Safari Yellow, stock 1968 color........I think its code 984

 

Thank ironcross. Think that might be the color that will make the top 5 cut.

 

I've had my '72 for almost 40 years and have never bothered to check the mileage on it. If I want to get great mileage, I use my Honda Civic which is my current daily driver. I can get up to 39 mpg on the highway. The Vette is for "fun and smiles" only. I guess if you have to be concerned with your mileage you shouldn't be driving one. The guys that say they get 22 mpg have added thousands of dollars worth of upgrades in 5 or 6 speed trannies and OD units. Just think how much gas you could buy with that kind of money. Just doesn't justify the expenditure. Those who haven't done any major changes and are touting 20+ mpg must be smoking something other than tobacco in their pipe. (or maybe a neighbor is adding fuel to your tank at night just to jerk you around)LOL
Duane

 

Duane please read the whole thread.
IM NOT WORRIED ABOUT MY GAS MILEAGE. I AM JUST SEEING WHERE MY CORVETTE STACK UP NEXT TO EVERYONE ELSE SO I KNOW ALL MY UPGRADES (YES UPGRADES) ARE GOING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. I am going to be one of those people who will be buying a 6 speed to drop into my vette. May it you who should lose your vette for not thinking your vette is worth every penny you drop into it. Because all my up grades are going towards making my vette to be better on each and every drive I do leading up to the power tour which I will make damn sure my vette can handle and make it thru the whole event.
Rant over.

 

Sorry. Didn't say you were worried about your mileage. I just stated my opinion, as we do on this forum. Looks like I might have hit a nerve as to all the money you've spent on upgrades. I like the C3's the way they were built in the day. Mine is all up to date and original in every way. If I want all the upgrades, all I have to do is go out and buy a 2014 whatever.
Duane

 

I agree. Lots more power.

 

"Just think how much gas you could buy with that kind of money. "

That struck a chord; I think it's one thing to modify a 'Vette for power and fun. It's another to do so for economy.

Somewhat relevant scenario: my DD is a 'hybrid.' In case you don't know what that means, it's essentially a way to save several thousand dollars on fuel in the first few years, then spend it all back on a hybrid battery/controller when the old one goes south.

There's fun, economy, and false economy - the kind where you kick a can down the street and buy it back at the end of the day.

 

Best gas mileage I got with mine was 17 mpg, running the 355, mild cam, 2000 stall with a th350 and 3.70 gears. went to the 406, dropped to 15 ish which to me was great. Then tried a 700r4,.....went to maybe 16 ish.....Seems most of my commute was back roads, so the OD seldom engaged. As power went up,.....two 700rs went south,which to me was unexceptable. This kind of supports the argument about money spent on upgrades that I never got back. Went back to a th400,3000 stall, and big solid cam. Now gets about 10-12 mpg, but the fun factor is waaaay up.

When I drove the vette daily (355 version) mileage mattered, as I was commuting 400 miles a week. Now I drive it once in a while, so I really don't care what mileage I get.

I was wondering about L-88 mileage, and this thread was informative. I feel better now knowing I'm not doing all that bad compared to a factory monster.

 

I did 18.5mpg on my trip from NC to Bowling Green. Those are highway only miles.

Stock L-48, 4-sp. True duals with long tube headers.

 

Just got back from driving my '73 LS4 convertible (454 w four barrel carb) from Boca Raton to Kissimmee FL. and back. Probably the longest trip I will take in this car.. total mileage was 418 - gas mileage was 11.139 for mostly turnpike driving at 70-75 mph. The carb was just tuned and re-jetted prior to the trip, new spark plugs, full tuneup. Running really smooth.

 

Bocaguru............great 4-5-4 gas mileage.....did your jaws hurt from smling for that many miles?

 

As a motorcycle enthusiast for many years (I still have two)before getting a Vette I was used to 55 mpg as a norm so even though I was expecting it the fuel consumption of my 70 SBC was still a bit of a shock (approx 17 - 18 mpg with the carb strangled on the highway) I like to use the car often and with fuel here well over $7 US per gallon fuel cost quickly adds up. A 200R4 is going in as I write this so we will see what difference that makes. FWIW performance was very pedestrian, you would hoof it a bit up a hill and the car would make more noise but there was very little increase in speed like the car was saying "I'm tryin boss but I just cant do it" A much lighter spring in the secondaries helped improve this a lot with a corresponding increase in fuel consumption. Keeping my boot out of the secondaries has proved to be a problem

 

I can't speak on mpg to our friends who live and drive their cars on islands, even big ones.

I see it this way, here on the mainland: if your local geography is dense with gas stations, short-legged mpg easily converts to high fun factor. Especially when those stations are open throughout the day or night hours of each weekday.

Not that we don't have big fun around here. We do.

Gas stations on the other hand, get spaced farther apart when travelling in the American West. Lots of open country and the reason why mpg has an effect, if planning a trip.

You guys who take your cars on long trips know what I'm talking about.

I had the Power Tour in mind when I developed mine. I wanted to take long drives without the concern to run the tank dry. I wasn't going to attend a Power Tour driving anything embarrassing either. Or adding a hitch to drag a trailer. I know that I wouldn't be the most badass but I wouldn't be ashamed to lope into the next burger joint.

Staying on big interstates makes refueling easier but if you like to take old highways out this way (like Route 66), then size matters.

Plus, some of these little towns out here can be like some horror movies; you don't know who is going to show up at some of those Mom and Pop stations late at night. That is, if they are even open.

I knew I had to cross sections like this:





That's a lot of coyote country, rattlesnakes, and mesquite bushes out there. The last thing that I wanted to worry about is running out of gas.

So far, my face is still sore and the fun factor remains as great as the mileage. Just my .02.

 

Yes, the drive was fantastic, I was a little worried starting out because it was my first long drive in the car (I just got it in Nov.) But is drove great and very comfortable and powerful with mega torque in passing at 70+ mph.. I also got a chance to really test my new Retrosound 2 radio/mp3 player.. and speakerbar.. very impressed. I playlisted 89 rock tunes from 60s-70s-80s on a jump drive and cranked them all the way... ear-to-ear smiles..

 

Something like the above....I would think!

 

700R4 with 3.08 rear here. I just got back from Daytona, round trip ~1240 miles, and averaged 19.9 mpg on the highway.

 

Had you been driving a Buick/same weight/same drivetrain.......

you probably would have gotten 22 mpg....LOL

(For some reason my wife's car doesn't have the same effect on my right ankle as my '34 SBC truck has...I'm thinking once the Vette is roadworthy, it will get 3 mpg less than it is capable of getting too....LOL)

 

 

5 years with my 74, never even thought about checking or caring to.

I only put 534 miles on her in 2013....definitely not enough. My lowest total since I bought the car.

 

I put over 5k on the 9-car last season. Lots of fillups like ICEAXE says always a crowd. I must be copycatting BOCAGURU cause my retro2 is in route. Cool to hear these experiances. Terry