Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I bought a Dodge van with a 318 V8. It got 11.5 MPG brand new. When the warranty ran out at 12,000 miles, I disconnected the automatic choke and put a hand choke on it. I gained 1.5 MPG. I did away with the crossover exhaust pipe on it and put a glass pack muffler on the right side. The dual exhausts got me another 1.5 MPG. Then I put radial tires on it. That got me yet another 1.5 Mpg. That was 4.5 MPG improvement over the original 11.5 for an amazing 16 MPG. The dealer ouldn't believe it. With one glass pack on there it had a unique sound and people thought I had put a cam in there. I needed a van at the time and made the best of it.
Hand choke from JC Whitney: $5.
Glass pack and tail pipe, less than $40 at the time.
Needed tires anyway at 12,000 miles and got snow tires on all 4. Less than $50 and I improved the mileage from Detriot by 40%. This was not rocket science. Chrysler never could make an automatic choke, but back then they had the best van.
Bought a new 1973 Plymouth Satellite Custom 4dr 318 V8. Drove it 10 years >100K miles. Towed a tent trailer up and down CO mountains for about 5 years. (had opt. low-ratio diff. 3.21?, std was 2. something, also added a trans cooler)Also went to hand choke as could never get the auto choke to work right after about a year. One of the best cars I ever owned. Traded it on a 1984 Chev S-10 Blazer when we wanted to start off-road camping.
I noticed that as far as Mopar was concerned, there was a distinct decline in the build materials of the interiors from 1972 versus 1973. More plastic was used versus more metal in the 1972.
They also introduced these very annoying carburetor jets which were supposed to reburn unspent fuel vapors. It didn't work very well and made it run like cr&p. Most people plugged them up intentionally. It wasn't for a few more years until emissions equipment improved to the point where power and performance were restored.
I noticed that as far as Mopar was concerned, there was a distinct decline in the build materials of the interiors from 1972 versus 1973. More plastic was used versus more metal in the 1972.
They also introduced these very annoying carburetor jets which were supposed to reburn unspent fuel vapors. It didn't work very well and made it run like cr&p. Most people plugged them up intentionally. It wasn't for a few more years until emissions equipment improved to the point where power and performance were restored.
FWIW, that was not my expeience with the 73 Satellite. Having owned a 58 Plymouth, a 61 Dodge Lancer, a 66 Dodge Dart GT (w/273 V-8 w/AC), I did not feel that the 73's interior was in any way inferior to the earlier cars. Maybe less metal, but everybody started doing the structural foam dashboards about that time (and still do). Partly for collision safety pre-airbags.
BTW, the 66 Dart GT was probably the 2nd best car I've owned. Bought used in 1970, was 2nd car to the 73 for awhile, sold in 77 when could not afford to move 2 cars in a cross-country relocation. No real problems. Same with 73 except for choke.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
44,576 posts, read 81,167,557 times
Reputation: 57813
There is nothing wrong with a 1973, if you don't mind those ugly bumpers. It's very easy to re-tune it for much better performance. New intake manifold, 4 barrel carburetor, electronic distributer, headers and a better flowing exhaust system can bring back much of the horsepower that was lost by the EPA regulations that year. In most states classics that age do not require any smog tests, so most people will disconnect all but the PCV valve. Still, my favorite years
were 1969-72, mostly because of the styling.
reed how did your 73 Sat ride? how were the noise levels?
Its ride was as smooth as I would expect from a mid-size car with 14" tires. The torsion bar suspension made the ride a little firmer than a typical coil spring suspension, but I preferred that. We made many 1000+ mile trips in it. From Colo to MI, IL, OH, CA, MO, MN. Never noticed any noise issues. Some trips we pulled a pop-up tent trailer. Had the 318 V8 auto with optional lower-ratio differential that made hill climbing around CO a breeze.
There is nothing wrong with a 1973, if you don't mind those ugly bumpers. It's very easy to re-tune it for much better performance. New intake manifold, 4 barrel carburetor, electronic distributer, headers and a better flowing exhaust system can bring back much of the horsepower that was lost by the EPA regulations that year. In most states classics that age do not require any smog tests, so most people will disconnect all but the PCV valve. Still, my favorite years
were 1969-72, mostly because of the styling.
i agree with this. and dont forget that in 1972 the SAE went from a gross hp rating to a net hp rating, so while the power seemed down, it was really still there, just a more accurate rating of what was really in the car.
1973 had its bright spots, but overall, it was the year the industry really had to scramble to keep up with smog laws. They did some stuff that sucked the life out of motors. Big, heavy cars with lo-output motors, not our finest moment
FWIW, that was not my expeience with the 73 Satellite. Having owned a 58 Plymouth, a 61 Dodge Lancer, a 66 Dodge Dart GT (w/273 V-8 w/AC), I did not feel that the 73's interior was in any way inferior to the earlier cars. Maybe less metal, but everybody started doing the structural foam dashboards about that time (and still do). Partly for collision safety pre-airbags.
BTW, the 66 Dart GT was probably the 2nd best car I've owned. Bought used in 1970, was 2nd car to the 73 for awhile, sold in 77 when could not afford to move 2 cars in a cross-country relocation. No real problems. Same with 73 except for choke.
Please tell me about your 58 Plymouth. I love those cars, and I've only seen a couple of them, since there's so few left.
Please tell me about your 58 Plymouth. I love those cars, and I've only seen a couple of them, since there's so few left.
I had a '57 Plymouth, basically Christine but a 1957 model. Good car for hooning in snow and cruising. Don't want another forward look though. Not after Christine drove the prices up to some ridiculous numbers.
Still have my 1973 Gran Torino station wagon and it isn't going anywhere.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
. No real problems. Same with 73 except for choke.
