Yet another MPG question

Looking seriously at this 75 with a stock 302, auto, AC, power brakes, power steering. Seller has no idea what mileage is.

Assuming everything is in generally decent working order, what are your mpg estimates?

What can be done fastest/cheapest/easiest to maximize MPG?

• Electronic ignition (which drop is bestest/cheapest)?
• New wires and plugs?
• Timing?
• Headers?
• EGR on or off?
• What else?

Thank you kind sirs!!!

 

The best way to get better gas mileage is to buy a newer car.

 

I have to agree with Dave (DDB) on this one. If you are buying a Maverick for gas mileage....you are buying the wrong car. About any car built in the last 10 to 15 years will get double the mpg of a 1975 302 Maverick.

Of course....newer cars cost more than most Mavericks....so there is a trade off. Either pay now or pay later.

 

it should get between 10-16 mpg. the biggest factor on mpg is your driving habits. treat the gas pedal like an egg. 75 should have an electric ignition system. tuning the motor will get the best mpg. a carb with the smallest primary bores will help. the smaller the primary bores the faster the carb will get out of the transition circuit and be running on the venturi's. the smallest cfm 4 bbl carb will have the smallest primaries. if you get a wide band o2 sensor you can really fine tune the carb for mpg. use a distributor with an adjustable vac. advance. you will want to have the vac advance bring in as much advance as you can get with out detonation occurring.
using light weight wheels with the lightest skinniest tires you can find will help. going to an aluminum drive shaft helps. getting cold fresh air into the carb helps.
the egr system most likely wont help at all unless its working just right and chances of that are slim. the right exhaust pipe diameter for the desired cruising rpm will help.

 

Son is afraid 10-15 just wont cut it driving 45 miles to school once a week. I tend to agree with him. That's basically 6 gallons (3 each way) @ $3+/gal or $20 per school day.

I realize we're all just speculating, but does anyone think we have a chance at 20mpg highway with the following...

1. New electronic distributor, wires, plugs
2. New 4V 600cfm carb (eddy/holley)
3. New 4V intake (performer type)

And all the basics like proper tire pressure, alignment, etc.

???

 

its possible but a long shot. i would suggest finding a $1000 econbox car. you should be able to find one that will get around 30 mpg. its a car that you dont have to worry about and will be able to really put time and money into the maverick with out having to worry about it being able to be driven every day for work or school and getting stolen or wrecked in an accident.

 

I would think that in strictly highway driving, 20 mpg shouldn't be out of reach for a 302 car. The key is to keep the revs down.

I ran with the Hot Rod Power Tour with my Comet for three years, and that gave me an excellent chance to really track highway mileage. With the original 3.0 gear in the axle, and keeping the speed below 70 mph, my car got 17 mpg ... this is with a 351W, headers, slightly rowdy cam, 600 vacuum secondary Holley carb, 2800 stall converter in a C4 trans.

Above 70 mph, the carb was tipping the secondaries and it got 15 mpg.

Just feeding 13% less motor should bump the mpg from 17 to 19.5

Swapping in a fuel-injected 5.0 Mustang combo with an overdrive transmission ought to push it into the low 20s on the highway.

All that being said ... if mileage is the goal, newer cars with smaller motors will beat what you can do with most any older car.

My wife has an 07 Mustang with the 4.0 V6 and 5 spd auto. This car gets 16 mpg town/ 26 hwy. (34 mpg if I am about 4 car lengths behind a semi ... instant mpg calculator). I have always wondered how this combo would do in a Mav ... 600 lb lighter car.

 

Dog-gon-it men, this isn't helping - LOL!!!

I just showed my wife and daughter the car (again) and they both said "THAT'S IT - BUY IT!!!" Then I said, "but it gets about 15mpg" and they said, "oooohhhhh..." I was counting on this thread to bale me out (or lie to me or something !!! )

So if the question really does come down to one of "daily driver," and you were in my shoes, what would you vote on for a dependable, economical, car that is a little fun to drive???

 

So this 45 mile trip is ONCE A WEEK? If thats the case then just go for it. If its everyday then no way, would be cheaper to get a Beater Car.

So once a week it makes the 90 mile round trip, and probaly less than that the rest of the week driving around town. So maybe $40 a week in gas. Thats not too bad.

 

I wouldn't let either of my daughters drive a Maverick for an everyday car, even if I had totally rebuilt it, it's just not as safe as the $1500 Focus I just looked at.

 

If mileage is that important, consider this:

 

DON'T BUY A MAVERICK!!
DON'T BUY A MAVERICK!!
DON'T BUY A MAVERICK!!
DON'T BUY A MAVERICK!!
DON'T BUY A MAVERICK!!
DON'T BUY A MAVERICK!!
DON'T BUY A MAVERICK!!
DON'T BUY A MAVERICK!!
DON'T BUY A MAVERICK!!


Dependable, economical all day long!!! Focus, Neon, Grand Am, Cobalt, Sunfire. There are plenty of them out there. Sorry folks.....for me....a Maverick/Comet is a HOBBY car....NOT a daily driver.

 

I got 15 average.

I agree with everyone else, get them a 4 cylinder car.

Cavalier, Neon and Focus are great if your looking for a domestic.

As for imports anything by Honda should be good.(Civic,Prelude, Accord and Integra)

 

ford festiva with a motor swap is loads of fun!

 

FAIR WARNING, before you buy any import car CHECK THE INSURANCE RATE!!!

Because of the Fast and the Furious wannabes out there on the roads, some cars are now classified as Sports Cars instead of the commuter cars they used to be classified as.

-Scott H.