he could fit it into the parking slots without taking up 2 slots. We assume we can easily get our dually to that 9/12 mark for much less than that 30K+ price tag of the HD and still have a full size cab and 8.2' bed. Does this make sense and look like it could add a hefty bit of fuel mileage? New intake New Carb New Radiator (currently leaks) electric fans cold air intake add to that a fixing of the heat/AC system. After we made some decent money, maybe a gear vendor OD unit would be next for $2500. What would make that ol' wore out 454 reliable? (definition of reliable: able to withstand 900+ miles a week, week after week after week) |
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01-29-2005, 11:53 PM
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#2 |
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Happy to be here
 
Join Date: Mar 2000
Location: Cypress, TX
Posts: 39,023
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Just so you know that Dodge should get about 13mpg to start with, but after it breaks in it should climb to 15.5mpg average.
I think you should look at putting a TBI set up on the 454 rather than replace the carb, etc. If you want your best fuel economy anyway. Beyond that, use a premium grade of oil and change it every 5k. Yeah I know everyone says at 3k, but that's bogus. I have had a lot of GM trucks with well over 100k miles, and quit a few with over 200k. My 88 has 385k, and my 96 has 320k all on the same motor. Every one of these trucks have had the oil changed every 5k.... 
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01-30-2005, 01:19 AM
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#3 |
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Registered User
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Lubbock, Texas
Posts: 2,121
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my 454, with a worked over q-jet is getting about 20 on the highway and around 12-14 in town, with a normal cruise rpm on the highway at around 2600 to 2800
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'96 Nissan Pathfinder '02 Firebird Trans Am. '88 K5 Blazer |
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01-30-2005, 02:05 AM
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#4 | |
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7000 #'s of american IRON
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: north tx
Posts: 883
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Quote:
Sanity, your truck has a 700R..we have a 3 speed TH400. Our highway RPM is "screaming"..it doesnt have a tach so i can't tell you for sure..My math says 2800 is 60 MPH in top gear (i say it's screaming because in our camaro (see sig), 2800 would be a pegged needle on the speedo in OD). |
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01-30-2005, 01:32 PM
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#5 |
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Registered User
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Lubbock, Texas
Posts: 2,121
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well if you know the rear end ratio, the final transmission ratio and the tire hight than you can calculate it.
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'96 Nissan Pathfinder '02 Firebird Trans Am. '88 K5 Blazer |
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01-30-2005, 09:31 PM
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#6 |
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7000 #'s of american IRON
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: north tx
Posts: 883
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well i know that- thats what i did.
Does anybody know what all that would add up to in the fuel dept.? |
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