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Fuel mileage

I don't think it's a bad question.
Mileage gives you an idea of the health of the engine/drivetrain and how well it's tuned.
 
I was taught by a friend's father 30 years ago to always keep track of fuel consumption - as an indicator of problems.
On my daily driver I always reset the trip computer at every fill up. If I get seriously less miles out of tank I straight away know there's some issue with engine, brakes, wheel bearings, tires, something to investigate.
I also keep track of fuel economy on my Satellite, especially on longer runs. Very easy to calculate, gives me peace of mind that everything is in tune.
It's nothing to do with driving like Miss Daisy to preserve gas. If I don't hit 5,000 rpms at least once every trip then I'm disappointed.
I was taught by a friend's father 30 years ago to always keep track of fuel consumption - as an indicator of problems.
On my daily driver I always reset the trip computer at every fill up. If I get seriously less miles out of tank I straight away know there's some issue with engine, brakes, wheel bearings, tires, something to investigate.
I also keep track of fuel economy on my Satellite, especially on longer runs. Very easy to calculate, gives me peace of mind that everything is in tune.
It's nothing to do with driving like Miss Daisy to preserve gas. If I don't hit 5,000 rpms at least once every trip then I'm disappointed.
 
Of course you can measure it. My blended driving conditions are what matters to me. Rarely every drive just highway or city or county.

Yea you can measure it. Sometimes 13 mpg sometimes 9 mpg. What does that tell you? I had to run a Hemi mechanical fuel pump since I would run out of fuel just after the 2nd to third shift at WOT with the electric pump. That takes your mpg down real fast.
 
I tells me a couple things. 1) you average 11 mpg, and 2) your driving is extreme from tank to tank, or your measurements are not accurate.

Not sure your point on the fuel pump. Certainly an improper pump size or a malfunctioning pump can cause a fuel starvation issue. The “hemi” pump was the standard go to pump for nearly every hot rod.
 
I tells me a couple things. 1) you average 11 mpg, and 2) your driving is extreme from tank to tank, or your measurements are not accurate.

Not sure your point on the fuel pump. Certainly an improper pump size or a malfunctioning pump can cause a fuel starvation issue. The “hemi” pump was the standard go to pump for nearly every hot rod.
My only point was, around town mpg is dependent on so many factors, I would not consider it. Spirited driving, construction, traffic lights, stuck in traffic. The point of the fuel pump was to illustrate the huge difference in mpg between idling, cruising, and WOT. My measurements are accurate as well as calibration of the odometer.
 
16.8 mpg, 413 engine, 3:23, Thermoquad (Not touching the secondaries.) 98 octane.

What carb do you have on?
 
16.8 mpg, 413 engine, 3:23, Thermoquad (Not touching the secondaries.) 98 octane.

What carb do you have on?

You went a whole tank of gas without opening the secondaries? That’s simply not right.:lol:
 
My only point was, around town mpg is dependent on so many factors, I would not consider it. Spirited driving, construction, traffic lights, stuck in traffic. The point of the fuel pump was to illustrate the huge difference in mpg between idling, cruising, and WOT. My measurements are accurate as well as calibration of the odometer.
It depends on usage......last year I got 300+ MPG.....the car was in storage......to me it doesn't matter....it's just an occasional use vehicle....it is what it is.....
BOB RENTON
 
Ok, so I am getting 10mpg in my 440 charger with 727 auto and 3.23 rear. I think that might be par for the course.

What is the consensus?
Original owner. Car now has 178,283 miles. 383 HP, Carter 4-bbl, 4-speed, 3.23 rear. I get around 16 mpg on the road. Haven't bothered to calculate around town.
 
I think I might have mentioned this before.
Is fuel economy that important for a car that you enjoy to drive mainly in nice weather?
If I got 10 miles to gallon driving to the 50th in Detroit going about 4000 miles in a round about way. Yes we spent money.
Nowadays not do much. Or at all...

Back in the day, maybe... I commuted my 65 Coronet in the early 90s because I didn't want to drive some Honda around, like 99% of people at the time. ☹️

But gas was still cheap! I remember it cracking $1 per gallon for the first time. My stock 335hp 383 and 3.23 gears got 10mpg. Swapped in an MSD and Edelbrock AFD clone and got... 11mpg. Drove 50 miles a day and it never varied, city or highway. When the 383 began blowing oil at 125K swapped in a built 383 (400hp? Never dyno'd). Still 11mpg, rain or shine... ;) Still able to spank the new 90s Mustangs and Firebirds.

Stopped driving it when gas hit $3 a gallon and I was spending a quarter of my income on gas.

Sold it a few years ago for a 68 Charger w/500hp stroker (also 3.23 gear.) Now I just check the gauge to see when it's down by half or more and then fill her up!
 
My 440 sixpac Challenger with a 15 gallon tank was good for about 120 miles between tank fillings. When I went somewhere over 100 miles, I spent time on line finding gas stations that had 93 octane without ethanol along my route. Usually one out of 3 or 4 stops I paid the extra cost for premium fuel and ended up with **** gas. I couldn't tell the difference but my car could with the pinging and lack-luster performance. For that reason, my Challenger went to Australia and I built my 68 Charger with a late model Hemi and 5 speed auto. Now I don't have to mess around finding stations with the good stuff. I always try to run the premium without ethanol but the 6.1 don't mind the **** gas and gives me 18-21 mpg. Of course, the 1700 rpms at 75 mph helps with the smiles per gallon and it will knock down a low 13 second quarter on street tires with the air on. In comparison, Back in 1968, I bought a new 68 Charger R/T with 4 speed and 3.55 gears. It was good for 12-13 mpg with the 103 octane hi test gas available then at 38 cents a gallon. Sometimes a quarter a gallon when the gas wars were on. Damn! I sure do miss those days and the smell of that good ole 103.
 
The way the engine is built makes an enormous difference in fuel economy. When we built our first 510 stroker engine in 1994 we periodically checked it because we were stunned how easy it was on fuel. It basically had parts moved from a 440, so there was nothing exotic. With 3.23s on a 340 mile round trip to the track it averaged 17 mpg. That included the 7 passes down the drag strip where I lost in the finals.
Later that summer we checked it while driving 120 miles to another drag strip. It averaged 23 mpg.
Then we decided to go faster..and haven't checked mileage since. LOL
 
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The way the engine is built makes an enormous difference in fuel economy. When we built our first 510 stroker engine in 1994 we periodically checked it because we were stunned how easy it was on fuel. It basically had parts moved from a 440, so there was nothing exotic. With 3.23s on a 340 mile round trip to the track it averaged 17 mpg. That included the 7 passes down the drag strip where I lost in the finals.
Later that summer we checked it while driving 120 miles to another drag strip. It averaged 23 mpg. Dang near 2x what we used to get with a 383 w the same MP .484 cam.
For me, keeping on eye on mileage is mainly due to the fact that the gas gauge never gets to full or empty. Typically go 100-120 miles before stopping. Need to have an idea so I know when to stop for gas. Also helps when planning to find non-ethanol station so I can keep the fuel system happy
 
How do they say it in Brooklyn... Fuggetaboudit.
I recall my '70 340 Duster 4-spd, 8 3/4 rear with 3.90 gears, an AVS and an Edelbrock water injection system (using drug store alcohol in the winter) getting about 13 on the highway with the highest octane available in 1980. My 67 R/T 440 w/ automatic, 8 3/4 with 3.23 gears completely stock gets about 10 on the highway, about 6 or 7 "around town". The hi-po Mopars were never intended to be anything near economy cars, and it's amazing how many survived the 74 and 78 gas crises. I'm sure many ended up in the scrap yards because of that reason. So really, who knows how many of what models/years are left? My guess is not too many.
 
My 65. 450 hp 440, 727, 355. I get 12. I bough a 323 center section hoping for a little better mileage on our Route 66 trip. I wish it had a bigger tank, but I figured stopping for gas every 2 hours let’s us stretch our legs.
 
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