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mileage?? 73 sat. stock 318. 3:23. auto. edelbrock carb?? anyone??

in the years past i didn't worry about mileage and never ffigured it but once. i flew out to ca (from missouri) and bout a 76 cuda 383 4spd with thermoguad and it beliece it has like a 2:94 gear. it got 18 on the highway doing 60 or so. i believe the edelbrock won't do as good. i havn't had a good thermoguad in yrs, and never could tune one. thanks for the reply. ( you might be the only one!>>) BILL
 
My 73 318-2/2.76 Satellite averages about 14 with a good mix of city and highway driving, and very few foot to the floor episodes.

I did have a very small intermittant leak in the tank, which is being corrected this week.

I'm hoping to see the other side of 15.

After i'm staisfied I have a good baseline, I have the following mods to make:

72 non-iso 8 3/4 with choice of 2.94 SG or 3.23 SG
"Small" (.450 lift) Summit cam
Eddy 600 carb and performer intake

I've had 20 MPG 318s before, but apparenty not this one.
I's all original 55,000 miles and runs like new. Starts everytime, choke works, no hesitation, spins tires, etc.

I did have the opportunity to take it up to 100 MPH the other day.
You can feel the motor still has good power and wants to pull pretty good in 3rd above, say 60-70 MPH with the pedal to the floor. It was still pulling good at 100, but the road started to get curvy.


Hey Bru-

How's yours doin', and what's your setup?
 
Might I add, to those that say "if you're worried about mileage, buy a honda..."-

I have a factory big block car project (possibly more than one), and I intend to do some performance mods to this 318 car...

However, I'd like to be avle to drive this car without filling the tank every time I take it out.

I currently drive it to work every Friday unless it's pouring rain, or I'm working on it.
I also used it on the weekends for errands that don't require a truck.

I've put about 1500 miles on it since I got it about 4 months ago, and I like getting a month of Fridays and weekends out of a tank of gas.

It's got the same effective final drive ratio as my R/T Dakota, less weight, and a smaller motor (albeit without a roller cam, MPI and free exhaust).

Right now they get almost the same Dak 14.1, Sat 13.8. I ought to get a bit more from the Sat.
 
If you want decent mileage, lighten the car as much as possible, run as high a gear as you can stand and run a carburetor such as a Thermoquad. If the learning curve there is too great, use a holley 600 vacuum secondary carburetor. That way the engine only uses as much carburetor as it needs, because since they are vacuum style carburetors, they only give what the engine demands and nothing more.
 
Mine's got a 360 with an Edelbrock Performer intake and Holley 600. I don't know what's been modded on the inside as the engine came with the car. I want to upgrade of a Holley Street Avenger 670 and Edelbrock RPM Air Gap intake, but my goal is still to put a 440 in next year so I'll probably save my pennies for that.
 
1976 Cuda???
in the years past i didn't worry about mileage and never ffigured it but once. i flew out to ca (from missouri) and bout a 76 cuda 383 4spd with thermoguad and it beliece it has like a 2:94 gear. it got 18 on the highway doing 60 or so. i believe the edelbrock won't do as good. i havn't had a good thermoguad in yrs, and never could tune one. thanks for the reply. ( you might be the only one!>>) BILL
 
Yeah, you know, a 1976 'Cuda!

1976-AMC-Gremlin-X-Package-custom-sy.jpg
 
the 73 sat is pretty darn nice driver, 318. i ve never checked the 8 1/4 ti see ration. interior is great shows 55000 on meter but lookin at condition of seats carpet and pedals makes me wonder if thats not true! timin chan had just a little slop and put in new one.no rust in floors but usual qtr and lower fender rust. i did just get a feather duster so i will sell the sat.
as far as drivin a toyota or kia, i understand but my dad went thru ww II and korea so i never have bought one of those. maybe one day i'll have to ride my horses everywhere i go!!???? BILL
 
Hyundai/Kia are from South Korea, which is the country we were defending.

Just sayin'
 
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