Daily Driver A body Questions?

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jeeper

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This will be a longer post. Sorry, but I am doing some searching.

I'm looking for a fair season car with a V8 that will get 20 MPG or so. I've sold all my A bodies, and I have considered a Fox stang, and done some research into the F body Camaro's (Yes, I know this is a Mopar site...)

I've come to the conclusion that any car I can afford will not work for my wife so I may as well get what I want. She can tolerate a 5.0, but the GM stuff isn't for her.

Ideally I'd like a car with a decent trunk since I haul things for work sometimes (food) and various other things. Bench seat is cool with me.

I have always liked 73 Dusters. I had one that was a one owner driver car. It was dead stock, down to the exhaust. Maybe 16 MPG on a good day. I did however do zero tuning on it and sold it about 5 years ago.

I have the following parts left:

5-6 Thermoquads
302 casting heads
1989 Dodge roller 318
Newer starter
Numerous other carbs etc.
Some nice 14" rally wheels
904 lock-up transmission
Various other parts on hand.

I was thinking a 4-speed OD tranny would work well. I'd like something "snappy" but not a race car. A little bark in the exhaust, but not too loud. Just think driver.

How many 4-speed 73 Dusters with V8's were made approximately? What would you estimate the MPG difference is between a lock-up 904 and a 4-speed OD trans?

Ideas or thoughts? Any good build threads that follow my needs? Experiences or what you would do different?

Just a driver is what I am looking at.

Thanks, always like input.

ROB
 
I get 16 - 17 out of my '74 with a nasty 340 & 727 (Manual Shift) with 3.23 gears and i don't baby it.

I drive it every day in the summer.

I've been saying it for years now, but this winter it gets a Supercharger... The parts have been collecting dust in my garage for the last few years (pistons, rods, intake, blower, etc) I'd like to switch to a set of W heads at the same time though, so that'll probably push the mods from this winter to next winter :p

Expecting the mileage to be about the same with the blower.
 
I'd recommend a 67-69 Dart if you want trunk space. When they redesigned in '70 they shortened the trunk a bit. Whatever you get, put the 318 roller motor in and the 904 lock up, and you'll be happy.
 
You'll get more trunk space with a duster body style (even more if you get a 73+ with a fold down rear seat), to get tag mileage you'll want that roller block 318 (or 360 roller block would be better for more street driving, it has more torque), if you don't want/can't find a 4 speed, take a look at the GM 200R4. It is smaller then the 727 and 904. Like the 904 it will need to be built up internally and like the 904 takes very little HP to power. You'll need an adaptor from www.wilcap.com by using this tranny you'll gain an overdrive (with a .64 final gear). You'll also need a longer drive shaft (then the ones used on a 727 or 904) and a 12 volt source to plug into the tranny. You can find the 200R4 under mid-80s gbodies (like the Monte Carlo, grand prix, etc).
 
I have a 65 Valiant V200 4 door that I daily drive, with the 273 2 bbl. It gets roughly 21/22 MPG, and hardly needs to be touched. In fact, all I've done to it is upgraded to electronic ignition. It's got the 7 1/4 rear with a 2.91 gear. And the trunk space is great.
 
nothing beats trunk space like an AWB lol
 

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I always cringe when people put "V8" and "gas mileage" in the same sentence.

The problem is, it's not going to do either very well. Fuel economy won't be impressive, and you'll have to run a mild engine with tall rear gears so it won't really run very hard.

I'm not trying to be a naysayer but I've been down that road and I think you have some nice parts to build a weekend cruiser.

As far as a daily driver goes, I've had 9 5.0's and they make a fun dry-weather car but they are too much of a handful in the rain. Same for an F-body, with the added cramped interior.

You and several other's may laugh at first, but one of the very BEST DD's I know of would be a '94-96 Buick Roadmaster wagon with the LT1, That's 260hp and they easily knock down low 20s mileage. I don't even need to mention how comfortable they are.

Insurance is low and wife has room for her shopping bags.If Mopar had made something equivalent I would recommend that, but they didn't.

Go drive one of those wagons.
 
TylerW said:
I always cringe when people put "V8" and "gas mileage" in the same sentence.

The problem is, it's not going to do either very well. Fuel economy won't be impressive, and you'll have to run a mild engine with tall rear gears so it won't really run very hard.

I'm not trying to be a naysayer but I've been down that road and I think you have some nice parts to build a weekend cruiser.

As far as a daily driver goes, I've had 9 5.0's and they make a fun dry-weather car but they are too much of a handful in the rain. Same for an F-body, with the added cramped interior.

You and several other's may laugh at first, but one of the very BEST DD's I know of would be a '94-96 Buick Roadmaster wagon with the LT1, That's 260hp and they easily knock down low 20s mileage. I don't even need to mention how comfortable they are.

Insurance is low and wife has room for her shopping bags.If Mopar had made something equivalent I would recommend that, but they didn't.

Go drive one of those wagons.
Click to expand...

umm.... magnum... and then all the chrysler wagons
 
I guess I should clarify. The hauling that I do is just a few cases of food and drink for the store. It is only a few times a month etc. However it is enough that the trunk is likely too small in an F body. Driving another rig is an option to get the food if I have to.

The MPG thing is because of the distance that I live from anywhere. There was a long post on another Mopar site where the guy got 29 PMG out of a 273. Quite interesting read.

About how many 4-speed OD V8 A bodies were made? And about what year did they start? My guess is 74-76.

Thanks for the thoughts.

ROB
 
65 barracuda formual s with fold down rear seat car has mild 318 gets decent mileage when driven easy and talk about space in back when the rear seat is down....you and the wife/girl get back there on a nice night and look up at the stars through the glass and who knows what will happen next....just like the adds from the 60's. I have several framed on my walls!!!! It was made for love or making love oooooo lalalalalalalalala
 
I have a 68 Barracuda that i daily drive between april and the end of Nov. It has a 360 with approx. 370 HP, a A833OD 4spd and 3.55 gears. The car has run a very traction limited (2.2 sec 60') 13.7 @ 102.

This combo is netting me 16.5 to 18 mpg around town and 21-22 mog on the hiway, that is the same as my v6 Dakota. Certainly not in the same league as my wifes new Focus (35 mpg around town) but the same or better as all the SUVs and pickups out there and a whole lot faster. I always have a big smile on my face.

The key is decent compression without going over board on the cam and a right sized vacuum secondary carb.
 
Actually your car is one I have always liked for just the reasons you mention. I like the MPG WITH performance. Nice balancing act there.

ROB
 
Shouldn't be too hard to get 20 MPG and pull 13.99 and/or 100 MPH in the quarter using the same setup. A stock 340 car came pretty close to this 40 years ago...
 
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