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Old 07-19-2013, 12:43 AM
 
Location: Northeast Tennessee
7,305 posts, read 28,090,528 times
Reputation: 5523

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I used to "daily drive" my old '73 Pontiac Grand Ville, but I never measured the MPG's. I estimate however that the car got around 12-14 mpg in town.
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Old 07-19-2013, 02:15 AM
 
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
34,548 posts, read 57,460,499 times
Reputation: 45902
All my daily drivers...
76, 77, 79 Diesel Rabbits (and many beyond the 70's)
50 mpg (on free fuel), as has been the case for 37 yrs.


My 1970's motorcycles get:
80 mpg XT 500's
120+mpg TL 250's
55 mpg XS2 650

They burn GAS! ICK!!
I'm not keen on feeding OPEC.

During the 70's ... I had Super Bee, GTX, DUSTER 6 PAC, Nova SS, (12 - 20 mpg) and several 4x4 guzzlers.. (8-12mpg)
I gave them up by 1989 when the Cummins Diesel came to town. (22mpg... FREE fuel... usually JetA from Mechanic friends)

My 1974 Case Dozer sips fuel... 1 gal / hr... My 2009 Bobcat INHALES fuel... ~ 5 Gal / hr !

Last edited by StealthRabbit; 07-19-2013 at 02:23 AM..
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Old 07-19-2013, 03:22 AM
 
Location: Northridge/Porter Ranch, Calif.
24,451 posts, read 33,116,977 times
Reputation: 7591
Gas mileage isn't everything. It is not a priority for me when buying a car.

Besides, the #1 and #2 suppliers of oil/gasoline to the U.S. is Canada and Mexico, which are not members of OPEC.
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Old 07-19-2013, 05:21 AM
 
Location: Eastern Missouri
3,046 posts, read 6,257,230 times
Reputation: 1394
My 74 Bonneville, 400 2 bbl, got an avg. of 18 mpg After I fine tuned it. Before giving it more timing, it only got about 13.5 mpg. Oh, and I got rid of the cat. convertor nonsense too.
My 76 Grand Prix, with a 455 before getting rid of the cat. convert., got an avg. 13 mpg. After I put true dual exhaust on it with out the cats, added more timing to go from stock 8 degrees to 12, fattened up the metering rods in the Q-JET, it was avg. 20 mpg ! Unfortunately an overloaded dump truck rolled down the hill and into the parking lot where I worked and crushed it along with 4 other vehicles. I will never forget the seen as I walked outside and the left front wheel of the dump truck sitting on top of the drivers seat. Yep, it was still part of the truck.
My 77 Grand Prix with a 400 was same route of the Bonneville with exactly same results.
My 74 Trans Am with a 455, I don't know, and never cared! It was a 10 second car that was a ton of fun to drive, race and enjoy!

My 79 Trans Am 4 speed 400 car, avg. 17-17.5 depending on who's gas. It did best with Sunoco's but here it was always a nickel higher priced. I left it completely stock as Pontiac built it knowing being the last of real Trans Ams it would be worth more $.

The "oddball" car was my 73 Buick Century, 455 and besides being stupid quick for a 73, (13.70's !) it also got 20-21 mpg. We bought it from the older man that ordered it new. He said he never changed anything. He said he got out of sight of the dealer, threw it in low and stomped on it. He told us, " I taught it to run!". Fluke of a car? I don't know, but it was a great $ making sleeper ! I was actually AFRAID to change anything on it cause I didn't want to slow it down! lol

My 78 Grand Prix, with the 301 ran 26 mpg. Slow, but beat all my buddies with 302 fords and 305 chevys ! I just got another 78 GP, same exact 301/350 turbo/2.29 gear combo, with only 48001 miles on it right now. I'm looking forward to seeing how it does on fuel mpg.

Last edited by 12GO; 07-19-2013 at 05:30 AM..
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Old 07-19-2013, 12:05 PM
 
12,115 posts, read 33,533,991 times
Reputation: 3865
tennesee a CR's test of the 72 Catalina with the 350 V8 was 8-17 mpg in normal driving and 14 mpg on a 300 mile trip

to the others you might find this interesting but a CR's test of a 73 Grand Prix was 8-19 in normal driving and 16 mpg on a 300 mile trip. that 16 mpg was the HIGHEST mpg for a V8 tested by CR for 1973

GTO lover i don't have the test with me but i do remember that Monte was tested along with the Grand Prix I spoke about above and i thought those mpg figures were quite good for big cars with V8's
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Old 07-19-2013, 12:06 PM
 
12,115 posts, read 33,533,991 times
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12 GO that is odd for the 73 Century to do so well with a 455. a CR's test of that car with the 350 4 bbl was 8-16 in normal driving and 13 mpg on a 300 mile trip
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Old 07-19-2013, 12:16 PM
 
Location: Texas
5,717 posts, read 18,760,922 times
Reputation: 11222
My mothers 71 Olds 88 with a 455 2 barrel got 14-15 town and 16-17 hiway. It was a popular thing to give stock engines a little more timing. Like the above, I had hers set on 12 degrees. For such a big boat, it ran real strong.
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Old 07-19-2013, 12:22 PM
 
5,075 posts, read 11,001,650 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by camaro69 View Post
I'm hoping to get 15mpg in my 73 Mustang, but to afraid to figure it out.
What is there to be afraid of? Driving it?
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Old 07-19-2013, 12:28 PM
 
12,115 posts, read 33,533,991 times
Reputation: 3865
a 73 Mustang was featured parked in the garage of the Lutz home in "The Amityville Horror"

maybe that's what is causing the fear??!!
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Old 07-19-2013, 03:16 PM
 
Location: Arizona, The American Southwest
54,465 posts, read 33,753,310 times
Reputation: 91671
Back around 1979, I had a 1972 Chevy Impala with the 305 V-8, it was a 2-door with the concave rear window, I liked that body style and if I remember correctly, it got around 12 MPG in the city and maybe 16 on the highway. The gas mileage was a big improvement over my first car in 1974, which was a 1967 Chrysler New Yorker, 4-door, with the 440 V-8. I think the gas mileage rating was gallons per mile rather than miles per gallon! It got around 8 MPG in the city and maybe 10-12 on the highway.. It was a tank that's for sure.
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