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Gas Mileage - Your combo?


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Good morning,

 

I am planning / plotting my 510 build. Living a good distance from anywhere, gas mileage is always an issue.

 

I vaguely remember my first 510 with an L18 and a heavy foot getting around 20 MPG. But that was around 20 years ago and I may not have taken good records. I was a kid....:)

 

I'm curious as to what you get for mileage out of your 510 and with what engine etc?

 

Everytime I ask this on a car forum, I get the "It's a toy, who cares" answer:( That is great if you live in town, and work 3 miles away.

 

I live 50 miles from the nearest town of consequence. 20 from where I work at. So everytime I start a car to go anywhere, it is basically a 40 mile trip:eek:

 

That is why I care.

 

Thanks for your help :D

 

ROB

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I get low to mid 20s out of my built L20. That's with dual SU carbs. The SUs not having an accelerator pump and simple operation are still in my opinion the best for carbureted driveability and fuel mileage.

 

BUT, if you want gas mileage, go fuel injection, period.

 

It's not to hard to have a competent machinist scale down a z car manifold for the 4 cylinder. Then it's just a matter of swapping over a donor car's brain.

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I get low to mid 20s out of my built L20.

 

BUT, if you want gas mileage, go fuel injection, period.

QUOTE]

 

During my recent trip to Canby in my wagon with a built FJ20 and Twin 44 Mikuni's the best I got was just over 24 or 25 mpg, I thought that was Damn good milage...

 

but I agree that a F.I swap would be the best for milage. My buddy Pat with the 2 door wagon that was at Canby said he got high 30s if not in the 40 mpg range on his trip up from the bay area and he has a stock non-turbo SR in the goon :eek::cool:

 

Clayton

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Oh yeah! I remember the wagon. Being a Datsun newb, but a Mopar nut I looked at that engine and was quite amazed! That thing is sweet.

 

So best case scenario if I ran a L series, with everything right and a 5-speed I may crack high 20's at best maybe 30 on a good day?

 

How do the stock KA24E's do? I had a truck that I bought for parts and it had that in it. I was pretty impressed with the power and it was an older truck that had been abused.

 

It sounds like if I want much over 30 I better look into FI. I'd be real happy with 30 and enough power to have a little bit of fun.

 

No interest in racing it at the drags. I have a 440 car for that.

 

Thank you so much.

 

ROB

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It sounds like if I want much over 30 I better look into FI.

just stay off the skinny pedal and deal with the (lack of) power of a stock carb. 30 is doable when driving mellow ALL the time.

 

 

the L20b/dogleg/weber combo in the wagon was ~28 avg, w/o worrying about flooring it...often :D

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Wow! This is good news. I am close to finished with my "musclecar" and with a 440, 4.10's and a 3500 RPM stall it will be fun. I am too cheap to drive it. My guess is somewhere between 8-10 MPG!

 

Down here gas was close to $5 a gallon and I was figuring on $50 to get the mail and pick up some milk.

 

This is why you will likely see a "440 car trade for 510" ad in about a month. Although the power may prove addicting.

 

Thank you for the data. This is the first forum I have ever asked that on and gotten an answer.

 

ROB

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1967 RL411, 1600cc type R engine, dual Hitachi "SU" carbs, British Borg Warner transmision, properly tuned for the altitude between Great Falls MT and Las Vegas in 1969 [the air is quite thin up there]. 55 to 60 MPH yielded 38 MPG despite the square brick cross section. Why? Designed for production sedan road racing and geared accordingly.

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I remember as a teen ager late at night reading about sidedrafts in one of the Datsun books at that time. I was convinced that it would never run under 3K and get horrible mileage.

 

Looks like I was told wrong.

 

My back-up plan is to run an l20B / weber/ Z 5-speed. Sounds like I should be upper 20's with that. I'd like to do something fancier, but I may need to run that for now to get things done. I have access to those parts for low-cost is why.

 

Thank you, ROB

 

ROB

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lol mines not that great :P

 

but thats what happens with a turbo and a heavy foot :fu:

 

My LS1 powered 240Z gets 31 MPG on the hwy at 80 MPH in 6th gear. It turns 1800 RPMS at 80 MPH.

 

Who said V8's aren't fuel efficient?:cool:

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My LS1 powered 240Z gets 31 MPG on the hwy at 80 MPH in 6th gear. It turns 1800 RPMS at 80 MPH.

 

Who said V8's aren't fuel efficient?:cool:

 

 

thats also in a car that is less then half the weight of any gm v8 powered vehicle :P

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My LS1 powered 240Z gets 31 MPG on the hwy at 80 MPH in 6th gear. It turns 1800 RPMS at 80 MPH.

 

Who said V8's aren't fuel efficient?:cool:

 

I was shocked when a friend of mine named Rob drove his 2000 corvette to LA to have it dyno tuned (made 523 whp) and on his way back tried to get the best mileage he could, turned out it was around an average of 32-35 mpg

when you have a 11 sec. 1/4 mile car getting that mileage that F'n great

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