another gas mileage thread,, 84 c-10 pickup

[R72K5]

well my life has changed, now have job thats out of town and have to drive to and from every day, so what i was planning on doing to the truck has been canceled, IE the 14 FF swap, th350 swap, etc,, just going to leave it how it is, but i dont like how it is, cept for the color of it, and thats its a chevy truck,


but anyways, need opinions, comparison info from others who daily drive an 80's c-10 pickup, etc with a 70s 350 stuck in it and without overdrive and with 2.73 or real close to that ratio in the axle,

its been a long tgime since ive daily driven a gm truck at all let alone an 80s something c-10, so i cant really recall how much gas these things eat up- on the highway that is,

i need the truck to drive 50-60 miles daily to and from work and i cant be using the truck if its gonna cost much more than 5 or 6 bucks of gas a day, i only am getting just under 7 an hour at work, so i have to be kinda careful

or if anyone is interested in aquiring a complete and pretty decent baby blue 84 custom deluxe (with a 74 CMJ police 350 in it and three speed saginaw on the tree and 2.73 10 bolt and matching blue gm 15" rallies and new goodyear 235 75 15 truck tires all around and brand new full length aluminized dual exhausts) and happens to have a car or something to trade me(for the above 84 truck) that gets bare minimum around 20mpg and at most needs some minor repair to be reliable enough to trust for an hour on the highway each day then lemme know,
i know a caprice or delta 88 and such of the 80s will get 20mpg easy, have owned many of such cars in the past, miss them all, even my big ol 77 Electra with 403 got 20mpg i recall, was super reliable under 100k miles on it, bought and drove it and then sold it, all for under 400 bucks, just for an example,

would have been perfect for going to work with, or even the 77 nova with 250ci and auto i had,
any of the cars really,


thanks for anything, gas mileage comparison info, etc,

 

[BowtieBlazer]

You really have to watch what speed you need to drive that 50-60miles....my truck does just fine now that I have retired it from HWY use 3.73's and a TH350 EATS GAS driving the highways, i actually upped to 31's when I was driving the interstate alot and got my mileage up to 16mpg with a 350 fed by the quadrajet....now I spend lots of time in the city driving 55-60mph, what the truck was made for and make 12-13 in the city....ideling or using a heavy foot about 10mpg.... tuthfully my blazer with 31's and the maual tranny used to make better mileage than my c-10.

I'm back down to some 50 series tires and still 3.73's and starting to need interstate speeds of 70-75 without turning well over 3k so I'm swapping in a 3.08 rearend.

the trucks due to shape rarely make better than 16mpg in the carb'ed form...I drive mine everyday 20-25miles and can handle it....getting into a 50-60mile commute, i'd have to change a few things around....there is a reason I am going diesel, with my new DD blazer, spending $200+ dollars on a gas a month sucks, but it sure beats a car note. I've been driving this truck off and on for the past 8 years, frankly I like it!

Back in the day w/31's




this was just before i stepped back down to a 50series tire...(P235/75's pictured)

and here it is in the background with a 50 series tire

 

[84_Chevy_K10]

I'm back down to some 50 series tires and still 3.73's and starting to need interstate speeds of 70-75 without turning well over 3k so I'm swapping in a 3.08 rearend.

I don't think that a 3.08 rear axle is going to increase fuel mileage much on your truck. I bet you'll have lower mileage because you have to floor it just to take off.

Giving the engine the mechanical disadvantage from the ground isn't going to be a real sucessful way to increase fuel mileage.

Randy,

Just save your money and get a little crap box.

 

[dyeager535]

Depends on your driving conditions.

A numerically low rear axle will do the same thing as overdrive, EXCEPT as you mention, it will hurt during acceleration from a stop.

You need VERY little power to keep the truck moving, getting it moving is the hard part, which is why the mileage in the city is so consistently bad and hardly influenced at all by tire size or gearing.

Low engine RPM's at cruise are a good thing, as long as you aren't gear hunting/flooring it to stay moving.

$1200 will buy a lot of gas, do the math on how much that will buy for your new truck. (don't forget added insurance cost, registration, etc for second vehicle)

I've known people to spend $10,000 on a new car to get 10MPG better than their current vehicle. Any clue how long that will take with normal driving to actually break even?

 

[TrcksR4ME]

I've known people to spend $10,000 on a new car to get 10MPG better than their current vehicle. Any clue how long that will take with normal driving to actually break even?

Although...people like to buy new things, especially cars AND you can't really get a loan to buy gas like you can for a car

I think he'd be best off to buy a cheap little commuter, personally I have no brand loyality when its comes to basic transportation to get to work and back. Drive what you like on the weekends, drive whatever to get to work
__________________
'77 K5, Warn M8000, 402/350/203, 44/14bff, 4"/36" Irok's

http://www.krazyk5.com

http://community.webshots.com/user/trcksr4me
http://community.webshots.com/user/trcksr4me2

 

[beater_k20]

well my life has changed, now have job

SEE! things do change...

 

[diesel4me]

A losing battle...

I need to have the same change--get a job,and lose a truck or two possibly--at least take them off the road until finances improve..

Good luck trying to drive 50-60 miles on less than ten bucks of gas--my 79 C10 with a 305,th350 and unknown rear axle gears(guessing its got 3.08's or 3.73's,it was a six cylinder,might have lower gears??)-it gets 15 tops on a warm day with no wind--add some cold weather,wind,and your lucky to see 12 mpg--since gas is 2 bucks a gallon,that means you get 5 gallons for 10 bucks--assuming you get 15 mpg, X 5 gallons==75 miles--not much of a "fudge factor" there,one traffic jam,or hitting passing gear a few times might mean a long walk...I drive 65 miles each way to my sisters house in my C10 once in a while--I put 20 bucks in it,and I have about a quart left when I get home,and the last 20 miles are quite nerve wracking,wondering if its going to run out!... Of course,if I didnt have to go 70+ mph the whole time to avoid being run over,it might do better on mileage,but probably only 2-3 miles a gallon more--but any slower could be deadly on our highways here--80 mph is the average speed most drivers prefer(not me in my 26 year old antique!)..

I might be looking for another diesel Jetta or VW Rabbit--40-50 mpg is nice,even though 2.25 a gallon for diesel makes it less of a bargain than it used to be--but they run on biodiesel too--the bummer is now that prices for fuel are high,the price of the cars that get good fuel milage are skyrocketing as well..a Geo Metro is a good alternative,my brother has a Geo Metro Wagon--gooney looking thing,and I wouldn't want to get hit in it(a Jetta or rabbit is not exactly a safe car either though!)--but it gets 30-40 mpg and it seems to have adequate power despite having only 3 cylinders..

But like another said,the gas prices sound worse than they are sometimes--buying another car and plates, insurance,taxes,and title fees add up quick,and that money WOULD buy a lot of fuel..I did some figuring--if I had the 2500 gallons of fuel oil that spilled when a home heating oil truck flipped here recently,I could have driven my 82 K20 diesel 50,000 miles,assuming it got 20 mpg!!--lets see,2500 gallons X 2.25 a gallon==5,625 bucks!

I need to make a still I guess--or a biodiesel setup--pretty soon I might be begging for fryolator oil from burger king!

 

[R72K5]

You really have to watch what speed you need to drive that 50-60miles....my truck does just fine now that I have retired it from HWY use 3.73's and a TH350 EATS GAS driving the highways, i actually upped to 31's when I was driving the interstate alot and got my mileage up to 16mpg with a 350 fed by the quadrajet....now I spend lots of time in the city driving 55-60mph, what the truck was made for and make 12-13 in the city....ideling or using a heavy foot about 10mpg.... tuthfully my blazer with 31's and the maual tranny used to make better mileage than my c-10.

I'm back down to some 50 series tires and still 3.73's and starting to need interstate speeds of 70-75 without turning well over 3k so I'm swapping in a 3.08 rearend.

the trucks due to shape rarely make better than 16mpg in the carb'ed form...I drive mine everyday 20-25miles and can handle it....getting into a 50-60mile commute, i'd have to change a few things around....there is a reason I am going diesel, with my new DD blazer, spending $200+ dollars on a gas a month sucks, but it sure beats a car note. I've been driving this truck off and on for the past 8 years, frankly I like it!

Back in the day w/31's




this was just before i stepped back down to a 50series tire...(P235/75's pictured)

and here it is in the background with a 50 series tire

damn that is one freaking shiny clean old truck :O !

how ?

thats crazy

garage queen ?


neat bird there, i have an 82 T/A,

that there is closer to or is a 92(last year of third gens, mine is first year)


thanks for info,
sounds like ill be getting 16 tops on highway, even with 2.73 crap, hum

in town is where it would really be horrible, 2.73 make it very difficult ot get going from a stop, sloooooooow lug-lug-lug hards to take off, burns up clutch really bad, needs and auto and a ton of stall speed torque converter, or axle swap to 3.42 or so, but cant be doing either..

thanks

 

[R72K5]

SEE! things do change...

yeah....

well they changed before this chang,e but not for the better, they changed for very worse, did things i never thought i could or would do, got in middle of things i never thought i could or would either, lived a life style that i thought i never could or would, and none of its anything to brag about and i cant talk about it on here, its not good, but nayways im away form that, that all ended last spring or so, i look at life WAAAAAAAY differently now and it feels different too and now i worry all the time abouit how much of it i have left, and i am also jaded with life in general, also worrying panic about health problems that may develop, i dread the thoughts,, i tripped out monday night(night off work) i couldnt belive i was a person, alive, feeling, sensing, seeing, it was nuts heart was racing :/ got pains in belly button couldnt stand up all the way it would pull on it bad, pains in side, dizzy, it was crazy, bathroom issues, i dunno what it was, im mostly ok now, for now, right now,


but im going to work all the time and so i try to keep mind on that and away from........


but anywyas, back to regularly programmed topic,....

thanks

 

[R72K5]

I need to have the same change--get a job,and lose a truck or two possibly--at least take them off the road until finances improve..

Good luck trying to drive 50-60 miles on less than ten bucks of gas--my 79 C10 with a 305,th350 and unknown rear axle gears(guessing its got 3.08's or 3.73's,it was a six cylinder,might have lower gears??)-it gets 15 tops on a warm day with no wind--add some cold weather,wind,and your lucky to see 12 mpg--since gas is 2 bucks a gallon,that means you get 5 gallons for 10 bucks--assuming you get 15 mpg, X 5 gallons==75 miles--not much of a "fudge factor" there,one traffic jam,or hitting passing gear a few times might mean a long walk...I drive 65 miles each way to my sisters house in my C10 once in a while--I put 20 bucks in it,and I have about a quart left when I get home,and the last 20 miles are quite nerve wracking,wondering if its going to run out!... Of course,if I didnt have to go 70+ mph the whole time to avoid being run over,it might do better on mileage,but probably only 2-3 miles a gallon more--but any slower could be deadly on our highways here--80 mph is the average speed most drivers prefer(not me in my 26 year old antique!)..

I might be looking for another diesel Jetta or VW Rabbit--40-50 mpg is nice,even though 2.25 a gallon for diesel makes it less of a bargain than it used to be--but they run on biodiesel too--the bummer is now that prices for fuel are high,the price of the cars that get good fuel milage are skyrocketing as well..a Geo Metro is a good alternative,my brother has a Geo Metro Wagon--gooney looking thing,and I wouldn't want to get hit in it(a Jetta or rabbit is not exactly a safe car either though!)--but it gets 30-40 mpg and it seems to have adequate power despite having only 3 cylinders..

But like another said,the gas prices sound worse than they are sometimes--buying another car and plates, insurance,taxes,and title fees add up quick,and that money WOULD buy a lot of fuel..I did some figuring--if I had the 2500 gallons of fuel oil that spilled when a home heating oil truck flipped here recently,I could have driven my 82 K20 diesel 50,000 miles,assuming it got 20 mpg!!--lets see,2500 gallons X 2.25 a gallon==5,625 bucks!

I need to make a still I guess--or a biodiesel setup--pretty soon I might be begging for fryolator oil from burger king!

for this truck it will be 99% out of town constant 55mph two lane highway travels, 40-50 miles a day every day basically,

if i have to spend very much over 5 a day to do that then i cant do it really, not with the pay i get, 5 is only like 2.5 gallons

i can already tell the truck will fail

but if it werent for gas prices at 2 a gallon then it could be different
and yeah registrationa nd title costs, its now 78 for plates, 65 for title, 25 for tax, thats all minimum, to get a vehicle on the road, which i still have yet to do with the 84,, i may just run with some 68 plates i have, and insure it and call it good, if i even keep the truck now,, looks like i cant afford to keep it the way it sounds, cant use it on highway much i bet,


a 79 could have 2.56, those were available and ive seen them in a 79 bonanza c-10 before, but you would sure know if it did have them in it by how sluggish and low RPM it would be, same deal with 2.73, take alot of pedal to get going form dead stop, IE more gas in town than say a 3.42 or 3.73 truck would be, but then on highway all backwards,,

to a degree,.,.


hmm


thanks

 

[BowtieBlazer]

damn that is one freaking shiny clean old truck :O !

how ?

thats crazy

garage queen ?

Nope was a northwest texas truck until I got it, I keep up what I have (wax it), thats original paint. I really like the truck and it has been outside uncovered 24-7-365 for the 8 years I've owned it and the 5-6 the guy before me had it, and the original owner who knows.....


The firebird is a 91 model

 

[diesel4me]

We have a lot in common.....

My health aint that great either,some of my problems are self inflicted,some arent--but I know how it feels to have bad teeth,backaches,and stomach problems--it sucks having to work a "real" 9-5 job when you dont feel good or are in pain constantly--but sitting around only aggravates the problem,keeping busy does seem to help,even it if really doesnt!...

You need to find a cheaper car or truck to drive I guess--but the registration and taxes can be a burden when swapping vehicles..seems you get screwed either way huh??
A co-worker had a 1982 camaro with a 2.5 and a five speed that got 25-30 mpg on the highway,it had highway gears in it like 2.56's or something--it actually went pretty decent too,not a tire burner by any means,but it was adequate..he bought it for 300 bucks from a woman customer who balked at paying 150 bucks to have a new water pump and used radiator in it...he never regretted buying it,and sold it to his daughter for 500 bucks when she got her licence...

I think it sucks we have to endanger ourselves in go-kart sized econoboxes just to be able to go to work--this country needs to do something to make us self sufficient,without oil from OPEC...even if it means we all have to make stills,or grow soybeans and peanuts to run our gas and diesel engines...we should have learned our lesson during the oil embargo in the 70's--

 

[velocitiii]

I just happen to be selling the perfect car for commuting. It's a 94 dodge colt. It's a little 2 door auto a/c. good paint, excelent interior, good tires, Still gets 34 to 36 mpg consistantly. Wife wanted a new car so...