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The last of the K5`s

A

apache

1/2 ton status
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Nov 2, 2008
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Location
Central coast of Kali
For those who have owned some of the final years K5`s and have also owned 70ies or 80ies Blazers is there a significant improvement in fuel economy with a F/I engine and a bone stock rig? I know, if I want gas mileage buy a ricer...never I say. My 07 3/4 P.U gets 16 which I can deal with,10 or 12 on the highway gets expensive.
When I think about the fact I most likely will NEVER see a straight axle capable,easily modded SUV built again in America if not on planet earth, one can appricate what once was. My mind tells me its time to grab one before its to late.
 
I usually get 11-13mpg with mine. Thats carb, 465/205, 4.88's and 36's. I can be putting around town, or pulling a trailer with a Suburban on it doing 65 down the highway. Gets the same no matter what. The PO, who took the TBI 305 out, said he average 16mpg. That was stock with 3.08's and 33's.

I really can't justify the cost of buying a newer truck for the gas millage. One of my friends has an '07 Silverado, completly stock with 5.3, gets maybe 18-20mpg out of it. But that drops to 14 when towing my 2-place snowmobile trailer. In fact I've stopped driving my Jeep Grand Cherokee because the Blazer get almost as good mpg's.

I should also add that I only live 1/2 mile from where I work. And only drive the Blazer 50 miles a week, on a normal week. However I do make long trips with it. Usually pulling a trailer with my Camaro on it, or 2 sleds sometimes four if my uncle does not want to pull them.
 
i can pull off 14.8 on a trip thats my best ever. tbi350/700r4/208/4.56s/35s, average between 10-13 depending on my foot. but dont really do any city driving

oh my truck is also a 74 but i obviously did some transplanting, also dont really have any cats on my truck being a 74
 
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I got about 14mpg out of a PERFECTLY tuned 73 with a 396, SM465, 3.73's, and 35's. That thing ran clean enough to beat a brand new '98 Volvo on the emissions tester.

My '89 Blazer with a TBI 350, 4.56's, and 35's, 700r4, gets about 12mpg.

My '87 TBI 454 cc dually gets 9mpg no matter what.

My last '89 Burb w/3.73', th400, and 33's, got about 12mpg.

My current '90 Burb w/4.10's and a LOT better maintenance seems to be getting better mileage than 12, but too early to say yet, I haven't burned a tank of gas. :D
 
Pulling right at about 22 MPG in the blazer since I converted to diesel/4 speed.
Was only getting 13 MPG with a gas motor,
 
You guys are getting some pretty decent numbers considering your running 35`s+. Damn near every gasser 4wd Ive owned from landcruisers,a 4wd Dodge van,several Chevy PU`s, a few F250`s all got 10/12 mpg and the worst was my 78 Suburban 4x4,350/465/205 with 35`s. I used it for ski trips to mammoth and typically got 6mpg. Ahhhh but that was when gas was expensive @ $.50 a gallon:bow:
 
91

350/700/whatever stock gears/31s

11-13 MPG im hopeing when i chop the cat off and put on a nice flowing muffler i can maybe get closer to 15
 
When my 89 blazer was bone stock with the factory 31's and 3.73's i was getting 14-15 mpg on the freeway. I have since lifted it, installed 35's with 1 ton axles with 4.56's, and a new HOT 350 aluminum headed roller cammed engine and i can still pull 11-12 @ 70 mph on the freeway.
 
I can hit 14-15 pretty solidly in my burb if I keep my foot out of it at stop lights :crazy: Right now I average 13.5 with a 50/50 mix of highway/city(I count rush hour as city any more :doah:)

Now the piece of **** Taurus(2006 w/ 3.0) I drive at work averages 18.5 :doah:
 
Thats the funny thing about owning a blazer for me. I have always considered them to be my toys and never bothered to check what kind of MPG's they were getting. All of the ones i have owned were dual purpose DD and offroad. I always kept them tuned up and drove the hell out of them. When the gas guage got low i filled them back up and it was never an issue of how fast or how far i made it in between. I always drove mine because their badass and i love K-5's plain and simple.
 
Not much of an improvement in economy over the years, at least in regards to the 80's carbed stuff and TBI.

Got 17MPG as a best in my '83 305/700/3.08/31's, and my TPI truck below has pulled a best of 18MPG, admittedly ALL downhill or flat ground. It's probably got another 1-2MPG in it when I finally tune it.

City/mountains varies from 10-13, although the TPI seems to consistently get me better mileage out in the woods. Never spent an entire tank in the city.

Aerodynamics on the trucks have improved, but I don't think weight has, so even the newer trucks with similar displacement engines don't seem to get much better. But you can't go by the sticker ratings, you'd need to drive them conservatively to see what they will really do.
 
mattybuilt76 said:
Thats the funny thing about owning a blazer for me. I have always considered them to be my toys and never bothered to check what kind of MPG's they were getting. All of the ones i have owned were dual purpose DD and offroad. I always kept them tuned up and drove the hell out of them. When the gas guage got low i filled them back up and it was never an issue of how fast or how far i made it in between. I always drove mine because their badass and i love K-5's plain and simple.
Click to expand...

I consider all of my vechicles (except the Jeep) "toys". That hasn't stopped me from using them every day. Even the 3 Camaros I own, I consider toys. Since they spend 99% of their time covered up and in storage (I know I should drive them more:doah:). Each one only gets driven a couple times a year, on special ocasions. When it's summer, I ride my CBR1000F, rain or shine.
 
I seem to remember getting at least 16 on the highway when it was stock. Thats a 87 with 350 TBI, 700R4, 31s, and no lift. Having fun with it now with the 383 (also 4" lift and 35s) I get around 9. Conservative driving I can get 11-12mpg, but I'd rather have fun.
 
I havent owned a blazer but I do own an 83 k30 with a 454, sm465, 4.10's, and 37 inch tires. I get 8 miles per gallon with it. I also owned a 98 k2500 with a 454 and 4.10's. It got 10-12 unloaded. Trailering it would drop to 8 mpg. The old 83 got 8 even with a trailer behind it.
 
well, my 84 K5 has pulled 19.5 once (I think I may have had a slight tailwind though hehe), usually around 17-18 highway, 13-14 ish in the city

bone stock for now, so 305, 700r4, 3.73's, and 29's
 
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