/6 mileage??

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Lars

Lars

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I'm thinking about buying a /6 car to drive daily, as my Ram's 10mpg is killing me, and I'm not interested in wearing my Dakota out (60miles to/from work, and 70 one way to my parents house where my 70 is at). So I was thinking about keeping my ear to the ground for a /6 car, what kind of milage would one (assuming auto, with 2.76's) that has a good tune average? Haven't found any locally, but I'm looking...
Thanks,
L.D.
 
Never owned one but didn't the Feather Duster rate up around 28mpg? Of course thats a Feather Duster but just lets you know its not outside the relm of possibilitys.
 
Yeah I remember reading that, pretty amazing for 30+ year old technology!
 
My 70 /6 Swinger got around 24 highway from PA to Chicago. My 72 /6 Scamp got around 14 highway...I guess it's the state of tune as they both had automatic trans, same size tires, 1bbl carb and high 2 something gears.
 
As a rule \6 cars do not get great gas mileage. You can expect mid teens around town and low 20's on the hiway (maybe a little more with a manual tranny).

If you are looking for a low cost daily driver that gets decent mileage I would look for a Shadow with a 2.2/2.5 and 5 spd. You can get mid to high 20's around town and over 30 on the hiway and it will run away and hide from a \6 Dart. Even the 2.2 turbo models will get 30 on the hiway and will run away and hide from most cars on the road.
 
yeah, what dgc333 said. The only problem is you get to fiddle with the problems those cars have too...It's a catch twenty-two. Bottom line, don't expect super great mileage ut of an ordinary /6 car.
 
i had a 91 plymouth sundance with a 2.2L. after a while, they ALL start to knock, but thats no big deal. but the two most common problems they have is, alternator and heads. those are about the only two things you can expect to replace.
my sundance had 197,*** on the clock when it stopped turning, but the car kept going for probably another 2 years of teenage driving. then something happened to the head, im not really sure what it is, i replaced the head gasket and spent probably 2 days trying to time it and it still barely runs and when you cut it off lots of vapor comes out of the valve cover. i got tired of screwing with it, but still have it.

even on its last legs, i scored pretty good mileage (couldnt give you a number since the clock stopped ticking :) ) it knocked, burned a little oil, had serious build up on the valves (probably 50% of the valve was blocked, like a cone instead of a valve) and still just started up in the mornings.

thread hijack short,2.2/2.5 GOOD motors to the day they die. and the 2.2/2.5 turbos knock out some power even stock. i seem to recall something along the lines of 150-160hp more than the V6 models that came in some duster/shadows of the same year.
 
I don't know about them all starting to knock.

I purchased a 2.2 turbo Daytona new in 85 and put 240,000 miles on it. It only went to the junk yard because my son wrapped it around a tree. I replaced that car with a 2.2 Turbo II Shelby Daytona and had 176,000 miles on it when I sold to purchase an 03 turbo PT Cruiser. We have 25,000 trouble free miles on it so far.

The only engine work done on the 2.2 Daytona's was to replace timing belts every 80k or so ($10 and about 2 hours work) and each had to have a head gasket replaced once. The 85 liked to eat front wheel bearings, they would last about 70k miles but I never had to replace one on the 89. I had to do a CV joint boot on the 89 too. All in all very reliable and fun cars to drive.

The new PT is a hoot with 220HP and 240 ft-lbs of torque from 2300rpm to red line it really moves out.
 
ok, maybe not all of them. but it is a pretty common thing for those motors. my dad had an 89 reliant wagon with a 2.2 in it. it knocked just a little. my car knocked a good bit at idle once it was warmed up.
 
That knocking you heard with the 2.2 was the cam follwers under the valve cover. They wear and make a ton of racket! I had an 87 Sundance, 2.2 5 spd. It made a ton of noise from before I got it @ 78,000 miles all the way to over 200K. It's demise was the computer related to the charging system. I wired in an old school voltage regulator and it worked for awhile until the computer completely died. It also needed a head gasket in there somewhere and a timing belt. I also had problems with junk clogging my injector. The only fix was to remove it and clean it out. I had to do that on the side of the road more than once.
 
yeah, i had to replace my computer once too, the voltage regulator went out in it. but i got a used computer from a u-pull lot for $35. i figured the knocking wasnt in the bottom side, it just didnt sound like it.
well, i may go out there and start messing with it again. see if i can get it running. i have lots of time on my hands, and i need a car to drive while i work on my valiant.
 
Heh, well, I figure anything above 15mpg is good mileage. So teens in town and 20's highway are good enough. Not only that, I have so many spare A body parts, that if it breaks, I'll probably have a spare...
 
I had a 65 belvader that got mid 25/ and another one that was much worse. Both were identical 4dr , 3 on the tree cars. The one that got the better mileage had never been messed with. I tried adj the valves tweaking the timing but couldn't get it to run like the other.
It was probably just a right foot problem.
 
Lars, where are you from? I might have a line on a decent 72 /6 Duster for sale. It's a daily driver as we speak.
 
Texas, Not much down here in the way of Mopars. If I want a Camaro I have tons of choices. :puke: That's weak too, cause I really want a Duster...
 
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