Engine: Mpg

[JoeHall]

I'm sure there are lots of threads on MPG, but thought I'd post some recent results on a 56J, with Packard 352 engine, and automatic (TH400) transmission, with 2.53 rear gears.
A couple of weeks ago it got a hair over 20 mpg on the superslab at speeds averaging 70 mph. This is pretty consistent for this car on the interstate.
For the past couple of weeks I have been driving it to work daily. I can take several routes to work, including one thru a small city. I prefer the country route that is about 30 miles round trip. That route could best be described as town & country; speeds average 50mph, and there are only two red lights. Last fillup, it got 17.5 mpg. I can live with this!

Joe
P.S. Nothing but "regular" gas

[PackardV8]

Having ridden with Joe, he is usually a featherfoot driver. The 2.53 gears he's pulling with the Packard V8 is even higher than the 2.80 final overdrive with the standard transmission and 3.90 rear gears.

Joe, what RPMs are you turning at 70 MPH?

jack vines

[JoeHall]

It turns 2500 RPM at 76 MPH; a stock 56J with 3.92, in overdrive turns 2500 at 70 MPH; a stock 56J Ultramatic, with 3.07 rear end turns 2500 at 65 MPH, given the same size tires (205/75).

The good gas mileage is primarily due to a 450 CFM, Holley carb, model 4360, from yester-decade. It was a cheap replacement for Quadrajet. Like a Quadrajet, it has small primaries, but also has small squirters, that only pump full volumn when the gas pedal is pushed down quickly.
Joe

[pdrnec]

My 259/powershift gets about 11 mpg around town. That's the next challenge. Need to take it for a long trip and see what highway mileage looks like.

[WCP]

On a 3200 mile trip to the Springfield meet, my overall mpg was 21.2 (Imperial) or 17.7 usg based on the odometer miles that seem reasonably accurate. This was with a newly acquired '64 Daytona 259ci 2bbl with 3.07 rear, automatic, Michelin XDT 205-75R15 tires, and air conditioning on the hotter days of the trip and that was with the 10% ethanol regular fuel exclusively.

[JoeHall]

17.7 is darn good for that setup. What speed did you average? Also, what engine temp did itg average?

[StudeRich]

On a 3200 mile trip to the Springfield meet, my overall mpg was 21.2 (Imperial) or 17.7 usg/Cut/

Where could you find an Imperial Gallon? Didn't Canada go to metric (Liters) about 30 years ago? B.C. must be a different World from where you live!

[WCP]

The trip was mostly secondary roads with speed in the 50-60 mph range with the occasional stretch of parkway or interstate. As to engine temp, the only indication I can offer is that the gauge needle ran between the middle and the upper edge of the "M" of the gauge "TEMP". I should have mentioned that the car is a "low mileage" 2 door HT that appears to still have the original plug wires. Before the trip, I didn't touch the ignition or carburetion as I didn't have time before we left. Over the winter, I pulled the drivetrain for a complete reseal and the installation of air conditioning. Just got it running 2 days before we left.

[WCP]

Studerich, I'm an old timer and have always calculated my fuel consumption in mpg imperial, because that's what I'm used to! Metric is a pain and also in the pocketbook. Keep in mind, my first car as a teen was a '27 Studebaker sedan but I used for only one summer as I couldn't afford to keep it gassed up.

[Jim B PEI]

I grew up with both bushels, pecks, gills, and metric, with stuff in between (loved that Ontario schooling) Metric is a piece of cake, except that some measures just don't make any sense except to the French, I suppose. L/100km makes no sense to me because its sense is backwards. With exactly enough money in my pocket for 10 litres, I need to know if I'll make it home, or need to hock the spare tire first. Trust the French to come up with a measurement which makes a leap to a vanishing point, which never actually arrives.

p.s. My 57 Champion automatic 3.54 and same size tires gets "slightly" better than that under the same conditions.

[Tom Bredehoft]

17.7 is darn good for that setup.

Interesting. My '55 President State Sedan, on 215 75 15R tires, on a 225 mile round trip, two lane country roads 80 % of the time, with an occasional town, 50 to 60 MPH, and 20% Interstate, figure 65, averaged 17. 6 mpg and I was disapointed. 289 with CWFB carb, DG250M, 3.34 Rear Axle.

I guess I shoulda been pleased.

[candbstudebakers]

Our trip from California to Springfield this summer we got 6 mpg at 55-70 and figured it was ok since it was in our motor home pulling the trailer and the 64 hawk, my son in laws motorcycle, and my wife's power scooter along with 3 dogs and 6 people in the motor home, it figured out to about $600.00 per person round trip ,could not have done it any other way for the same bucks.